Want a tablet you can play games on, but don't have a massive budget? Fortunately, Android tablets are available at all price points, and in both 10-inch and smaller (7-inch or 8-inch) form factors.
There is undoubtedly a gaming tablet for everyone. We've rounded up the best options for every budget---under $100, under $200, and over $200---to help you find the Android gaming tablet you can afford.
The Best Gaming Tablets Under $100
Unfortunately, you're unlikely to find a 10-inch gaming tablet under $100 that is worth buying. Such devices feature poor construction and repurposed older equipment. They often arrive reconditioned and repackaged, especially from Chinese manufacturers.
If you're set on a 10-inch tablet and don't have the budget to go above $100, then consider buying older devices. You can regularly find these on sale on Amazon, or you could look for a used device on eBay. Remember to stick to safe online shopping procedures to ensure you don't get ripped off.
1. Best 8-Inch Gaming Tablet: Amazon Fire HD 8
Fortunately, there is a good 8-inch gaming tablet for under $100, courtesy of Amazon's Fire HD 8.
While the Amazon Fire tablets are not renowned for their speed, if you're looking for a compact sub-$100 tablet with HD display and a huge library of games, this is your best option.
Amazon boasts that this device has 10 hours of battery life, a vibrant display, and is twice as durable as the iPad Mini 4. In hardware terms, you're looking at a tablet with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, and Dolby Atmos audio. The 8" HD display is 1280x800 pixels, making it ideal for the games available through the Amazon App Store.
Its camera setup is nothing impressive, offering a 2MP front-facing camera and a 2MP rear-facing camera capable of 720p HD video recording. There's dual band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the 12.8-ounce device measures 8.4 x 5.0 x 0.4 inches.
While the Amazon Fire tablets might not be ideal for kids (despite a line aimed at children), this is a good choice for affordable tablet gaming.
The Best Gaming Tablets Under $200
Not quite got the big bucks for a Samsung flagship? Don't worry---tablet gaming on Android can still be awesome for less than $200.
Sub-$200 devices certainly represent a step down. However, you'll find plenty of great games that can run just fine on these tablets.
2. Best 10-Inch Gaming Tablet: Lenovo Tab 4
An impressive alternative to the far more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, the Lenovo Tab 4 offers a striking HD display with dual-stereo front-facing speakers. They're ideal for pumping out the soundtracks of your favorite games!
Featuring a quad-core 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 10.1-inch 1280x800 display, the Lenovo Tab 4 ships with Android 7.1 Nougat. A 5MP main camera is included, capable of HD video at 30FPS, while the front-facing camera is 2MP.
16GB of flash storage is included in this 10.9-ounce, 9.7 x 0.3 x 6.7 inch tablet, which also features wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. An LTE version is also available, and if you fancy a more compact tablet, there's an 8-inch alternative.
3. Best 8-Inch Gaming Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab A
Samsung dominates the Android hardware market, so it should come as no surprise to find it offers a budget tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A may be lower spec than the Galaxy Tab S4, but it's lighter, more affordable, and can play just as many games.
With 32GB of storage (expandable up to 256GB with a microSD card), and 2GB of RAM, this tablet has a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm 8032 processor. It houses an 8-inch 1280x800 display, has a USB-C port, and features 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. The tablet also has Bluetooth 4.2, a 3.5mm headphone port, and a battery that handles up to 14 hours of video playback.
There's also an 8MP rear camera, and 5MP front-facing webcam for video chats.
Small and light enough (12.6 ounces, 8.35 x 0.35 x 4.88 inches) to fit in a coat pocket, gaming is great on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A. This version comes with three free months of YouTube Premium, which includes Google Play Music. If you're buying for a child, you'll be happy to know Samsung's kid-friendly apps are preinstalled.
The Best Gaming Tablets Over $200
Have a little more to spend? Here are the top Android gaming tablet choices for over $200.
4. Best 10-Inch Gaming Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
Okay, so it might be quite a bit above $200, but the 10-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is the ultimate option for Android gaming tablets in 2018. For years, there has been debate over which mobile platform is best for gaming. The power of this device finally settles the matter in favor of Android.
Available in 64GB and 256GB versions, this high-end tablet features a 10.5-inch, 2560x1600 Super AMOLED resolution display. It's powered by a Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 octa-core processor, with 4GB of system RAM. It includes Android 8.0 Oreo, battery life is officially 16 hours, and a single USB-C port enables charging, USB OTG, and HDMI out.
The rear camera on this device is a magnificent 13MP, capable of recording video at UHD 4K (3840x2160) and 30FPS. On the front, you'll find an 8MP camera for video calls and selfies. Enjoy media with quad stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos surround sound. The device also ships with the S Pen, similar to the stylus found with the Galaxy Note.
This device has a slot for a microSD card (up to 400GB of extra storage), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 BLE. An LTE variant is also available. It's capable of replicating a laptop computer with its built-in DeX desktop mode.
Altogether, this is one of the most impressive tablets on the market. It's comparatively light too, at around 17 ounces. The slim frame measures 9.81 x 6.47 x 0.28 inches.
Basically, this device will play anything from the Google Play Store effortlessly. Want hardcore Android tablet gaming? This is the tablet you need.
5. Best 8-Inch Gaming Tablet: Huawei MediaPad M5
Also awesome is the Huawei MediaPad M5, a slightly smaller 8-inch tablet that will blow you away. It really packs a punch, and you'll be genuinely surprised to find so much gaming power in a tablet-sized device that isn't the Nintendo Switch.
A 359 PPI (2560x1600) 2K high-res display adorns this 8-inch tablet. It ships with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, plus a gamer-friendly Kirin 960 octa-core processor and Mali G71 graphics processor. With Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11n Wi-Fi, the Android 8.0 Oreo Huawei MediaPad M5 features a 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, and should run for 10 hours on a single charge. And it's lightweight too. The device weighs just 10.9 and measures 8.37 x 4.91 x 0.29 inches.
Concerned about the security of Chinese-built devices? You should consider the implications of this before opting to buy anything from Huawei or other Chinese manufacturers. If you're happy to proceed, you'll find the MediaPad M5 a great gaming experience. You might even get to watch a few movies on it, too.
Excellent Android Gaming Tablets for Every Budget
While you'll no doubt find more Android slates suitable for gaming, the five featured here are the best around.
To recap, we've looked at:
Since they're all top options, you'll have no complaints gaming with these Android tablets. The entire library of Android games is at your fingertips!
And the best part about tablet gaming is that you can take the device with you. No internet connection? Try out the best offline games you can play without Wi-Fi. We've also rounded up the best Windows tablets if you need another option.