Gaming phones

Gaming phones are smartphones that have been specially designed to perform consistently at the highest level. To this end, they are fitted with additional cooling systems, sometimes even in the form of a separately available fan. Stereo sound and the smoothest display are also standard features.

For the occasional game such as Subway Surfers or FarmVille, virtually any smartphone will suffice.

Gaming phone brands

There are a few brands that market phones specifically for gamers. One example is Asus with its ROG Phone series. Or what about Redmagic? Others, too, release gaming smartphones alongside their regular models, such as Honor, Nubia and Xiaomi with its Black Shark.

• Asus ROG gaming phones
• Redmagic gaming phones

Serious gamers have a love-hate relationship with mobile gaming. They prefer consoles or the PC. Specialised gaming smartphones therefore remain a niche market. As a result, we’re seeing many companies drop out of the market. Take Razer, for example.

History of mobile gaming

Mobile phone manufacturers realised early on that you could also play games on a mobile phone. The first example came in 1997 when the Nokia 6110 was launched, featuring the game Snake. It proved to be a massive hit, albeit due to its extreme simplicity.

2003: Nokia N-Gage

In 2003, Nokia took on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance by launching the Nokia N-Gage and N-Gage QD. These unusually shaped phones were not particularly successful, after which Nokia halted their development.

2008: Apple App Store

After Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, it would be another year – until 2008 – before the official App Store was launched. Developers soon began creating games that could sometimes be played for free, or otherwise for a one-off fee. This sparked a veritable wave of popular titles such as Angry Birds and Candy Crush.

2011: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Sony Ericsson surprised everyone in 2011 with the Xperia Play. This was an Android smartphone with a slide-out gamepad. Sony had already gained experience in mobile gaming with the PSP since 2004, so it was somewhat unclear what this Xperia was intended to achieve. It therefore remained a one-off venture; the device was not followed by a successor.

2017: Motorola Moto Gamepad

Now that most smartphones are powerful enough for (simple) games, the need for specially designed gaming phones with dedicated gaming buttons has disappeared. Instead, we saw accessories designed to make gaming easier. For example, in 2017 Motorola launched the Moto Gamepad for its Moto Z range. This separately available accessory clips onto the back of the device and features physical gaming buttons.

2018: Asus ROG

In 2018, Asus released its very first ROG Phone; a standard Android phone, but with the ability to attach accessories. These include the AeroActive Cooler and the ROG Tessen controller. The ROG phones are optimised to deliver high-quality performance over long periods and are therefore regarded as high-end flagships.