Best Tablets for a Smooth Gaming Experience

Are you looking for a device that offers the best gaming experience?

A decade or so ago, when you thought about gaming, the picture that would cross your mind would either be of a computer or a console box under your TV. However, as you know, the gaming landscape isn’t the same now.

Technological advancement over time has made a beautiful addition to the tool list for casual and pro-gamers: a tablet. 

Tablets have come a long way.

Today, most models have all the distinguishable features that help you play with ease. Plus, they are lightweight. Of course, you can use smartphones to play mobile games. However, the powerful graphics chips, intuitive & large screen, superior processing power, and the extended playtime that a tablet offers make all the difference. After all, these play a crucial role in giving you an immersive and smooth gaming experience. 

They come in varied price ranges and sizes & there are just too many options to choose from in the market. Newer versions are also launched frequently, making it a tough call for you to make. So, are you having a hard time selecting a tablet that will take your gaming experience to the next level? 

No need to worry. We have got you covered! Our experts have researched vastly to cut down on your search time, enabling you to decide faster. Also, we have added a guide section to help you choose better. 


Quick Picks

BEST PICK
2020 Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray (2nd Generation)
BEST BUDGET
Fire HD 10 Tablet (10.1" 1080p full HD display, 32 GB) – Black (2019 Release)
BEST FEATURES
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6- 10.5" 128GB, Wifi Tablet - SM-T860NZAAXAR, Mountain Gray
New Apple iPad Pro
Amazon Fire HD 10
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Versatile premium tablet
Most affordable tablet for gaming
An all-rounder tool great for gamers
BEST PICK
2020 Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray (2nd Generation)
New Apple iPad Pro
Versatile premium tablet
BEST BUDGET
Fire HD 10 Tablet (10.1" 1080p full HD display, 32 GB) – Black (2019 Release)
Amazon Fire HD 10
Most affordable tablet for gaming
BEST FEATURES
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6- 10.5" 128GB, Wifi Tablet - SM-T860NZAAXAR, Mountain Gray
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
An all-rounder tool great for gamers

Best Tablets for Gaming Reviews

Not sure which tablet would best suit your gaming needs exclusively? Please read our reviews to make a better choice.

We have compiled the 5 best gaming tablets for you with detailed specs, pros and cons. 

#1 New Apple iPad Pro

2020 Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray (2nd Generation)
  • 11-inch edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color
  • A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine
  • 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner

No device can beat this 2nd generation iPad Pro when gaming is in question. This tablet model features a top-notch advanced display. The excellent Liquid Retina display of the 11 inch (edge to edge) device with P3 wide color, TrueTone and ProMotion will make your gaming time & experience nothing less than magical. Plus, you get access to a wide gamut of the best-designed games (ad-free as well). 

The device has a battery backup of up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on a cellular data network with a storage capacity of 128Gb, 256GB, 512GB & 1TB. In terms of responsiveness, the 120hz display is just too good to be true.

You can power through games and heavy-workflows – thanks to the A12Z Bionic chip and 8-core graphics. Combined with a good internet connection, you will face absolutely no lags while you are on the game.

The New Apple iPad Pro is capable of much more. You can watch movies, create art, take outstanding photographs and all else that you can imagine. None stand a chance in comparison as a tool that you can use for both play and work. 

Pros

  • Super-fast performance
  • Now uses USB-C connecter 
  • Fantastic HDR retina display
  • Value point- incredible versatility

Cons

  • No card slot
  • Extremely expensive

#2 Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6- 10.5" 128GB, Wifi Tablet - SM-T860NZAAXAR, Mountain Gray
  • The 2 in 1 that’s your all in 1; Instantly transform your Android tablet into a PC desktop experience when you attach...
  • Power to multitask; Thanks to the speed of the fast mobile processor, rapidly switch between apps and tasks or immerse...
  • All new S Pen included; Now the included S Pen lets you pause and skip at the press of the button; Plus, you can still...

This 10.5 inches tablet is one of the best Android devices that you can get to take care of your gaming time. It gained popularity among buyers also because of the middle-of-the-road price range. The tablet features a spectacular AMOLED display that offers terrific graphics visuals. The screen quality, combined with AKG quad speakers, this Samsung tablet calls for a powerfully immersive gaming experience. 

It’s powerful Octa-core processor helps you switch faster between multiple apps. The tablet comes with a fast-charging battery with up to 15 hours of battery backup that keeps with you all day. You have a choice between 128 GB or 256 GB internal storage capacity (expandable up to 512 GB).

6 GB RAM, Qualcomm Adreno 640 graphics processor elevates your overall gaming experience. It also has a Snapdragon 855 processor built for gaming and battery power of over 7000 Mah, making it a handy tablet to fit your gaming needs. All in all, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a perfect all-rounder tablet with quality design and features. 

Pros

  • Jaw-dropping AMOLED Display
  • Expandable memory with a microSD
  • Snapdragon 855 processor
  • Great sound & battery 
  • Value for money

Cons

  • No headphone jack

#3 Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S7+ Plus 12.4-inch Android Tablet 128GB Wi-Fi Bluetooth S Pen Fast-Charging USB-C Port, Mystic Bronze
  • Pc Performance. Tablet Portability: Transform Your Tablet Into A Pc Experience With Dex Mode And The Optional Keyboard...
  • Entertainment, Upgraded: Experience Cinematic Viewing With Larger Edge-To-Edge Displays, Tft Lcd Screen, And Akg Quad...
  • Redesigned S Pen Included: With Improved 9Ms Pen Latency, The Redesigned S Pen Can Control Presentations And Take Notes...

With Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+, you can change the way you game- thanks to the Bluetooth-enable controller and it’s edge-to-edge AMOLED 12.4 (120HZ) inch screen. Imagine immersive graphics, vibrant color contrast & smoother visuals- perfect for gaming.

This model offers a battery (10090 MaH) that can last you an entire day (depending on usage) with 45W super-fast charging support. Suppose a game that you are playing does not require 120Hz, then the variable refresh rate can go down, which can further help you save a little battery life.  

Internal memory is up to 512 GB, and expandable external memory up to 1 TB with microSD. It runs on Android 10.0 & Octa-core Snapdragon 865+ processor. This tablet comes with 6 GB RAM for the 128Gb set and 8 GB RAM for all other variants. It’s quad speakers come with AKG Dolby Atoms surround sound enhances your overall gaming experience. An S-Pen is also included in the package.

Pros

  • Premium screen 
  • 5G enabled tablet
  • Portability
  • Great Battery life

Cons

  • Glitches with the S-pen

#4 Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

Fire HD 10 Tablet (10.1" 1080p full HD display, 32 GB) – Black (2019 Release)
  • 10.1" 1080p full HD display; 32 or 64 GB of internal storage (add up to 512 GB with microSD)
  • Now 30% faster thanks to the new 2.0 GHz octa-core processor and 2 GB of RAM
  • Longer battery life—Up to 12 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching video, and listening to music

You cannot go wrong with the Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet if you are on the lookout for a tablet for someone who is into casual mobile gaming. This 10.1 inch screen tab offers an internal storage capacity of 32 or 64 GB to choose from, which can be externally expanded to 512 GB. It has 2 GB RAM, and the new 2.0 GHz, octa-core processor, makes this device 30% faster than its previous versions.

With good wireless internet connectivity and up to 10 hours of mixed-use battery backup, you can easily play casual games and stream videos movies and also watch downloaded content on this affordable device.  

It runs on Fire OS and has a screen resolution of 1920*1200 at 224 PPI. Amazon Fire HD 10 also gives you access to its Amazon Underground game store that features loads of free Android games. Plus, having an Amazon Prime membership will come with various add-on perks. This model is available in multiple color options. 

Pros

  • 1080p Full HD display
  • Serious affordability
  • Family compatible – can be used by kids as well

Cons

  • Plastic design is a letdown

#5 Apple iPad Mini (Latest Model)

2019 Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray
  • 7.9-inch Retina Display with True Tone and wide Color
  • A12 Bionic chip
  • Touch ID fingerprint sensor

This amazingly portable mini-tablet allows you to game while you are on the go. It’s slim and lightweight design gives you the ease of traveling without any worries. Thanks to the A12 Bionic Chip, Apple’s mini iPad can run some of the most potent apps & delivers fast performance. 

It features a Retina display with TrueTone (high pixel density) in a 7.9 inch screen. In this case, you have 64 GB and 256 GB internal storage capacity options to choose from. This iOS run tablet offers up to 10 hours of battery life, giving better performance when used as a secondary device for gaming and other entertainment needs. This one is great for reading too. 

Pros

  • Extremely portable
  • High-speed processor
  • Compatible with 1st generation Apple Pencil (sold separately)
  • Gorgeous screen

Cons

  • Bezels hampering a bit of the screen size

Buying Guide

[Cover] Best Gaming Tablets

Tablets are quite an investment that you are looking into. Thus, it is essential to consider all the specs that matter before buying one. 

Operating System

The three primary OS available today are Apple iOS, Microsoft Windows and Google Android. Apart from that, you have Amazon Fire OS, which runs exclusively on Amazon Fire tablets. However, in terms of popularity in the market- Google Android is a clear winner. Tablets running on Android are more comfortable to use than its competitors. Moreover, the OS is highly customizable. Plus, it has a wide selection of apps and comes in all price ranges. 

On the other hand, Apple iOS has limited customizability, and Apple devices are expensive. The Windows OS runs only on Microsoft tablets, which do not have a wide range, be it in terms of products or app base. 

Screen Size

Nobody would want a terrible experience like playing a high-quality game on a relatively tiny screen. The bigger the screen, the richer your gaming experience will become. Will you be enjoying your game on a couch, or do you need the tablet while commuting as well? Such questions will help you with the screen size that is perfect for you. Most tablets in the market are available in 8.9 inches or above screen sizes. Smaller tabs cannot match the viewing experience of a larger screen. Plus, larger tablets tend to have faster processors.  

Performance: Processor & RAM

Any tablet’s overall performance largely depends upon its RAM and processor. You can always sweep through multiple tasks simultaneously when your tablet’s processor and RAM are strong enough to take the load. Tablets with greater RAM can run apps faster.

For instance, 1 or 2 GB RAM tablets give you affordability and performance but, since gaming is your top priority, more RAM would be best for an immersive experience. More memory (RAM) and a powerful processor is equal to a snappier performance. 

Display Resolution

Superb graphics is key to an outstanding gaming experience- all gamers would agree to that. That is where the resolution quality of the machines comes to play. High resolution provides sharper visuals. Apart from sharpness, screen resolution also determines color accuracy, brightness, and viewing angles. While sorting your options, never go beneath the IPS and PLS screen panel; otherwise, the difference will become apparent. 

Storage Capacity & Expandability

When you are planning to purchase a tablet for entertainment purposes, be sure to pay attention to the device’s storage capacity. The best games tend to be heavy, and for that, you need better memory storage capacity. Most tablets come with an internal & external storage (microSD card slots) facility, except Apple devices. There are no external storage slots in Apple tablets, but you can use the proprietary iCloud for storage. 

Other tablets in the market offer internal storage capacity that ranges from 4 GB to 128 GB.  

Battery Life

Depending upon usage, tablets have eight to ten hours of average battery backup on a single charge. Your device’s battery performance will also depend on the make of the tablet and its specifications. 


FAQ’s

What is the minimum specification that you can expect from a tablet for gaming?

While choosing a tablet that best suits your gaming requirements, you need to look at more than one specs. But, memory and RAM are the most important ones to take into consideration. A gaming tablet with 4 gigabytes RAM and above will give you a faster and smoother gaming experience than low-end models with a 2 gigabytes range. You will need a minimum of 4 GB RAM if you are an avid gamer who intends to play high-resolution games at maximum settings. 

What is the best size for a tablet?

If you are looking at maximum portability, a tablet model featuring 7 to 8 inch screens would be the best choice. They are lightweight and affordable. 


Conclusion

The five tablets mentioned above are our recommendation for casual as well as pro-gamers. When you are in the market to buy one for yourself, make sure you don’t forget to measure the specs that each model has to offer. Do not make the common mistakes of preferring looks over specifications and assuming that a tablet can play just about any game.

Ted Webster

Ted is an expert in the field of computers, electronics, and the latest technology.Have a question, need some help, or want to give your opinion? Drop us a comment below!

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