The best gaming iPads show the versatility of Apple’s tablet. Not only are they great tools for digital artists and even interior designers, but they also make great gaming devices when you want to kick back and relax, since they’re both powerful yet portable devices.
Because iPads can run the same iOS games as iPhones, it means they have access to a huge game library. Mobile gaming has grown tremendously over the years, and today many of them offer the complexity and graphics you once only found on smaller consoles. We made sure to include model variants below, from the compact Mini to the powerful Pro, to cover different budgets so that everyone has an affordable option when it comes to the best gaming iPad.
There are so many types of iPads out there, so which iPad model is best for gaming? Read on, and if you want an iPad for more productivity reasons, check out our guides to the best iPad for graphic design or the best iPad for drawing . But for now, read on to discover our top picks for the best iPad for gaming.
If you’re looking for the best all-around iPad for gaming, then we recommend the iPad (2022) as it offers an excellent balance of affordability, performance, and features.
It’s the cheapest iPad in Apple’s current lineup, and thanks to its recent upgrades, it offers great overall performance. While it’s not as powerful as the M1 and M2 carrying the iPad Pro (also featured in this guide), the A14 chip is powerful enough to play mobile games on it. Keep in mind that these games are primarily designed to run on the iPhone, so more features are overkill.
It also has a large, vibrant 10.9-inch Liquid Retina (2360×1640) display that makes games look great, and the larger screen size means many games, especially text-heavy ones, are more comfortable to play.
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’s still a great tablet, and it can still play modern iPad games with relative ease.
What we love about the iPad mini for gaming is that, with its 8.3-inch screen (up from the previous model’s 7.9 inches), it’s super easy to take around. If you’re looking for a gaming rig that’s almost as portable as the iconic GameBoy, then this is the iPad for you.
Despite the smaller screen, games still look great and impressive thanks to the Liquid Retina display’s 2266×1488 resolution at 326 pixels per inch.
It’s also packed with plenty of features thanks to the A15 Bionic chip, USB-C support, and 5G connectivity, so you can download games and play online multiplayer games on the go, provided you have the appropriate mobile contract. It also supports the Apple Pencil 2, so you can once again take advantage of this fantastic stylus and its advanced features that might not help you with gaming, but mean you can use it for creative work too.
If you want the absolute ultimate gaming experience on an iPad, and money is no object, the new 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro is by far the best option. Powered by the powerful M2 chip that’s also found in products like the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) , even the most graphics-intensive games can easily run on this thing, which is why we Consider this the best iPad for gamers looking for more serious gaming time.
In fact, there’s an argument that the M2 chip is overkill, and while that’s true, it also means this is an incredibly future-proof gaming iPad – it’ll take years for any game to get tough on the iPad Pro . If you’re a game designer, the boot functionality available here means you can code and test your game too.
Perhaps more importantly, the iPad Pro features a massive 12.9-inch Mini LED XDR display. Not only is this the largest screen you can get on an iPad, but the mini-LED technology makes games look great too. However, keep in mind that this means the overall size of the iPad Pro is very large compared to other iPads and tablets, so you may find it less portable.
Paired with the Apple Pencil 2 you also have a tablet for creative work which means because this is a very expensive iPad you might be able to better justify the purchase if you use it for other things too rationality. If you just want to play games, there are more affordable iPads in this guide that will offer better bang for your buck.
The latest iPad, released in May 2022, is the 1st-generation iPad Air. Apple has made its mid-range tablet more professional, giving it the same M<> processor as the 2021 iPad Pro. That means it performs incredibly well in even the most advanced iPad games, making it a great alternative to the more expensive iPad Pro.
Games look and play great when combined with the stunning 10.9-inch 1640 x 2360 Liquid Retina IPS LCD screen. The smaller screen and slim design (it’s an “Air” product, after all), means the iPad Air is a nice middle ground, offering great performance in a more portable body. It also comes in a variety of color options, which give this iPad a bit more personality than some other iPads.
While it does a lot of 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 possible for gaming, you’d better save up a little more for the iPad Pro.
It also means that those on a budget might want to look elsewhere too – such as the new iPad, which sits at the top of this list. The 64GB of storage available in the base unit is rather small, so if you’re installing a lot of games, you’ll probably want to go with the 256GB version.
The 2021 model of the base iPad may be two years old now, but it’s still a great gaming iPad. It comes in a choice of 64GB and 256GB of storage, the most you can get on an iPad.
By 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 you won’t be sacrificing storage if you opt for this older model space.
There are many other reasons for choosing this model. Its 10.2-inch 1620 x 2160 LCD screen is large, looks good, and runs any iPad game with ease.
The most compelling reason for this model is the new low price. Apple has stopped selling this model, but other retailers are still stocking it up, and since the new model is out, you can pick it up for an impressively low price, so if you want to game on your iPad but don’t Can’t spend a ton of money, this is something to get.
