When you feel like owning a new gadget, the first move may be to decide the budget. Well, that's how most of us do it. But gaming, like many other means of entertainment, relies heavily on the hardware to provide you the optimum experience. For example, the viewing experience on a 1080p screen will always be better than what a 720p screen can offer. The same concept applies when you are shopping for a tablet for gaming.
If you are a gaming enthusiast or a YouTuber, you would want a tablet that can handle the maximum settings, provide surround sound, produce vivid colors, and many more. We have prepared a buying guide to help you choose the right product depending on your needs. You can also shop from our top 10 list featuring the best tablets for gaming in India from brands like Apple, Lenovo, Samsung, and more.
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Table of Contents
Wait! Don't fix your budget yet. There are quite a few factors to consider before deciding the budget for your gaming tablet. You may not get the specifications you typically get on a smartphone for the same price range. So read our buying guide to get a better idea about the various features you should look for while shopping for a gaming tablet online.
You may think that LED displays are better than LCDs. Well, for some iPads, not really. The Liquid Retina Display by Apple is a type of LCD on par with Super AMOLED displays. If you are in a dilemma, know this — an AMOLED can produce deeper blacks and more contrast.
You will definitely see the difference if you compare both of them side by side. Here is a useful tip for gamers. Buy a tablet with a higher refresh rate. Refresh rate is the number of times the image information on your screen gets updated per second.
A gamer playing on a screen with a higher refresh rate, say, 120 Hz will get his/her screen updated quicker than the opponents' screen of 60 Hz. When playing multiplayer games, it's a matter of life and death (inside the game!).
When it comes to performance, the number of cores also plays a major role. Cores are individual processing units inside a CPU that shares the current task at hand for faster processing speeds. Here is an example. The 8th gen Apple iPad features the A12 Bionic chip, whereas the iPad Pro has the A12Z Bionic chip.
The "Z" version has 8 CPU cores and 8 GPU cores, delivering exceptional graphics performance and speed compared to the 6 CPU cores and 4 GPU cores of the A12. But remember that more cores don't mean better performance.
The A13 Bionic chip with six cores is better than the Exynos 1080 with eight cores since the technology behind A13 is far superior to Exynos 1080. That's why you should always look into the specifications before buying a gadget.
You will find that most tablets in the under-25000 range provide internal storage of only 32 GB or 64 GB. If that's sufficient or not differs from one individual to another. If you plan to use your tablet for more than just gaming, for example, downloading movies, you would want one with internal storage of at least 64 GB. You will get enough space for a few games and some movies.
If you are planning to use it solely for gaming, a 32 GB variant would do. Consider bigger internal storage or buy a memory card if you record your screen for uploading to YouTube videos. We recommend going for 64 GB or 128 GB of storage since screen recordings can take up lots of space.
You may also want to consider that a game's iOS version takes up more space than its Android version. For example, the size of Call of Duty: Mobile is 2.2 GB on Android and 2.9 GB on iOS. Choose a tablet that offers the best gaming experience for your budget or find one that balances performance and storage.
Every tablet supports Wi-Fi connectivity. It is the LTE (Long Term Evolution) or cellular connection feature that you should look for, not as an extra feature but as a necessary one. Suppose you lose your Wi-Fi connection while playing an online multiplayer or live streaming, you would be able to switch to your cellular network and keep the enthusiasm and fun of gaming alive.
Having a tablet that supports LTE allows gaming while traveling too. You don't have to worry about carrying a wireless router, like the airtel my wifi and JioFi, which can run out of power after several hours of usage. Some tablets will have two variants—Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + LTE. Usually, tablets that support both are more expensive. Choose one that suits your budget.
While shopping for tablets, you will come across brands' claims about the battery backup of their products. But those figures are only based on in-house testing involving internet browsing, video and music playback, and cellular calling. You will not find manufacturers that explicitly promise gaming hours their tablet (or any gadget of that sort) will provide on a full battery.
There are several reasons for that. The graphic settings you choose, screen brightness, whether the game is online or offline, etc., are some of the many factors responsible for battery drain while gaming. The stress put on the processor by games varies across the titles, and even in-game settings like vibration alert can also contribute to power consumption.
Your best bet is to go for a tablet that promises at least 8 hours of any activity, for example, video playback. You will probably get 4 hours of gaming from that. Here is a tip that will extend the life of your tablet (maybe yours too!). Do not play games while the battery is being charged, as it can overheat and get damaged. There is also a possibility of fire or explosion.
There are several gamers who are loyal to not more than two games. For example, PUBG, Free Fire, COD: Mobile, etc. If you are a loyalist, the first thing to do is check the platforms on which the game is available. But if you are a gaming enthusiast who likes to try out different types of games, an Android tablet would be a wise choice, as Google Playstore has more games than Apple's App Store.
Some popular HD Games available for android and iOS are COD: Mobile, Asphalt 9, GRID Autosports, Elder Scrolls: Blades, Black Desert, etc. The latest innovation in the realm of gadgets: the 2-in-1 laptops (a laptop that can be converted to a tablet) are also becoming popular among gamers since they allow them to play Windows games on a smaller, portable screen.
Several touch-friendly games like Sid Meier's Civilization 5, Splendor, Heros III: MIght Magic, etc., are already available on Steam. You can even play your favorite PC games on your tablet while you are traveling. With products like Microsoft Surface Pro X offering a SIM card slot that allows a cellular connection, you can even utilize your Xbox game pass for PC for playing PC games on your tablet.
₹112,900.00
Apple boasts one of the best screen technologies in the market. The Apple iPad Pro comes with a Liquid Retina display that can produce stunning colors for an incredible gaming experience. It features the A12Z Bionic processor, which is among the fastest processors currently in the market, enabling you to play games on high graphics without any lag.
This version comes with 256 GB of internal storage. If you are a die-hard gamer, we recommend going for at least 256 GB or more, considering iOS games are bigger. You can buy 128 GB, 256 GB, and 1 TB variants too. The tablet works both on LTE and Wi-Fi. If you won't be using a SIM card on the tablet, you can buy a Wi-Fi-only variant available too.
There are four speakers that play high-quality audio and five studio-quality microphones for online gaming and recording YouTube videos. We recommend this tablet for all gaming enthusiasts out there.
₹71,999.00
Samsung Tab S7+ comes with the Snapdragon 865 Plus, the fastest processor yet to feature on a Samsung tablet. Along with the 6GB of RAM, this product is one of the fastest tablets on the market. You can confidently select the highest graphic settings in every game without worrying about any lag. Its Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2800 x 1752 displays crisp and vivid images.
The screen also boasts a 120 Hz refresh rate, which can give you a seamless gaming experience. For those who spend long hours gaming, the eye care certification of this tablet may be a relief as it promises low blue light emission. The tablet comes with four speakers powered by AKG, one of the major acoustics engineering companies in the world.
The internal storage of 128 GB may be enough if you are planning to install only select games. If the need arises for more storage, you can expand it up to 1 TB. The tab featured here is a Wi-Fi-only variant, but you can buy a Wi-Fi + 4G variant too if you love gaming while traveling.
₹47,799.00
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 comes with an S-Pen that you can use for playing games like Fruit Ninja, Scribble Racer, Magic Touch: Wizard for Hire, and Draw Something. The four AKG tuned speakers can give you an immersive gaming experience even if you don't have headphones. With the headphones on, you can experience Dolby Atmos surround sound that will take your gaming experience to a whole new level.
It supports Wi-Fi and 4G LTE for gaming while at home and traveling. The tablet has 4GB of RAM and only 64 GB of internal storage. You will be able to play games like COD: Mobile, Asphalt 9: Legends, Modern Combat 5, and ARK: Survival Evolved on medium to high settings. The internal memory is on the low side for the price range, but it is expandable up to 400 GB.
The screen size of 10.5 inches is more than enough for easy finger movement while gaming, and the 2560 x 1600 Super AMOLED display produces a wide range of colors superior to normal displays.
₹35,999.00
Weighing just 467 grams, the Samsung Tab S6 Lite is much more comfortable to hold while playing than S7+ and Apple iPad Pro. The pack also has an S-Pen for playing games like Fruit Ninja and Draw Something. With 4 GB of RAM and an octa-core processor, you play HD games like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Leo’s Fortune, and Gods of Rome on medium to high settings.
The tablet only has 64 GB of internal storage, which may get filled up pretty fast if you are a gaming enthusiast or a YouTuber who reviews games. The display used is TFT (Thin Film Transistor), which is inferior to the AMOLED and Super AMOLED displays normally found in mid to high range tablets from Samsung.
We recommend this product to people looking for a gaming tablet in the 30,000 to 35,000 price range. You can choose from three color options: angora blue, chiffon pink, and oxford gray.
₹66,900.00
The Apple iPad Air features the A14 Bionic chip, the most powerful mobile CPU in the market right now. HD games for iOS like Genshin Impact, Grid Autosport, and Free Fire can be played on max settings. The screen features are apt for avid gamers. It has an oleophobic coating that resists fingerprints and an anti-reflective coating that reduces ambient light reflection.
This results in a cleaner display and less distraction while gaming. You also get a Liquid Retina Display that is known for its accurate color reproduction and longer lifespan compared to older LCD technologies. This variant offers 64 GB internal storage with Wi-Fi connectivity.
If you have more budget, you can buy one with 256 GB and Wi-Fi + LTE support too. We recommend Apple iPad Air to YouTubers and gamers looking for a powerful tablet that can handle HD gaming and screen recording at the same time.
₹20,345.00
As a tablet gamer, you would be expecting a responsive and reliable touch. You wouldn't want to lose a game because the tablet didn't recognize your touch commands. With the Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus tablet using the TDDI (Touch/Display Integration) technology, you won't have to worry about such undesirable situations.
This variant has 4GB of RAM suitable for HD games on medium graphics. You will be able to run a screen recorder, too, without any lagging issues. If your budget is below Rs. 15,000, you can go for the 2 GB variant of the same model. The tablet has a TUV certification, promising low blue light emission, thus ensuring less eye strain and protection from macular degeneration.
Compared to Samsung's AMOLED display (on tablets in the same price range), the LCD in Lenovo Tab M 10 is inferior in terms of power consumption and color reproduction.
₹21,999.00
Our recommendations for budget gaming tablets start here. The Samsung Galaxy Tab features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 octa-core processor, which has eight cores for handling processor-intensive activities like high fps gaming. Its 3GB of RAM can run battle royale games like Free Fire and COD: Mobile on minimum to medium settings.
You will be able to maintain a constant frame rate of at least 30 fps, provided there are not many background applications running. One downside is the 32 GB internal storage, which can be pretty low for a gamer. Considering only 19.5 GB is available for use, you might want to make use of its microSD slot that is expandable up to 1 TB.
If you want to screen record and play at the same time, we recommend reducing the settings to the absolute minimum to avoid lagging. If you are looking for a budget tablet with Wi-Fi +LTE support, we recommend this product.
₹14,999.00
HUAWEI MediaPad T5 is a budget tablet with specifications just enough for running games on low to medium settings. It has 3 GB of RAM that can smoothly run games like Mortal Combat X, Walking Dead, Cover Fire, and Infinity Ops.
But if you are planning to install apps that normally run in the background, like social media apps, video, and photo editing apps, etc., you will start experiencing some lagging while gaming. The lightweight body is easy to hold, and the full HD screen produces accurate colors for an exceptional viewing experience.
It also features the HUAWEI Histen audio technology that provides 360-degree surround sound—you will be able to position enemy footsteps accurately while playing multiplayer games. HUAWEI MediaPad T5 features the Emotion UI 8.0 along with Android 8.0 (Oreo). The advantage of Emotion UI 8.0 is faster app loading time and smoother gaming.
₹8,810.00
Lenovo Tab 8 is recommended to people looking for a tablet for multiple uses including occasional gaming. If you find holding large tablets difficult, you will find this more suitable as it is only eight inches. You can play games like COD: Mobile and Free Fire on low graphics. Try to switch off as many background apps as possible for smoother gameplay.
The tablet supports connecting to Wi-Fi only. It only has 32 GB of ROM. You may have to buy an external SD card for storing your games and files as the internal storage is bound to run out pretty quickly. Also, the screen resolution is only 1280 x 800, making it the only tablet in our list that offers only HD resolution.
₹9,999.00
Let's not leave the kids out of this. Alcatel TKEE MID is a budget tablet designed for kids. It comes with a polymer antibacterial rubber casing that will protect your child from infections. You don't have to worry about your kid's eyesight as this tablet has TÜV Rheinland certification for its blue light filtering capability.
It has got 2GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage (only 20 GB usable), which would be sufficient for running kids' games like Frisbee Forever 2, Crossy Road, Mekorama, and Angry Birds. Customer reviews show that the tablet comes loaded with apps meant for kids, and the screen quality is good with a brilliantly responsive touchscreen.
A gaming headset is necessary for playing online multiplayer as it helps you with positional audio, giving you an advantage over your enemies. We have an article to help you choose the best gaming headset in the market. If you have bought a gaming tablet, you would want to experience some of the best cricket games for Android and iOS in India.
Finally, VR headsets are becoming more and more popular for the immersive gaming experience it offers. Find out more about how to choose the right one depending on your needs and budget by reading our buying guide.
If you are an avid gamer or a YouTuber, you would want a tablet that can handle the most processor-intensive games on high graphic settings, especially if you will be running a screen recorder. There are many people out there who are dedicated to not more than two games.
If you are one of them, we recommend researching the specifications required for running that game on max settings lag-free. You will be able to save a lot of money by buying just the right device for your needs. Also, make sure you are getting the best screen for the money you are paying, as the screen quality also influences your gaming experience.
Author - Arun F Xaviour
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