The idea that “gaming” is restricted to souped-up, multicolored PC — or on the box under your TV – is dead. Many hard-core gamers prefer Gaming on the go, whether they are commuting, travelling or simply want to curl up on the couch. Instead of crazy headsets and lightning-fast mouse clicks, gaming on tablets is a simpler and convenient, albeit less immersive, experience. What once seemed like a far-fetched dream to dreamers, is becoming a reality with a new generation of tablets being powered by ever more powerful central processing units, larger screens, and great battery life. Here, we have scoured the market for the best gaming tablets of 2021 based on screen size, graphics, computing power, dimensions, price and storage. Whether you want to play Call of Duty Mobile or Apple Arcade, these tablets will let you play your favorite graphic-demanding titles right away without any hiccups.
Best Gaming Tablets of 2021
1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
Samsung’s premium Galaxy S7+ tablet, the first ever 5G-enabled tablet, appears to be giving the iPad Pro a run for its money. Driven by the speedy octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor that is capable of handling intense games as well as multitasking with minimum lag, Galaxy Tab S7 is one of the best gaming tablets in the industry. Heck, you can even run Fortnite at 90fps on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, which is a testament to how serious this gaming tablet is! The 12.4-inch AMOLED display and super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate gives you razor-sharp graphics. Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos surround sound, an immersive screen, massive battery life, and Bluetooth-enabled controllers offer an unparalleled gaming experience. Access over 100 Xbox games without ever downloading, with favorites like Minecraft Dungeons, Gears 5, Sea of Thieves, Halo and more all with Project xCloud. Coming in at just over one pound and boasting a simple, minimalistic design, the tablet is extremely light-weight and travel-friendly. This sure comes in handy since the whole point of mobile gaming is to play anywhere! Plus, an added USB-C port means you can stop relying on wall charging. As a pro gamer, I can safely venture to say that Galaxy S7+ tablet is the future of mobile gaming.
2. Amazon Fire HD 10
For those who cannot afford to splurge an arm and a leg on a gaming machine, here is an one of the best cheap gaming tablets for you. Driven by an octa-core processor, the 9th-generation Fire HD 10 offers 1080p full HD display with an impressive resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. It has an octa-core processor with 2GB of RAM under its hood, and a proven 12 hours of battery life. Even at this price, you can smoothly run games that require more running power, such as racing thriller Asphalt, without experiencing any lag. With 10.1″ vibrant screen, stereo speakers, 32GB and 64GB internal storage options, and crisp display, you can enjoy most games on this budget tablet. You can also access the Fire store to download various games and apps, but the offerings pale in comparison to what would find in Google Play. The Fire HD 10 comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a micro-USB charging slot, which is a plus. Even though the tablet is no graphical powerhouse and the hardware’s performance isn’t at par with the rest of the gaming tablets on our list, it sure is an entertainment beast for a mere price tag of $150!
3. Microsoft Surface Pro
If you ask any hard-core gamer, they would always put PCs above iOS, particularly due to higher affordability, versatility of the Windows operating system, and a wider selection of games. This is exactly what makes Surface Pro so appealing to gamers. 10th generation Intel processors feature Core i7 with 16 GB of RAM and 1TB SSD drive, giving you exceptional power, speed and performance. With 10.5 hours of battery time, 2.3″ inch PixelSense screen with 2736 x 1824 pixels, and sharp graphics, enjoy an unforgettable gaming experience. Since Surface pro blurs the line between full-featured laptop and convenient tablet, it is much appreciated by those who show a proclivity towards PC gaming. The gaming tablet especially excels at less-advanced, low-intensity, timeless classics but heavy titles might not run as smoothly. The ability to pair a keyboard and a mouse only ups its gaming prowess as well as makes it suitable for work as well as play. At just over 1.5 pounds, the tablet is light, compact, and travel-friendly and comes with a USB C port. The only downside is the hefty price tag but it is only to be expected for such excellence.
4. iPad pro
The all-new iPad Pro is nothing short of a technological marvel and hands-down the best gaming tablet you will ever find in the market. It comes as close to a gaming laptop as we can hope to achieve. Enjoy unrivaled raw processing power with an A12Z Bionic chip and 8-core graphics processor. No wonder the tablet is capable of handling the most visually intensive mobile titles, such as Call of Duty, PUBG, and Civilization VI. Experience extremely sharp visuals and crisp displays with an incredible 12.9-inch screen and a 2732 x 2048-pixel resolution with state-of-the-art Liquid Retina display. If that wasn’t enough for you, True-Tone technology with 120Hz refresh rate makes this tablet a gamer’s dream. The presence of dual cameras and lidar sensors offer seamless augmented reality for gamers, while a USB-C port allows gamers to connect an XBOX or PlayStation controller. If you are worried about the sound system, the tablet also packs four speakers and five studio-quality microphones inside. Battery life of 10 hours is enough to let you play for hours without running out. 256 GB in-built storage lets you store tons of video games and even movies in the tablet. Even though the steep price is intimidating to say the least, the benefits iPad Pro offers more than justifies the cost.
5. Lenovo Tab M10
If the exorbitant prices of gaming tablets are overwhelming you, we bring you one of the best budget tablets for under $200. Featuring an ample 10.3-inch screen, resolution of 1920 x 1200, and Dolby Atmos sound, you can easily play games that require screen real estate and high sound quality. To top it off, the tablet houses one of the fastest quad-core processors Snapdragon, in addition to 3 GB of RAM. The battery life of 9 hours is less than others on our list but it still makes sure you keep playing uninterrupted for a long time. Even though the tablet features 128GB of HDD, which is spacious enough to store plenty of games and app, it can be expanded to 256GB with an SD card. While the MediaTek Helio P22T processor doesn’t offer the performance of others on our list, the gaming tablet suffices for most games. It comes with both a headset jack and a USB Type-C port. Budget-conscious users will greatly appreciate the tablet’s slim bezels offering an 87% screen-to-body ratio, its sleek and minimal profile, vibrant display and engaging interface, for a mere $200. Inexpensive tablets are plentiful in the market, but only Lenovo Tab M10 takes the cake!
6. Google Pixel Slate
The Pixel Slate is a powerful Chrome OS tablet/laptop hybrid that lets you work hard and play harder. With a detachable keyboard, a stylus, and support for Android apps, the hybrid is everything that you need for work purposes and multimedia needs. The beautiful 12.3-inch molecular display, with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution, offers amazing visuals and crisp displays. Enjoy Dual front-firing speakers for better surround sound, 2 mics for improved noise cancellation. Due to trail-blazing performance and speed, play heavy games without graphical or audio hiccups. The device is also pretty light, coming in at just 1.6 lbs. once you remove the keyboard. While the slate lacks headphone jack, it does have a USB-C port. The Google Slate measures 202.04 x 290.90 x 7.00mm, and is marked by a lightweight design and unique style. Most games like classic Doom, Doom II, and Stardew Valley run flawlessly on the Slate without dropping any frames. While the hybrid wasn’t exactly designed for gaming alone, its features suffice even for intensive games. The battery life is an astounding 12 hours, which is more than others on this list. However, The Pixel Slate is expensive and you need to purchase the detachable keyboard and pen separately, which adds to the cost.
7. Dragon Touch Max10 Tablet
With an octa core processor, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage, this tablet gives you the right performance and power you need for intense gaming. The most amazing thing about the Dragon Touch Max10 is that it packs quite a treasure trove of features at an amazingly discounted price. Its generous 10”, 1200×1920 IPS Full HD display promises an immersive gaming experience. Not to mention, a 5000mAh battery and the fairly potent mid-range ARM Cortex-A55 CPU makes this tablet worth a try. If you are a hard-core gamer, you would also appreciate the dual-speaker system and dual band WIFI connectivity, especially if you want to play Asphalt 9, Mortal Kombat or PUBG. It comes with a USB type-C support and 3.5 mm audio jack and power switch. it mimics the haptic vibrations of game controllers when you press on buttons, which makes gaming all the more fun. However, the only thing that goes against this tablet is its hefty weight, since you cannot play for hours on end holding a 2.3 lbs. device.
8. Huawei MediaPad T5
Here’s another contender for our search for cheap gaming tablets that pack a performance punch. The eye-catching tablet has a premium, refined design, and is sleek and light-weight enough to carry. Its 10.1″ display, with 1920 X 1200 resolution, delivers excellent detail and crisp graphics that gamers would love. The presence of an IPS panel means you’ll not have any issues when viewing the tablet from an angle. The mid-range Kirin 659 octa-core processor is the best you can get at this price range and should suffice for most games without sacrificing power for cost. The entry-level model comes with 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage which can be augmented to 256GB with an additional SD card. Dual speakers produce high-quality, robust audio which comes in handy while gaming. The 5100mAh battery promises at least up to 10 hours of video play which is comparable with other gaming tablets on this list. If you’re after an Android Tablet that does not break the bank, you cannot get a better deal than the Huawei MediaPad T5.
9. iPad Mini
Don’t let its small size fool you! The new Apple iPad Air is a powerhouse of amazing features, and even connects to TV, and Xbox and PS4 controllers. If you find other tablets too bulky for continuous playtime, this purse-sized tablet was actually designed with portability and comfort in mind. Think of it like a much more affordable and portable version of the Apple iPad Pro and won’t hurt your arms after long hours of gaming. The A12 bionic chipset with an embedded M12 coprocessor is one of the best Apple has to offer for gaming, keeping frame rates up and graphics popping. Even though the 7.9-inch Retina Display with True Tone and wide Color lacks the smoothness of the iPad Pro, it still offers amazing support for gaming. You can also enjoy augmented reality with games like Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs. The 10 hours of battery time is a great deal for this price. The iPad Mini is also compatible with Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Magic Keyboard, which is a huge perk. As Apple says, ““mini just got mightier.”
10. Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
If you don’t want to splurge an arm and a leg on gaming tablets, yet are not willing to compromise on power and speed, it makes sense to go back a couple of years. While the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e is older than all the other options on our list, it still packs a great blend of speed, price, and features. Especially the AKG-branded speaker setup is one of the crowning jewels of this tablet. Weighting just over 0.88lbs, the tablet has a sleek, compact design and is extremely portable for on-the-go gaming. The tablet is driven by a Octa-core 2x 2.0 GHZ, 6x 1.7GHz processor, and 6GB of dedicated RAM, which provide for an ideal gaming experience. The 10.5-inch AMOLED screen is comparable with Apple’s Retina display, and gives you enough real estate to play action. Not to mention, Gamers will really appreciate its fast charging and exceptional battery life.