Tablets are gaining the attention of most users due to their compact size, portability, and lesser weight. The best part is that most modern-day tablets offer high-end performance that can easily match any laptop, and even replace them! This might be the reason users are more inclined towards these slates for their gaming needs.
They not only offer high-graphic performance, but are also fit for everyday productivity tasks as well as entertainment purposes such as streaming, web-browsing, designing, typing, taking notes, voice & video conferencing graphics & video editing, and much more. Out of the sea of choices out there, how do you pick the right one? This is the situation where we step into the picture to rescue you from being lost while making the decision. In this guide, we have rounded up some of the best tablets for all your needs for games, as well as entertainment and productive purposes.
RELATED: Best iPad and iPad Accessories for Gaming: A Detailed Guide
Requirements for a gaming-friendly tablet
Before looking at our top-picked tablets for gaming, let’s discuss its requirement in detail, so you have a clear understanding and faith in our choice.
Performance: Different games have different performance requirements, but it is pretty evident that these games are resource-hungry applications; that’s why they need a top-of-the-line chip, processor, ram, and GPU, as these are the basic requirements to make a tablet perform faster.
Storage: Another critical factor that one should count on is the tablet’s storage capacity, which affects the performance and is also an essential requirement due to the large footprint of modern-day games. However, many manufacturers offer the storage expansion slot, but that doesn’t reduce the importance of internal storage.
Platform: We have segregated the tablets based on their supported platforms, making it easier for you to decide on the right now. For instance, if the game you want to play does not support your tablet’s operating system (iOS, Android, or Windows), you’re better off skipping the entire category.
Battery: It is another critical factor that needs to be considered for a gaming tablet as games alone consume too much battery during the play, and if you are playing them over 4G or 5G data, your storm drains too fast. So, it is recommended to use a tablet with a higher battery capacity.
Price: Last but not least pricing of a tablet is an essential factor than all as your gaming tablet should be something that does not affect your pocket. There is always a trade-off between the pricing and the specification, as the gaming tablet requires more bucks than a productive tablet. That is why we recommend you buy a gaming laptop that will be pocket friendly and fit for purpose.
Most powerful tablets
1. iPad Pro with M1
In today’s date, iPad Pro is one of the mightiest tablets we have as it has the top-notch M1 processor, which is 15 times faster than its ancestors, and has a dedicated 16-core neural processing unit that can run any game effortlessly due to its process handling capacity of 11 trillion operations per second. With this SoC, you will get a lag-free gaming experience that loads and runs any game faster and provide efficient battery management that adjusts itself as per the game requirement.
With all the performance aspects, we will not consider a tablet the powerhouse if it is not supported with other features such as large display size, keyboard & trackpad support, fast charging, proper storage, quick data transfer ports, sleek and lightweight design, and excellent camera trio with central stage technology. Thanks to Apple’s innovative approach, iPad Pro provides all these features in a single tablet. Although it is a powerhouse performer with a versatile design, it is expensive for obvious reasons.
So, if you are a hardcore gamer and want to perform some productive activities without considering their expense, then go for it.
See iPad Pro 2021 11-inch on Amazon
See iPad Pro 2021 12.9-inch on Amazon
2. ASUS ROG FLOW Z13 (2022)
It is commonly believed that gaming tablets have to be large and bulky. Still, Asus is one of the tablet manufacturers famous for surprising its customers with its mind-changing technology. It has brought us an Intel 12th gen processor with 4GB NVidia GeForce 3050Ti GPU and 16GB DDR5 ram that are reasonably competent to handle any game. It is also worth noting that you will have internal storage of a 1TB SSD that can accommodate all sorts of applications, including games with a large footprint. The SSD disk also complements its processing power.
Asus provides its customers with many reasons to love this machine, such as a well-engineered design, magnetic keyboard, sturdy kickstand, excellent quality camera, and a fit-for-purpose battery that can serve you 60-90 minutes of playtime with any high-end graphics game. Its 13.4-inch screen size with 1920 x 1200-pixel density can support every game available for the windows 11 platform. Additionally, Z13 is equipped with 8MP rear and 720P HD front camera that will not only keep you connected during the game but also helps you with online meetings, video conferences, taking pictures, and recording videos. It is a power-pack tablet with shorter battery life and a higher price tag.
See ASUS ROG FLOW Z13 on Amazon
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
To compete with the Apples iPad Pro, Samsung has launched its masterpiece Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 ultra, which is a perfect contender for the best gaming-tablet title. It has a 14.6 inches AMOLED display with 2960 x 1848 resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate that gives you the best gaming experience. It draws all its power from a snapdragon chipset, an Octa-core processor, and Adreno 730 GPU that can handle anything you can throw towards it, such as games, video conferencing, LTE / Wi-Fi connectivity, video, and graphics designing, etc.
Samsung offers many memory and storage combinations in this tablet that complement the performance parameters and give us a choice to select as per our pocket. But if gaming is your primary requirement, we suggest you do not consider the expense and go for the 512/16 GB top memory combination that can accommodate any application along the MicroSD slot. Apart from this S8 ultra has an ingenious design that can accommodate 4 speakers, a more extended battery, top-notch cameras, and other ports. So, it is worth buying a gaming tablet.
See Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra on Amazon
Best Android gaming tablets
Android is a popular platform that hosts many applications; due to its popularity, manufacturers are specifically designing gaming tablets that we can also use for other purposes. Let’s check out some of the best Android gaming tablets.
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Samsung has launched many masterpieces back to back, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is one of them. It is an Android-based tablet that best fits for gaming due to its sleek design, powerful specifications, and excellent accessory support. Whether playing any basic game like Tetris or the heavy-duty graphical giant God of Wars, you will be backed by its Octa-core processor, 12GB Ram, and Adreno 730 GPU. Its large display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 4 JBL speakers is always ready to give you the best gaming experience of your lifetime. The good thing about this tablet even offers remarkable features Samsung manages to keep it lightweight.
Installing a game with a large footprint requires lots of storage capacity. This tablet already offers an added MicroSD expansion slot, so you will remain tension-free while loading your favorite games and other applications. Adding a cherry on the cake, Samsung placed an 8000 mAh battery that complements the processing power and helps you run this gaming machine over WIFI and cellular network so you can have longer gaming sessions with your friends. Suppose you are looking for a good tablet that provides you bright display, extended battery life, excellent sound quality, and power pack performance with the Android operating system. In that case, this should be on your list.
The key difference between the premium flagship Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the entry-model Galaxy S8 is the display (Super AMOLED vs TFT LCD), front camera (12MP wide+6MP ultrawide vs 12MP wide), and the battery (11200mAh vs 8000mAh).
See Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 on Amazon
5. Lenovo Tab P12 Pro
When choosing a good gaming tablet, people limit themselves to only Apple and Samsung machines, but other reasonable alternatives are available that also support the Android platform. Lenovo Tab P12 Pro is one of those machines offering a 12.6-inch AMOLED screen with 2560 x 1600 resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate so you can enjoy every detail of your favorite game. If we talk about its performance, this slate is powered by Qualcomm snapdragon 870 chipsets with an octa-core processor and Adreno 650 GPU that can give a lag-free experience.
Lenovo Tab P12 pro also supports excellent storage and memory combinations of 128/6 GB and 256/8 GB, which are not offered by many standard tablets. Some other features that users often overlook while purchasing are a 10200mAh battery, 4JBL speakers, and a Nano LTE sim that connects you with the internet on the go. These feathers in the cap make it fit for every kind of use, including gaming, productivity, and entertainment.
See Lenovo Tab P12 Pro on Amazon
Best Windows gaming tablets
Although Android and iOS are popular platforms, Windows still has its fan following; due to this reason, its fans would love to use tablets with the latest Windows 11 as they are already familiar with the interface. So here we have a couple of windows-based gaming tablets.
6. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
Microsoft is a tech giant that never misses any opportunity to impress its consumers; that is why they have introduced Surface Pro 8 with its latest Windows 11 operating system. It offers a vast library of applications, including games. Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is equipped with 11th Gen Intel corei7 processor, up to 32GB ram, and a built-in storage capacity of up to 1 TB plus 2 USB-C ports, which can quickly deal with all kinds of gaming and productivity applications such as photos editing with adobe suite, video conferencing with Zoom, MS Teams, and many more.
Surface Pro 8 is an evolutionary tablet that has 13 inches of display with 2880 x 1920 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. For an authentic experience, a Dolby Atmos speaker with dual far-field studio mics is there so you can easily communicate with your partners. Additionally, this tablet is not one that bound you to use WIFI networks only as it is available with LTE data support and a battery backup of up to 16 hours. So, wherever you are, whatever you do, this tablet will assist you.
See Microsoft Surface Pro 8 on Amazon
7. Microsoft Surface Go 3
It is another Windows-based machine on the list that is versatile and supports all products and gaming operations. It runs on Windows 11 with a Dual-core 10th Generation corei3 processor and up to 8GB ram. It has Intel UHD Graphics 615 GPU to handle all kinds of graphical needs, from gaming to video editing. Many people think that processor, ram, and GPU are the only things that can make a device faster, and gaming hardware is why they often overlook internal storage, which plays an equally important role. But with Microsoft Surface Go 3, you are covered with a 128GB SSD that can accommodate your gaming libraries and other applications.
The 10.5-inch screen with 1280 x 1920 resolution offers a detailed visualization that flaunts every pixel and makes your gaming experience less cramped. The great thing about this slate is its portability and seamless LTE connectivity, so if you are planning to have a gaming competition with your friends in your terrace garden or you are planning a road trip with your family, it could be a great companion who can entertain you throughout your journey and guide you with shortest and new routes.
The key differences between the high-end Surface Pro 8 and the budget-friendly Surface Go 3 are the processor (Intel i-Series vs Intel Pentium), RAM variants (max 32GB vs max 8GB), storage (max 1TB vs max 256GB), and the display (13.5-inch vs 10.5-inch).
See Microsoft Surface Go 3 on Amazon
Best budget gaming tablets
While you are purchasing a gaming tablet, the most significant hurdle which you can face is the pricing of these machines but don’t worry; we have covered you here as we have some best budget gaming tablets on the list that can provide your gaming experience without putting extra burden on your pocket.
8. Xiaomi Pad 5
This new entrant in the gaming market is a mid-range tablet with some excellent features under its sleeves, such as a metal frame body and Gorilla Glass 3 with a display size of 10.9 inches and a 2560 x 1600-pixel resolution. So, if you plan to play Asphalt 9 or Call of duty, it will support you with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC, 6 GB RAM, 256GB storage, and 8720 mAh battery. The best thing about this tablet is it offers a USB-C port and OTG support that enables you to connect third-party gaming gears such as Ant eSports GP300 Pro gamepad. The only thing you may be disappointed with is the lack of a 3.5mm audio jack, but this cannot affect its fame as plenty of Bluetooth headphones are available on the market.
Xiaomi Pad 5 is a tablet that can compete with Apple’s iPad 9th-gen in many specifications, which is why you can use it for other purposes, such as entertainment and productivity. Its 10.9″ screen natively supports OTT platforms so that you can have a Full-HD and Ultra-HD experience with Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Videos, and many other platforms. As far as productivity usage is concerned, it is ready to serve you. It has a dedicated reading mode for every bookworm, providing them with a good reading experience. Similarly, you can use it for taking notes, drawing sketches, video chatting, and many other things.
9. Apple iPad 9th Gen
If you are an Apple fan, just like many others getting a budgeted option is a bit difficult as Apple emphasizes quality and provides the best specs to their customers. However, they have still managed to maintain the balance between top-notch specs that do not burden their users’ pockets. This iPad version comes in 64GB and 256GB variants, respectively. It extracts its processing power from an A13 Bionic chip with hexacore CPU and 4 Core GPU, which is quite enough to handle essential to mid-level games, watching your favorite movies/web series, and all sorts of productive activities.
It is useless if a tablet has out-of-the-box processing power but does not possess a supporting display. Still, fortunately, the iPad 9th Gen offers a 10.2-inch display with a 2160 x 1620 resolution that will give you an excellent gaming experience. Comparing its size with competitors, you must admit it is easy to carry anywhere, so you are always equipped to take notes, play games, record videos, and conduct a meeting. Although it has powerful specs and supports the Apple Pencil, it is still more expensive than the iPad mini and has an outdated design with no USB-C charging port. So, before making a purchase decision, you should be clear on your requirement.
See Apple iPad 9th Gen on Amazon
10. Samsung Tab A7 Lite for $139
It is another mid-range series tablet that offers good specs at reasonable pricing. It comes in various variants that include the LTE version as well. The LTE version makes it a perfect choice for gaming, entertainment, and productive activities, as people nowadays want to connect their devices on the go. From a gaming perspective, it has all the capabilities that can serve you, such as an Octa-core processor, PowerVR GPU, good storage with a dedicated microSD slot, and 8.7 inches TFT LCD with 800 x 1340 resolution.
When deciding on the multipurpose tablet, you should keep in mind that it must be equipped with reasonable specs from head to toe; that’s why Samsung has installed Dolby Atmos speakers and a 5100mAh battery so you can carry it with you either on a road trip, in the library, at school or office, or wherever you want. It is a proficient tablet that can help you with productive operations, entertainment functions, and gaming on the go.
See Samsung Tab A7 Lite on Amazon
Great gaming accessories
While talking about the gaming tablets, it is equally important that we talk about the gaming gears that can enhance the performance of these machines, so we have enlisted some of the essential gaming accessories here:
GameSir T4 Pro Game Controller: If you are a pro gamer or love to game a lot, it is necessary to use appropriate accessories that will benefit your gaming experience and wellbeing. So, the GameSir T4 gaming controller is one of these accessories that provides a firm grip over your tablet and makes it comfortable for long sessions.
Gooseneck Grip Stands: After the controller, stands are another essential accessory that can give you a hands-free experience. These are sturdy, flexible, and adjustable and give you a relaxing environment whether you are working, gaming, or watching movies. We recommend you go for a Long Arm Gooseneck Bracket Mount stand that we can clamp with any surface.
Bose Quiet Comfort 35 wireless Headset: Although every tablet is more or less equipped with 4 speakers that give you a clear sound gaming experience, without a good noise canceling headset is incomplete. So, Bose Quiet Comfort Wireless Bluetooth headset gives you an incredible feel while attacking, walking, or performing any activity within the game.
Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Speakers: Some gamers would like to hear the gaming sound over the speakers, which gives them a mind-blowing experience. Additionally, people equip their tablets with external speakers to enjoy movies and web series with their family and friends. We recommend you make your gaming experience more satisfying; add Anker Sound core 2 portable speakers to your accessory library.
RELATED: The Best Bluetooth & Wireless Game Controllers/Gamepads for iPad
Wrapping up
Tablets are replacing laptops due to their versatility and portability; manufacturers are introducing more capabilities in these slates, and gaming is one of them. But before buying a tablet for your next gaming competition, you should be clear on a couple of things like
- Purpose of Buying
- Brand
- Your budget
- A platform for the game you want to play
- Specs
That is why we have mentioned each gaming tablet and categorized them with all the details you may need while purchasing. Now the choice is yours.
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