Dedicated gaming phones are a rarity in India, and that too in the sub-30K segment. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have any good options in the segment. The Indian smartphone market has many great options for gaming enthusiasts.
The best phone for gaming enthusiasts should not only have a powerful processor, it also come with a great display, audio, and battery life. In this article, we talk about the top 10 best smartphones for gaming enthusiasts in India, starting from OnePlus Nord 3 5G.
Editor’s Note: The phones in this list are selected and ranked according to the performance levels of the smartphones as having a better-performing chipset would mean the phone would give the phone a better experience in gaming. The performance of chipsets is ranked based on the benchmarks, according to the smartphone processor rankings list.
OnePlus Nord 3 5G
Powered by Mediatek Dimensity 9000 SoC, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G is one of the most powerful gaming phones for under Rs 30,000.
The phone is stacked with features, with a 6.74-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1.5K and a refresh rate of 120Hz, which can go up to 1450 nits of peak brightness. The camera is decent too, with a triple camera setup of 50MP primary, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro. The 5,000mAh battery ensures that the phone won’t die out that easily, and even if it did, the 80W charger will charge it up super fast.
OnePlus Nord 3 5G starts at Rs 29,999 and it is available on Amazon, OnePlus.com, Crome, JioMart and many retail stores.
Poco F5 5G
Poco F5 5G stands out because it is powered by the powerful Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC. It is among the top choices for gaming enthusiasts in this segment.
It has a big 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of Full HD+ and 120Hz refresh rate. It has a triple camera setup of 64MP, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro. The big battery of 5,000mAh and 67W fast charging ensures that you can game on all day.
Poco F5 5G starts at Rs 26,999, making it one of the best-value gaming smartphones under Rs 30,000. It is available exclusively on Flipkart.
iQOO Neo 7 5G
Powered by Mediatek Dimensity 8200 SoC, it is one of the most powerful smartphones for gaming under Rs 30,000.
The phone has a big 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that goes up to 1300 nits in peak brightness. It has a 64MP triple camera on the back and a 16MP selfie camera. This is one of the fastest-charging phones in the segment, with support for 120W superfast charging.
iQOO Neo 7 5G starts at Rs 24,999 and it is available on Amazon and iQOO website.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G
OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G is the younger sibling of Nord 3 and it is a good choice for a gaming phone, as it’s powered by Snapdragon 782G SoC.
The phone has a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of Full HD+ and a 120Hz refresh rate. There’s a triple camera setup of 50MP primary, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro. The big battery of 5,000mAh is charged up by 80W super fast charging, inherited from Nord 3.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G starts at Rs 24,999 and it is available on Amazon, OnePlus.com, Crome, JioMart and many retail stores.
Vivo T2 Pro 5G
Vivo T2 Pro 5G is another good choice for gaming enthusiasts for a budget of under Rs 30,000. It is powered by Mediatek Dimensity 7200 SoC. While it is not as powerful as the Dimensity 9000 or Dimensity 8200 SoCs in the phones in this list, it is a powerful enough chipset for most games.
Vivo T2 Pro 5G has a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The phone misses out on ultrawide cameras as it has a 64MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone is backed up by a 4,600mAh battery that’s charged up by a 66W fast charger.
Vivo T2 Pro 5G starts at Rs 23,999 and it is available on Flipkart and Vivo.com, and retail stores all over the country.
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G is more or less the same phone as the Vivo T2 Pro 5G, down to the design and components used. It is also powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset, making this also a good phone for gaming enthusiasts.
The phone has the same 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display and a 64MP dual camera. It also has the same 4,600mAh battery and 66W fast charging.
iQOO Z7 Pro 5G starts at Rs 23,999 and it is available on Amazon and iQOO website.
Motorola Edge 40
Motorola Edge 40 might be one of the most premium-looking phones for the price of under Rs 30,000 in India. It is also a good phone for gaming enthusiasts as it is powered by Mediatek Dimensity 8020, a powerful chipset for the price.
The stand-out feature of the phone is the 6.55-inch 144Hz POLED display with a resolution of Full HD+, which goes up to 1200 nits in peak brightness. The phone has a duo of a 50MP primary camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera. The battery is slightly lower than all the phones in the segment, a 4,400mAh battery, but it is compensated by the support for 68W fast charging and 15W wireless charging.
Motorola Edge 40 is priced at Rs 26,499 and it is available in Flipkart and select retail stores in the country.
Realme 11 Pro+
Realme 11 Pro+ is a good choice for under Rs 30,000. It is powered by Mediatek Dimensity 7050 SoC, a decently powered chipset for the price.
Realme 11 Pro+ has a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of Full HD+ and a 120Hz refresh rate. It comes with a 200MP triple camera setup, with 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro as secondaries. The phone is backed up by a large 5,000mAh battery and 100W super fast charging support.
Realme 11 Pro+ starts from Rs 26,999 and it is available on Flipkart and Realme.com, and all retail stores across the country.
Redmi Note 12 Pro+
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ is a good phone for gaming enthusiasts, as it is powered by Mediatek Dimensity 1080, which is essentially the same as Mediatek Dimensity 7050 used in Realme 11 Pro+. It makes up for a decent chipset for gaming in this budget.
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of Full HD+ and a refresh rate of 120Hz. It has a 200MP triple camera setup like Realme 11 Pro+. The phone has a 5,000mAh battery with 120W super fast charging, one of the fastest in the segment.
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ starts from Rs 27,999 and it is available on Flipkart and Mi.com, and all retail stores across the country.
Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G
Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G is essentially the same phone as Realme 11 Pro+ but with a degraded set of cameras. It is also powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, which makes it a good option for gaming.
Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G has a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with a resolution of Full HD+ and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The cameras are limited to a 100MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone is backed up by a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging.
Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G starts from Rs 23,999 and it is available on Amazon and Realme.com, and all retail stores across the country.
Factors To Consider While Buying Gaming Smartphone Under Rs 30,000
These are some of the factors you should consider while choosing a smartphone for gaming for a price of under Rs 30,000:
- Chipset – A gaming phone must have a very capable chipset, it is the first and foremost thing. As the chipset is the brain of the phone, and having a powerful chipset would mean your phone won’t sweat running heavy games.
- RAM & Internal Storage – You need the most RAM and internal storage for your gaming phone. You need more RAM for better performance and more internal storage for storing more games on your phone.
- Display – You need your games to stand out on your phone and for that, you need a great display.
- Battery life – A bigger battery is needed for extended gaming hours. A superfast charger also helps!
- Audio – You need a stereo speaker setup on your phone to play your games without a headphone. Audio certifications like Dolby Atmos, DTS, etc help as well.
10 Best Gaming Mobile Phones Under Rs 30,000
| Sl No. | Phone | Price | Link & Availability |
| 1 | OnePlus Nord 3 5G | Rs 29,999 | Amazon |
| 2 | Poco F5 5G | Rs 26,999 | Flipkart |
| 3 | iQOO Neo 7 5G | Rs 24,999 | Amazon |
| 4 | OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G | Rs 24,999 | Amazon |
| 5 | Vivo T2 Pro 5G | Rs 23,999 | Flipkart |
| 6 | iQOO Z7 Pro 5G | Rs 24,999 | Amazon |
| 7 | Motorola Edge 40 | Rs 26,499 | Flipkart |
| 8 | Realme 11 Pro+ | Rs 26,999 | Flipkart |
| 9 | Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | Rs 27,999 | Flipkart |
| 10 | Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G | Rs 23,999 | Amazon |
Frequently Asked Questions
What chipset is good for gaming?
Both Snapdragon and Mediatek Dimensity chipsets are good for gaming, but you should keep the names of the chipsets in mind while choosing one for gaming. The performance of the chipsets varies greatly even though the names are similar.
Is Mediatek Dimensity 9000 good for gaming?
Mediatek Dimenstiy 9000 SoC is a great chipset for gaming. It is one of the best-performing chipsets in the segment, trumping even the chipsets from Snapdragon in this segment.
What is the best phone for BGMI for Rs 30,000?
OnePlus Nord 3 5G, Poco F5 5G and iQOO Neo 7 5G are among the best choices for playing BGMI for the price of under Rs 30,000.
