The best gaming tablets are the first and last word when it comes to top-tier mobile gaming experiences. Although the best gaming phones are excellent and undeniably more portable, their chonky cousins provide greater screen real-estate (some cells are too small to play games on comfortably, so that's important). Throw in superior battery-life and more powerful technology and you've got a force to be reckoned with - especially now that Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, and Apple Arcade are available.
The tricky bit is deciding what the best gaming tablet for you is, mainly because there's so much to choose from. Our team of experts have tested the biggest and best tablets so they can advise you on what to go for. Because you shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking iPads are the only tablets worth considering. That may have been the case a few years ago, but now everyone's on a much more even playing field. Android equivalents are every bit as good. What's more, they're frequently cheaper.
Best gaming tablets
If you want to game on iOS, there's no device that can beat the 3rd generation iPad Pro. We chose the 11-inch model since it's a bit lighter and easier to hold, but the 12.9-inch model is just as capable if you prefer a larger screen. The A12X Bionic chip finally brings the iPad Pro's features up to par with the iPhone. Touch ID has been eliminated in favor of Face ID which makes for a smaller bezel and a more attractive design. The screen is big enough that you can use a tablet stand to place it on a table and connect a controller for more precise play, and with such a powerful device there's no worry about lag.
With the iPad Pro you also get a capable device for artwork, watching movies or TV shows, or whatever you can imagine. This device is the pinnacle of tablet design, and paired with the Apple Pencil and a smart keyboard it rivals products like the Microsoft Surface Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 improves upon the S3 in a multitude of ways spec-wise but provides much the same experience as its predecessor. That's a good thing, though, because the Tab S3 was terrific for gaming. The AMOLED screen of the Tab S4 packs even more pixels and includes support for HDR, which is a feature that is absent in most of its competitors. Quad stereo speakers will help get you into the action and can output Dolby Atmos surround sound for an audio experience that belies the tablet's small size.
The biggest issue with the Galaxy Tab S4 is its retail price. Like the iPad Pro, this is a premium device. If you're looking for a great all-around tablet with quality features and design the Tab S4 is current amongst the best choices when it comes to an Android OS powered device.
If you want a tablet for your children, or for someone who's a casual gamer, you actually can't go wrong with the Amazon Fire HD 10. It still has a huge screen with a lovely full HD resolution, and some lovely design aesthetics (apart from the plastic design), but you're paying a fraction of the cost of other gaming tablets on this list. If you're an Amazon Prime customer, you get a load of other perks, but even non-members can take advantage of the Amazon Underground game store, which offers a tonne of excellent Android games for the very low price of absolutely free. Bonus. It does run the slightly awkward Amazon Fire OS, but for those looking for an affordable table with the majority of the bells and whistles of something at least twice the price, you can't fault the Fire 10 HD.
Okay, okay, so not everyone can afford an iPad Pro, or necessary wants the all-singing, all-dancing top end iPad tablet offering. So instead, check out the new 9.7-inch iPad, which is the best gaming tablet for anyone on a bit more of a budget. It's considerably cheaper than any of the iPad Pro models, but still comes with a crisp display, excellent tech running things behind the scenes and all the access you need to all that iOS gaming goodness. It comes with Apple Pencil support, if that's your bag, but more importantly it comes packing the Apple A10 Fusion chipset, which means a lightning fast iPad experience, both for gaming and productivity. It's a brilliant option for those looking for the Apple gaming experience, and definitely worth a look. There's a reason this is number 3 in our list, and it's not just because it's cheaper.
The new iPad Mini doesn't bring a lot of new features or even a new form factor to the product line. It really doesn't have to. The iPad Mini basically just ups the iPad Mini 4's specs to standard, and that's just fine with us. Sure, the screen isn't vastly bigger than the current range of + size phones, but that extra realestate makes a significant difference when it comes to games.
With the iPad Mini, you can get the best of iOS gaming in the highest fidelity while paying around half of what you would if you bought an iPad Pro. Additionally, the newest model of the iPad Mini adds support for the 1st gen Apple Pencil, so it makes a handy little tablet for doing art on as well.
While PC gaming enthusiasts might want to avert their eyes here, the rest of you, hear me out. Whereas most gaming tablets will only offer you iOS or Android gaming on the go, the Microsoft Surface Pro can actually let you play your Steam and other PC games on a tablet. Yes, it's true. While you won't be playing anything on max settings, middling graphical options can see you running games at a slick 50fps, including the likes of Minecraft and Portal 2, and a perfectly decent 30fps for games including XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Civilization 5. If you want a Windows device with a big, beautiful screen, a full keyboard and all the flexibility of a tablet, then the Windows Surface Pro is an excellent choice. It won't compete with a gaming rig, but when it looks this good - and weighs so comparatively little - you won't regret it.
Seeing as this is a company best known for making great gaming gear, it's not a total surprise to spot an Asus tablet on this list of best gaming tablets. Clearly inspired by the design of both the Apple iPad and the successful Samsung Galaxy Tab range of slates, the Asus Zenpad is a well-made beast. It boasts a sharp and bright screen, with enough power to run all the games you'd want to play on Android. If we were to have a little niggle, the awkwardly placed speakers can dampen the audio quality you get when playing games, and the build quality could be better. But, at the end of the day, Asus knows how to make gaming hardware, and this little Android gaming tablet does not disappoint.
The old go-to tablet if you wanted something cheap without sacrificing too much performance used to be the Nexus 7. These days, though, it's hard to find an affordable model that has acceptable build quality and performance. However, the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus might just be the Nexus 7 of this generation. You'll find the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus is average in almost every regard. The 1920x1200 display won't win any awards, and it has some issues with glare at times, but it has good color reproduction and is bright enough to use outside comfortably as long as the sun isn't shining directly down on it.
As of today, you shouldn't find any games that push the Tab 4 10 Plus over its limits. Fortnite and PUBG run well, and the multitude of less hardware intensive games are a cinch for this tablet. However, with the Tab 4 10 Plus being an older, lower-midrange tablet, you won't get as much life out of it as something like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 that is running higher-end, newer hardware. That's not necessarily a problem as long as you keep it in mind when you make your purchase.
