With phones being more powerful than ever, there’s one for every person’s budget that can cater to all of their mobile gaming needs–from established titles to the most popular gacha games out there.

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We often get asked about phones that are great for gaming, so we’ve broken down the best ones for mobile gaming for every budget in 2024. Do note that this list is based on the latest phone releases as of January 2024, and that our list also factors in discounted prices for older releases that we recommend.

Mobile Legends Tier (Php 3k to Php 8k)

The MOBA game is immensely popular among Filipinos because it has competitive gameplay that delivers good graphics without demanding high-end specs for a phone. Our picks for this segment include those powered by Unisoc’s T612 and MediaTek’s Helio G88, both being entry-level chips that are good enough to run Mobile Legends even at Ultra Graphics.

If you have a tight budget, the realme Note 50 is the most affordable phone we have reviewed that can handle Mobile Legends at Ultra graphics.

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• Top Under Php 10k Phones for Gaming Philippines 2023
• realme Note 50 Review: New Budget Phone in Town

 

PUBG Mobile Tier (Php 8k to Php 14k)

A battle royale title that’s initially made for PC gamers, the mobile version of PUBG has almost all of the elements we love from the PC version. PUBG Mobile is one of the first few mobile games that introduced high frame rate modes and graphics that match 64-bit consoles, so phones that can best run this title need a more powerful chip–one of the popular picks include MediaTek’s Helio G99 and Dimensity 810.

At the Php 8k to 14k price point, Infinix’s NOTE 30 5G is one of the more popular picks with the tried-and-tested performance of the Dimensity 810, but any Helio G99-powered phone should do fine as well.

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• Infinix NOTE 30 5G Review Philippines: King of Budget 5G
• Infinix NOTE 30 5G Gaming Review: Panalo for Under Php 10k?

 

Honkai: Star Rail Tier (Php 14k to Php 20k)

The latest turn-based RPG from Hoyoverse is a very popular mobile game that delivers excellent graphics and smooth animations at 60FPS–as long as your phone is capable. Honkai: Star Rail is a demanding title in terms of processor power, so you ideally need a capable mid-range processor to run the game at its highest graphics settings and with 60FPS enabled.

Popular processor options here include MediaTek’s Dimensity 8020 that’s found on the Infinix ZERO 30 5G, though newer Qualcomm chips like the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 that’s found on the HONOR X9b is just as good.

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• Is the HONOR X9b 5G’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Any Good?
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Genshin Impact Tier (Php 20k and above)

The most successful gacha game in recent memory is also one of the most demanding mobile games. While it’s only capped at 60FPS, Genshin Impact‘s beautiful graphics and scenery can push various phones to the limits–and even make them throttle due to overheating. Serious players who truly want to enjoy the game need to spend a little extra for a phone with a flagship killer processor that can run the game at the highest graphics–and with 60FPS enabled.

Most of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series chips (excluding the 888 and 8 Gen 1, which are infamous for overheating issues) usually fit the bill, though MediaTek has caught up lately with the incredible performance its Dimensity 8100/8200/8300 chips have to offer.

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• Dimensity 7200 Performance Test: Next-Gen Mid-Range Chip?
• Why Hating On MediaTek Processors In 2023 Is Just Unfair

 

That rounds up our picks for the best phones for mobile gaming for every budget this 2024. Are there other phones that you want to recommend? Let us know!