Best Gaming Tablet 2023

Gaming on tablets is now more popular and accessible than ever. Here’s a look at some of the best gaming tablets available today

Table of Contents Table of Contents

If you want to find the best gaming tablet in 2024, look no further! While gaming on a phone is great when you are on the go, you are limited when you have a smaller screen. If you are looking to play mobile games more frequently, you should consider purchasing a gaming tablet. Sure, phones are portable, and handheld consoles like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck feature better games, but tablets can do much more than just play games.

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When you find the right tablet for your needs, it can be a game-changer. Not only can you play a lot of your favorite games while on the couch or while outside, but you can also get some work done and enjoy watching videos on a larger screen.

Best Gaming Tablet 2023: our top picks

But, which tablet is the best for gaming? In this article, we have chosen five of the best gaming tablets for gaming in 2024. We will discuss them in enough detail for you to work out which one is right for you, focusing on the important specifications you should consider, like screen size, performance, and storage size.

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Best Gaming Tablet 2023: reviews

A gaming tablet which performs like a gaming laptop, compatible with the powerful ROG XG Mobile external GPU

Editor’s Pick

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2022)

CPU

Intel Core i5-12500H/ i7-12700H/ i9-12900H

Graphics

Intel Xe (iGPU) / RTX 3050 (40W) / RTX 3050 Ti (40W)

RAM

16GB

Storage

512GB/1TB SSD

Screen size

13.4″

Max Refresh Rate

120Hz / 60Hz

How We Review

Hands-on Review

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Pros

• combined with the ROG XG Mobile, as powerful as any gaming laptop
• superb brightness & contrast
• great color accuracy and panel uniformity
• optional ROG XG Mobile comes with lots of ports
• good quality detachable keyboard & trackpad
• great build quality

Cons

• very expensive
• insufficient ports on the Flow Z13 without the XG Mobile
• poor cameras/webcam and mic
• lacklustre battery life
• color gamut would be wider

Note: you can now buy the newer ASUS ROG Flow Z13 2023 edition which has upgraded specs, should you so wish. Although the 2022 version is still a solid pick and now available for cheaper, and is arguably the better choice if you’re going to pair it with an external GPU anyway.

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (and the AMD processor version: the X13) is a fairly unique offering: a gaming tablet that can actually has the power of a gaming laptop. This is the only selection here that has the option for a dedicated GPU: either the RTX 3050 or RTX 3050 Ti (or just the integrated Intel Xe graphics), and it differs from the other selections on this page in that it will be able to play full-on desktop titles. The Flow Z13 has superb build quality, a great keyboard, and can be equipped with a hugely powerful Intel Core i9-12900H as its maximum specced CPU: the best Intel laptop CPU currently on the market.

All that being said, you won’t be able to play the latest AAA titles on even medium graphical settings with an RTX 3050 Ti, but that’s where the optional extra for this tablet comes in: the ROG XG Mobile external GPU. Assuming you go with the RTX 3080 option, this gives you the equivalent of the most powerful gaming laptop performance once plugged into the Z13.

Whilst all this is very impressive, for many the Z13 fails to justify its cost. On its own, the Z13 simply doesn’t have the gaming power to make it a preferable pick over 14-inch gaming laptops. Combined with the ASUS ROG XG Mobile RTX 3080 external GPU it is very powerful, but in most cases you’d probably be better off buying a separate gaming laptop and tablet for the same price. The score we’ve given here is for the full ASUS ROG Flow Z13 plus ASUS ROG XG Mobile package.

The best Android gaming tablet

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+

Display

12.4-inch, 2800 x 1752 pixels, 120Hz

Processor

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

RAM

8GB / 12GB

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

OS

Android 12

Ports

USB-C, microSD slot

How We Review

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Pros

• Excellent performance in most games
• Fantastic emulation performance
• Fast 120Hz display for smooth gaming
• Incredibly flexible and versatile

Cons

• No headphone jack

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is one of the best gaming tablets out there. While the Ultra might seem more appealing because of its bigger size, it’s not the most portable thing in the world. The Tab S8+ is the next big thing, and it’s remarkable just how good this thing is for gaming.

On its own, the tablet is certainly impressive in terms of hardware. You get a high-end premium all-metal design, a stunning high refresh rate display, great speakers, and fantastic performance. The Snapdragon chip inside this thing can handle games like Dead Cells and Genshin Impact with ease.

We’ve talked about Samsung DeX in previous guides, but it’s surprising how well it works here for gamers. You get a desktop-like interface, which makes file management much easier. If you are someone who wants to mess around with emulators, you’ll find that managing your ROM files is a breeze in this manner.

The Tab S8+ certainly is not all that affordable. However, considering it can play almost any game on the Play Store, and it’s a fantastic machine for emulation, it is worth the buy for serious gamers.

For performance and ease of use, we highly recommend this as the best gaming tablet.

The best iPadOS tablet for gaming

iPad Pro 12.9″

Display

12.9-inch, 2388 x 1668 pixels, 120Hz

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB

Memory

8GB / 16GB

Processor

Apple M1

How We Review

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Pros

• Best in class performance
• A truly impressive display
• Phenomenal speakers
• Apple Arcade is great

Cons

• Emulation is frustrating

Apple’s iPad Pro lineup has always certainly been impressive. There is a case to be made for the iPad Pro 12.9 as the best gaming tablet. Much of that is due to the excellent performance, fantastic screen, and excellent implementation of Apple Arcade. This one is truly impressive.

In terms of hardware, the iPad Pro 12.9 is truly a sight to behold. The 12.9-inch screen is truly fantastic and beats out many laptops at this price with its incredible quality. The 120Hz refresh rate, fantastic speakers, and a slick industrial design all come together as a great package.

Performance is incredible, thanks to the M1 chip inside here. This chipset blows the competition out of the water, whether that’s an Android tablet or a Windows one. Playing a game like Dead Cells on this gigantic display at 120Hz might just be the best way to play the game at all.

Apple Arcade works quite well, and it has a nice selection of games. Check out Bloons TD 6, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Alto’s Odyssey, and Mini Motorways. These are our favorite games, and make the subscription worth it. We just wish the iPad had better support for emulation.

So, if you care about a premium experience, then the iPad Pro 12.9 might be the best gaming tablet.

Another Windows tablet with 120Hz display

Microsoft Surface Pro 8

Microsoft Surface Pro 8

CPU

Intel Core i5-1135G7 / i7-1185G7

Display

13-inch, 2280 x 1920 pixels, 120Hz

RAM

8GB/16GB

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB SSD

Touchscreen?

Yes

Ports

2x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, Surface connect port, Headphone jack

How We Review

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Pros

• Fantastic performance
• Great connectivity
• Fast and fluid 120Hz display
• Plenty of storage configurations

Cons

• Quite expensive

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is hands down the best Windows tablet out there. That might also make it the best gaming tablet for many folks. Since this one runs on Windows 11, you get access to the biggest library of games out there.

Think of it this way, any game that you can find on the App Store or Play Store, you can easily play on the Surface Pro 8. You get access to your Steam Library, Xbox Game Pass, Cloud gaming services, Epic Games Store, GoG, and much more. If you like exploring different titles now and then, then this is the best gaming tablet for you.

It can handle indie games and select older Triple-A games quite well. Of course, you won’t be playing Red Dead Redemption 2 at a comfortable frame rate on this tablet, but within reason, you’ll find a lot of your Steam Library might be playable.

The hardware is great as well. You get a fantastic design, high-quality screen, good storage options, and a decent amount of RAM. One downside is the fact that the keyboard cover is sold separately, making this quite expensive.

If you can stomach the cost, then this Windows tablet might be the best gaming tablet experience out there.

An affordable Android tablet from Lenovo

Lenovo Tab P11 Plus

Lenovo Tab P11 Plus

Display

11-inch, 2000 x 1200 pixels

Storage

64GB / 128GB

Memory

4GB / 6GB

Processor

MediaTek G90T

How We Review

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Pros

• Sharp and vivid screen
• Speakers are loud and clear
• Surprisingly great performance

Cons

• Future software updates are uncertain
• Disappointing cameras

For many budget-conscious buyers, the Tab P11 plus might be the best gaming tablet. It is certainly the best affordable Android tablet out right now, so Kudos to Lenovo on that front. While it may not compete with the options above, this budget tablet is certainly capable.

Design-wise, it is quite a good-looking tablet. We are a fan of the two-tone finish on the back, giving the tablet a unique look. It feels great in the hand, and the build quality is quite premium. For the price, the 11-inch display is quite good. Impressive, even.

Performance is handled by the Mediatek G90T that is under the hood of this thing. While it may not handle all games at 60fps, its performance is admirable. It can handle Genshin impact at medium to low settings, which is not bad at all.

If you use a cloud gaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, then that’s where a cheap tablet like this one makes sense. It does have its compromises, but none that stop it from being one of the best gaming tablets.

For the price, we think this might be the best gaming tablet on a budget.

A more affordable iPadOS tablet for gaming

iPad 9th Gen

Apple iPad (9th Generation)

Display

10.2-inch, 2160 x 1620

Processor

Apple A13 Bionic

RAM

3GB

Storage

64GB/ 128GB

OS

iPad OS 15

Ports

Lightning connector, headphone jack

How We Review

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Pros

• Performs admirably well
• Fantastic battery life
• The only iPad with a headphone jack

Cons

• Dated and boring design
• Again, no native emulation support

On paper, the 9th gen iPad is not something you would immediately refer to as the best gaming tablet. However, considering just how capable the A13 Bionic is, and how cheap this iPads ends up being, we think a lot of people will enjoy this iPad for gaming.

You get access to Apple Arcade, which works well on this base entry-level iPad. While performance is not as good as the Air or Pro models, it plays Genshin Impact and Dead Cells admirably well. We reckon it can handle most games on the App Store without issue.

Considering the price, this works very well as a pickup and play kind of tablet. When that you would casually game on while lounging around. The dated design and lack of emulation support are a bit frustrating, but overall, the gaming experience is surprisingly quite good here.

For Apple fans, this is the perfect entry-level gaming tablet.

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Best gaming tablet: how we choose

Our team has carefully chosen and considered these tablets for gaming through extensive research and testing. The team here at WePC has years of experience and are specialists within the gaming field.

The tablets we have featured in this article were chosen based on their specifications. We have tested specifications such as the battery life and overall performance to ensure that these tablets perform well for gaming.

These five tablets are currently the best on the market for gaming purposes and we have included a range of different prices to suit many budgets.

In addition to the value for money, we ensure that all of the components will provide the best gaming experience overall, such as the screen size, display, and sound. You can also go over to our sister website Tablet PC Comparison for a more in-depth look into choosing the perfect tablet for you.

Things to consider when buying a gaming tablet

Before you purchase a gaming tablet, there are a few specs and things that you will need to consider.

Screen Size

The screen size of your gaming tablet is important. While it is possible to game on screens as small as those featured on mobile phones, these screens do not allow you to get the most out of a game. The screen should be big enough to game on with no issues. The bigger the screen the more detail you will be able to see with larger games such as Minecraft or Fortnite. While a 7-inch screen is suitable for the game, the bigger the tablet screen, the better your gaming experience will be. It should also have a good enough display that the graphics are clear and detailed.

Battery Life

Good battery life is important for any tablet but in particular a gaming tablet. As you will likely be gaming for a few hours at a time, you want to ensure the tablet has sufficient battery life. The battery life of a gaming tablet should be at least 7 to 8 hours. The better the battery life, the longer you will be able to game. In addition to the standard battery life, the battery should not deteriorate quickly overall.

Storage Size

The storage size of your tablet is important, especially if you are looking to purchase and play several different games. Mobile games are far smaller than PC or console games, typically being around 500MB to a few GB. But, if you are downloading a good number of these games the internal memory will quickly fill up. The storage size is important to consider. While some tablets allow you to have external memory cards to expand the storage after purchase, others do not. For example, with Apple products, while you can use iCloud to back up your data and photos, there is no way to increase the internal storage capacity. However, with Samsung tablets, they allow you to use an external SD card, to expand on from your internal storage capacity.

If there is the option to add an external SD card, the internal storage size is not too important. However, if there is no option to allow for an external SD card, you will need to ensure the tablet has enough memory capacity for the games you want to store on it.

Weight

The weight of the device is something you should take into consideration, especially if you are looking to game on the go. While the majority of tablets are lightweight, some weigh less than others.

If you are planning to game with a handheld tablet for a long period, you will not want it to weigh too heavily. While the weight of all tablets seems fairly small, you will feel the weight of the tablet after long periods of holding it.

Stylus Support

Stylus support is another aspect to consider when purchasing a tablet. While they are not a necessary purchase, they are useful when playing specific games, especially if they involve precision or illustrating. The majority of tablets come with the support for accessories such as styluses. It is worth noting that you will only be able to use the Apple Pencil with Apple products and the Samsung Stylus with Samsung products, for example.

In addition to stylus support, if you would like to game using other accessories, such as a Bluetooth controller, it is worth looking into whether or not these are compatible with the tablet you are looking to purchase.

Performance (RAM, CPU etc.)

The performance of your tablet is important. You will want to look at specifications such as the core processor, and RAM. These are responsible for how well your gaming tablet will run. They control aspects such as loading and game speeds, multitasking, and the overall performance.

For a tablet that performs well for gaming, you will need to be looking for at least 3GB of ram. The fastest tablets will have 8 cores, however, a dual-core tablet will play games sufficiently.

Additional features

There are some other factors to consider when looking at a gaming tablet, as you may consider the other uses of it. Such as still getting a good entertainment or utility option. As you may want to use the device for watching movies or videos, you still want a good display. If that’s the LCD screen classic or a newer OLED option.

Then there are the cameras. If you’re either using it for going out taking photos or using the front camera to video call, it might be a useful addition to have. As well as what OS you use might vary, whether it is Android, Apple, or another, the features and usage will vary and will have their own way of working.

Another choice that will vary is the connector and ports available to you. As most might have a USB-C port but some might have proprietary options like Apple. And then the factor of expandable memory comes in and a microSD card slot might be a necessity for everything you want on the tablet.

Apple iPad vs Android tablet gaming

Apple’s iPads are severely overpowered thanks to a lot of them now including the M1 chip inside. High refresh rate displays are also more popular than ever, creating an extremely fluid experience while on the go.

While no Android tablet is competing with Apple right now in terms of performance, that does not mean they are bad. The Galaxy Tab S8+ is our favorite tablet not because of its performance, but because of its versatility and access to a gigantic library of games.

Selection of games on tablet

A gaming tablet is only as good as the games you want to play with it. Some of the most popular games on tablets include shooters such as PUBG Mobile, COD Mobile, and more. Even Apex Legends is now available in a mobile version. Other popular games include Genshin Impact, Civilization 6, and more.

A lot of old-school retro games have also been ported over to mobile platforms. The controls might not be as good as the original versions, but you can always hook up a controller. Last but not least, casual games are incredibly popular on the best gaming tablets, and are perfect for relaxing.

The selection of games matters a lot. Before you go out and hunt for the best gaming tablets, have a look at the respective app stores to see what games you like, and what games will be playable on the tablet. Irrespective of your choice, we believe everyone can enjoy dozens of games on their gaming tablets if it’s on the Google Play Store or Apple Store.

Apple Arcade vs Google Play Pass

You have Microsoft to thank for the subscription-based model we see so often on gaming platforms these days. The Xbox Series S/X is doing so well mainly because of the selection of games on Game Pass. It’s no surprise then that both Apple and Google are trying to imitate this business model.

Both Apple Arcade and Play Pass work in the same way. Either subscription costs $5 a month, and you get access to a certain library of games. Google’s version includes utility, photo editing, and other productivity apps as well. Apple’s subscription is limited to games.

While Google’s service gives you access to almost every game on the store, Apple’s service is more limited. On the other hand, you might find that Apple Arcade has a few better games, maybe even a few exclusives. However, if you want to have access to the largest library of games possible, the best gaming tablet might actually be a Windows machine. You get access to Steam, Epic Games, Xbox Game Pass, and more this way.

Does emulation matter to you?

If so, then you strictly want to stay away from iPads. You won’t find any real emulators on the App Store, and sideloading them can be a long and difficult process. Android is much more flexible in this regard, as you’ll find many emulators for popular games consoles on the Play Store. You could even download RetroArch. Emulation is a great way to play old titles in the modern era of video games. It is 100% safe and legal, as long as you are not pirating ROMs off the internet.

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Best gaming tablet 2023: Final Word

There are many different great tablets for gaming. The ASUS ROG FLOW Z13 is clearly the most powerful by some measure, but this is more akin to a gaming laptop than anything else. In terms of the more ‘typical’ gaming tablets, whilst the Apple iPad Pro came out on top overall, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ was close behind and features connections to Bluetooth controllers.

All of the tablets we have included are fantastic options if you are looking for a good gaming tablet. They are more than capable of running games well and all have good processors and screen displays. While the Apple products do not feature external storage options, they have good internal storage, which makes up for this.

The most important things to consider when purchasing a gaming tablet is specifications such as screen size, battery life, performance, and compatibility with styluses and other Bluetooth products.

Best gaming tablet 2023 FAQs

Which tablet is best for gaming?

The best gaming tablets by far are the ASUS ROG Flow series.

In particular we’d recommend the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 with external graphics card option.

Which budget tablet is best for gaming?

The Lenovo Tab P11 Plus is a great affordable Android tablet for gaming, whereas the 9th gen Apple iPad is a solid iOS option.