The Best Gaming Tablet in the Year 2024

Gone are the days when gaming used to be restricted to heavy consoles and arcade machines. In today’s world, handheld devices are all you need to launch into an immersive gaming experience.

But even within the revolutionary shift that is mobile gaming, tablets are emerging as a formidable alternative to laptops and mobile phones. 

Are you interested in exploring games and esports on a tablet, but you’re at a loss for which particular device suits your needs? We take a deep dive into some of the best gaming tablets available on the market in 2024 and highlight top recommendations based on a number of specs. 

Ready? Jump in and let’s see which portable handheld gadget is the overall leader for gaming functionality.  

Tablet Phones and the Rise of Mobile Gaming

Multiple statistics show that tablets are gaining popularity as a top choice for mobile gaming among children and adults. According to Ofcom, tablets were the second most-favored choice for mobile gaming among children aged 3-15.

About 54% of this group preferred tablets slightly edging out smartphones which were utilized by 53% of the population. 

Similarly, about 19% of adults use gaming tablets compared to 14% who would rather opt for a laptop. Evidently, there’s something about tablets that make them a balanced option compared to traditional consoles, smartphones and laptop computers. Here are some factors that have made tablets a top contender in recent times. 

• High resolution display

• Extended battery life

• Powerful GPU and processors

• Increase in average storage size

• Effective cooling systems

• Affordability and accessibility

Tablets hold so much promise for the future, and there’s no doubt that they’d only get more powerful and efficient. But as it stands in the first half of 2024, the following are five tablets that have captured the attention of gamers, in no particular order. 

Asus ROG Flow Z13

Devices with a two-in-one form factor are a quite recent trend in the tech world, but most developers optimize for laptops convertible to a tablet. Not the ASUS ROG, though. The device is built as a tablet which doubles as a PC when needed. 

Built with the latest Windows 11 OS, the ASUS gaming tablet boasts a 13.4” screen. In addition, it is powered by Intel’s 12th gen processor as well as the RTX 3050 Ti GPU. Storage ramps up to 512GB or a maximum of 1TB while battery life is pegged at 6 hours of game time. 

Pros

• Offers unbeatable hybrid functionality.

• Highly impressive display and graphics card

• Powerful processor chip for gaming

Cons

• Relatively short battery life

• High price point, compared to other options

Apple iPad Air (2024)

No list of gaming tablets will ever be complete without an iPad entry. Ranking highest for mid-range price points is the iPad Air 2022. This handheld device sports the super powerful M2 processor while the available storage ranges from 128GB to a whopping 1TB.

You can purchase 11-inch or 13-inch variants, but both come endowed with the Liquid Retina Display. To cap off a rather well-rounded device is the battery life promising up to 10 hours of gaming. 

Pros

• Extremely powerful processor

• Bigger screen yet small weight

• Impressive front and rear cameras

Cons

• No 120Hz refresh rate display

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Popular tech reviewer and YouTuber Marques Brownlee called the Tab S9 Ultra “one hell of a tablet,” and as you’d see from the specs, it fit that description.

Samsung’s flagship tablet runs on Android 13 OS and is one of the thinnest, slimmest devices in recent times. Without a doubt, the Tab S9 Ultra stands as the best Android tablet for gaming. 

The tablet has a 14.6” screen with Dynamic AMOLED display. As for its chipset, it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and boasts an Octa-core CPU, making it the best Android tablet for gaming on this metric.

While its internal memory can accommodate up to 1TB with 16 gigabytes of RAM, there’s still a dedicated MicroSD card slot. On active use, the 11,200 mAh battery can deliver 11 hours non-stop. 

Pros

• Gigantic screen with razor thin bezels

• Very good battery and even stronger processor

• Super fast 45W wired charging 

Cons

• Device is relatively more expensive

• Too big for one-handed use

Apple iPad Pro

The iPad Pro is the best you can get from Apple as far as gaming tablets go. From a sleek display to a featherlight handheld device, the iPad Pro packs a punch for its portability. But that’s not even its best feature. It runs on the incredibly solid M4 chip and has up to 2TB storage unlike any other on this list. 

Although you’d hardly need cameras for gaming, the iPad Pro throws in a 12MP ultra wide camera at the front and another similarly-sized lens at its rear. You also get to choose between 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, with both featuring the Ultra Retina XDR OLED. 

Pros

• Lucid and crisp display

• Massive chipset and processor for heavy-duty games

• Allows mouse and stylus pen support

Cons

• Luxury-end price point

• Most features will go unused by gamers

Amazon Fire HD 10

If you have a smaller budget and need to play less demanding games, then the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a top pick. Relative to other options on this list, the Amazon tablet is a combination of different pros and cons. 

For one, it operates the FireOS and doesn’t provide access to Google or Apple stores. But on the bright side, it guarantees about 13 hours of intensive gaming and its 10.1 inch screen makes it super lightweight.

It is also a good pick for alternative forms of online gaming like casino gambling. The Amazon Fire HD 10 allows access to reviews the best paying online casinos without restrictions and is equipped to handle the regular slots and table games at those sites. 

Even better is that the device helps to seamlessly navigate these casinos, with players being able to enjoy fast payouts by linking their payment methods from the tablet. You can also enjoy bonuses, cashbacks and VIP programs without worrying about functionality issues.  

Pros

• Big battery life for gaming

• Very affordable option

• Colorful and bright display

Cons

• Limited games available

• Thicker bezels and cheap feel

Verdict: Choosing the Best Overall Gaming Tablet 

“Future is mobile computing—smartphones and tablets are just elements of it. The industry is on the verge of a whole new paradigm.”

These were the words of Thorsten Heins, the former CEO of BlackBerry. And without a doubt, they sum up the stage we’re at in the mobile gaming industry, especially with VR and the Metaverse springing up. 

Each new year sees a new device being launched into the market. So, it might be tough to stay fixated on one. But the best part is that there’s something for every pocket size and gaming library in the market. 

So, browse through the list of options and choose the best tablet for gaming that suits your style and needs. However, through it all, stay peeled for the next big thing, whether it be a VR headset or a holographic device to launch you directly into the gaming world.