Travel Gaming
Tier List
Ranked by sustained performance, battery life, and outdoor screen visibility.
This tier list is updated quarterly. Devices are judged specifically on their ability to handle intensive gaming sessions outside of ideal conditions (high ambient heat, roaming cellular data, high screen brightness).
ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro
Flawless thermals, IP68 rating, incredibly bright screen.
RedMagic 9 Pro
Built-in cooling fan makes it immune to summer heat throttling.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Great screen and battery, but throttles under extended heat.
iQOO 12
Exceptional value and fast charging, weaker battery life.
POCO F6 Pro
The budget king. Excellent sustained performance.
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Great chip, but severe thermal throttling and screen dimming outdoors.
OnePlus 12
Curved screen is bad for gaming, but battery life is stellar.
Why are iPhones B-Tier?
It's controversial, but it's true. While Apple's silicon is incredibly fast in short bursts, their chassis design lacks adequate vapor chamber cooling. If you play a demanding game outdoors in summer, an iPhone will aggressively dim its screen to prevent overheating within 10 minutes, making the game unplayable. In our travel-first criteria, this is a fatal flaw.