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The best gaming iPads show just how versatile Apple tablets are. Not only are they fantastic tools for digital artists or even interior designers, but they can also make great gaming devices for when you want to kick back and relax.
Since iPads can run the same iOS games as iPhones, this means they have access to a immense game library. Mobile games have evolved rapidly over the years, and today many of them offer the complexity and graphics that you would only find on console games.
There’s a wide variety of iPads right now, so which iPad model is best for gaming? Read on, and if you want an iPad for more productive reasons, check out our guides to the best iPads for graphic design or the best iPads for drawing.
If you’re looking for the best all-in-one gaming iPad, we’d recommend the iPad (2022) as it offers a fantastic balance of affordability, performance, and features.
It’s the cheapest iPad in Apple’s current lineup, and thanks to its recent update, it offers excellent all-round performance. While not as powerful as the iPad Pros M1 and M2 (also featured in this guide), the A14 chip is powerful enough to play mobile games. Remember, these games are designed to run primarily on iPhones, so much more power is overkill.
It also has a large, vibrant 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display (2360 x 1640) that makes gaming look fantastic, and the larger screen size means many games, especially text-heavy ones, are much more comfortable. to play. Read more in our iPad 2022 review.
However, if you’re looking for something more portable, consider the iPad mini, below.
Unlike most other iPad models, the iPad mini didn’t get an update last year, so the 2021 model is still the latest you can get. The good news is that it remains a brilliant tablet and can still play modern iPad games with relative ease.
What we love about the iPad mini for gaming is that, with an 8.3-inch screen (which is an increase from the previous models’ 7.9 inches), it’s extremely easy to take with you. If you’re after a gaming device that’s nearly as portable as the iconic GameBoy, this is the iPad for you.
Despite the smaller screen, games still look fantastic thanks to the Liquid Retina display with 2266 x 1488 resolution at 326 pixels per inch, which is impressively sharp and vibrant.
It also packs a lot of power thanks to the A15 Bionic chip, USB-C support and 5G connectivity; so if you have the appropriate mobile contract, you can download games and play online multiplayer while away from home. It also supports Apple Pencil 2, so you can again use this great stylus and its advanced features, which might not help you in gaming, but it means you can use it for creative work too. Read more in our full iPad mini (6th generation) review.
If you want the ultimate gaming experience on an iPad and money is no object, then the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro M2 is by far the ideal. Powered by the extremely powerful M2 chip, which is also found in models like the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022), even the most graphics intensive games will run with ease on this thing.
There’s actually an argument that the M2 chip is overkill, and while there’s truth to that, it also means this is an incredibly future-proof iPad for gaming – it will be years old before any games make the iPad Pro difficult. If you’re a game designer, the power offering here means you can code and test your games too.
Perhaps even more importantly, the iPad Pro comes with a massive 12.9-inch XDR mini-LED display. Not only is this the biggest screen you can get on an iPad, but the mini-LED technology also makes gaming look phenomenal. However, keep in mind that this means that the overall size of the iPad Pro is very large compared to other iPads and tablets; therefore, you may find it less portable.
Pair it with the Apple Pencil 2 and you also have an amazing tablet for creative work, which means that, as this is a very expensive iPad, you can better justify this purchase if you’re going to be using it for other things as well. If you’re just going to play games on it, there are more affordable iPads in this guide that will be better value for money. See our review of the iPad Pro (M2, 2022) (opens in new tab) For more informations.
Released in April 2022, the newest iPad ever is the 5th generation iPad Air. Apple has made its midrange tablet a lot more professional by giving it the same M1 processor as the 2021 iPad Pros. This means it performs amazing even in the most advanced iPad games, making it a great iPad alternative. Pro more expensive.
When combined with the stunning 10.9-inch 1640 x 2360 Liquid Retina IPS LCD display, games look and play fantastically. The smaller screen and thin design (this is an ‘Air’ product, after all) mean that the iPad Air is a great compromise, offering excellent performance but in a more portable body. It also comes in multiple color options, which gives this iPad a little more personality compared to some of the others.
While it does many things right, it’s not perfect. The new iPad Air also gets a new, higher price tag, which puts it worryingly close to the iPad Pro. If you’re a gamer who wants the biggest screen to play games on, you might be better off saving a little extra for the iPad Pro.
It also means that those on a budget might want to look elsewhere too – like the new iPad, which tops this list. The 64GB storage offered on the entry-level device is quite small; so you’ll probably want the 256GB version if you’re installing a lot of games. See our full iPad Air (5th Gen, 2022) review for more details.
The entry-level iPad 2021 model may be two years old, but it’s still a fantastic gaming iPad. It offers storage options of 64GB and 256GB, which at the time of its release were the highest capacities you could get on an iPad.
In 2023, most modern iPads also offer these amounts of storage, and while that means the iPad (2021) loses one of its unique selling points, it also means that if you opt for this older model, you won’t be sacrificing space. of storage.
There are many other reasons to choose this model. Its 10.2-inch 1620 x 2160 LCD screen is big and good looking, and it can run any iPad game with ease.
The most compelling reason to choose this model is the new low price. Apple has stopped selling this model, but other retailers are still stocking it, and since the newer model is out, you can get this one for an impressively low price; so if you want to play games on your iPad but can’t break the bank, this is the one to get. For more information, read our more detailed iPad 10.2 (2021) review.
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