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Lately, we've been witnessing a surge in graphically-intensive mobile games as more and more buyers are considering the best budget smartphones for gaming under $500. While high-end flagship smartphones undeniably offer a terrific gaming experience, their price tags have become too exorbitant for some, with most of them now costing upwards of $1000.
These smartphones do skimp out on excellent camera quality or design but still offer great processor and display quality with fast refresh rates so that you can enjoy fast-paced gameplay.
The good news is that we now have last year's and current phones under $500 that can certainly play any game without any issues. So whether you're a casual player or an avid gamer, we have included all the best budget smartphones for gaming under $500.
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Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
OnePlus 10T, Poco F4 GT, and three other budget smartphones for gaming under $500
Here is a list of the best budget smartphones for gaming under $500 in 2023:
1) Poco F4 GT - $388
The first smartphone on our list of best budget smartphones for gaming under $500 is the Poco F4 GT, which is the cheapest gaming-centric smartphone you can buy right now. It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, which is excellent for gaming, like other flagship Snapdragon processors.
It's backed by an advanced cooling system and two physical trigger buttons that certainly aid in competitive gaming.
Pros
- 120W fast charging support
- Physical gaming trigger buttons
- 120Hz fast refresh rate support
Cons
- Mediocre camera setup
- Heats up during excessive usage
2) Xiaomi Black Shark 4 - $409
Xiaomi also sells its gaming-focused smartphones through its Black Shark brand, and the Black Shark 4 aims to deliver the best gaming experience on a budget. In addition to the insanely fast 144Hz OLED display, Xiaomi has added other features designed specifically for gaming. This includes the presence of actual shoulder triggers and support for 120W fast charging.
Pros
- 144Hz Super AMOLED display
- Great selfie camera
- 120W fast charging support
Cons
- Low battery capacity
- Still running on Android 11
3) Realme GT Neo 3 - $469
Realme also promises to offer flagship processors with insanely fast charging speeds at a budget price tag. The Realme GT Neo 3 provides a big 5,000mAh battery with 80W charging.
You also get a 150W charging version with a smaller 4500mAh battery pack, and hence you can consider it one of the best budget smartphones under $500. A 50MP primary camera that can click great images in most lighting conditions is also there in this device.
Pros
- Big 5,000mAh battery
- Stereo speakers support
- UFS 3.1 storage
Cons
- No OIS support
- Ultrawide camera is a bit of letdown
4) Motorola Edge 30 Fusion - $480
The Moto Edge series from Motorola focuses on providing flagship specifications with a sleek design, and the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion aims to deliver just that. A superb 10-bit, HDR10+ 144Hz OLED curved display, strong Dolby Atmos stereo speakers, Snapdragon 888+ CPU, and a 50MP primary camera with OIS are all the flagship features that make the Moto Edge 30 Fusion one of the best budget smartphones for gaming under $500.
The gaming performance of the Edge 30 Fusion is also commendable, with the 144Hz refresh rate of this display aiming to deliver optimum performance. The bundled 68W charger also fully tops the 4400mAh battery of the phone in under 40 minutes.
Pros
- Only weighs 175 grams
- 144Hz OLED display
- Curved display
Cons
- Charging speed of 68W a bit lower than the competition
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
5) OnePlus 10T -$499
The OnePlus 10T has the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset with 150W charging support, which makes it one of the best budget smartphones for gaming under $500. You also get a 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display that is pretty responsive.
The only major downside to this smartphone is that it comes without the iconic Alert slider from OnePlus, with a mediocre camera setup. But still, it's probably the best all-rounder smartphone in this price category and certainly deserves to be on our list of best budget smartphones for gaming under $500.
Pros
- 150W fast charging support
- Best processor in this price segment
- Stereo speakers support
Cons
- All plastic side body
- No alert slider
That concludes our list of amazing budget gaming smartphones under $500.
