Which gaming tablet is suitable for gamers who want to play “Call of Duty”, “Fortnite” and “League of Legends” and what do players who use Google Stadia & Co. need to consider? A comparison of the tablets reveals it.
Designated gaming tablets are a rarity. The chip manufacturer Nvidia, known for graphics cards, dashed forward six years ago with the Shield Tablet K1. In the meantime it has become quiet about tablets for gamers, but that doesn’t harm mobile gaming, on the contrary: More and more players are dueling in the mobile versions of “Fortnite”, “Call Duty” and “League of Legends”. If you want to play the performance-hungry games smoothly in full detail, you need a powerful tablet.
With Samsung and Apple, two manufacturers are dueling for the crown of performance. Gamers can neglect the front or rear camera when choosing a gaming tablet, but a large screen does just as little damage as its high refresh rate, so that the games can run smoothly on the tablet. A lot of RAM is nice, but not a must, and if you keep the system memory free of videos, pictures and music, you can use small memory configurations.
Gaming on the Apple iPad Pro 2020
A package of strong hardware and a lot of memory combined Apple’s iPad Pro 2021. The first-generation M1 processor, which is installed in the MacBook Air 2021, for example, works in the gaming tablet. As an integrated graphics unit, the processor’s integrated graphics unit calculates games on the 11-inch display. Nice: It offers a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. If you throw yourself into battle without a headset, you will hear your opponents over four loudspeakers. The processor is assisted by 8 gigabytes of RAM in its work. That doesn’t sound like much, but it doesn’t harm the performance of the iPad Pro when gaming.
Why? Apple is the only tablet manufacturer that develops hardware and software in-house. So the Californians are able to tailor their iPadOS better to the in-house processors. In matters Apple is thus fleeing the competition with speed, although the technical data on paper may speak a different language. When it comes to system memory, gamers can choose between 128, 256, 512 gigabytes or 1 terabyte of storage space.
Controllers connect to the iPad Pro via Bluetooth. If you have a PlayStation 4, you switch yours Dual shock controller problem-free with the tablet briefly. Same goes for Xbox controller. The Pro version of the iPad is not cheap, however: players shell out at least 844 euros for the 11-inch version with 128 gigabytes of storage space without a 5G module.
Gaming tablet: Apple causes trouble
But Apple wouldn’t be Apple if the company didn’t put obstacles in the way of its gamers anyway: The tech giant is currently in a clinch with game developer Epic Games and has thrown their hit game “Fortnite” from the App Store because of the payment system. If you want to play the Battle Royal cracker on the go, you have to use the Android tablet.
Anyone who plans to stream games to the tablet via Microsoft’s Game Pass will also be disappointed by Apple. Microsoft is working on making its cloud gaming service viable for iPadOS, but has so far only managed it to a limited extent: If you have an Xbox One, Series X or S, you can use it as a server in your home network and play games via the Game Pass stream the tablet. Google Stadia, on the other hand, runs on the Safari browser. Players can easily connect the Google controller via the Stadia app from the app store.
Alternative: iPad Air 2020
If the Apple quarrels have not yet scared you, you will find the iPad Air 2020 a cheaper alternative to the Pro versions. In September 2020, Apple presented its little brother, which is slightly smaller than the 11-inch version of the iPad Pro 2020 with a 10.9-inch screen diagonal. The display still has a resolution of pixels per inch as sharply as the Pro versions.
Small drawback: The iPad Air does not offer a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. In terms of performance, the tablet doesn’t need to hide: it contains the A14 bionic chip with six cores that clock at 2.49 gigahertz. It is supported by 4 gigabytes of RAM. In terms of storage space, buyers of the iPad Air only have the choice between little or gray mediocrity: at least 64 and a maximum of 256 gigabytes of games, photos or videos can be stored on the storage, depending on the choice.
64 gigabytes is really not a lot. If you use the smallest version of the iPad Air 2020, you only pay 629 euros for it. By the way: Apple’s Arcade gaming offering runs on Pro and Air, as well as Mac and iPhone. The tech giant charges 4.99 euros a month for the subscription. Anyone who is already at home in the Apple world can do nothing wrong with the iPad Air as a gaming tablet.
Apple has another limitation for the Air and Pro: Both tablets can be used with the mouse and keyboard via the USB-C interface Dongle or connect via Bluetooth – but only to operate the tablets. If you think about playing shooters like “Call of Duty Mobile” with a mouse and keyboard, you will be disappointed by Apple. That doesn’t work either.
More freedom with Android
Gamers who opt for an Android-powered tablet enjoy a little more freedom. This is the best in class in terms of performance Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. An OLED display with a pixel density of 266 pixels per inch stretches across a screen diagonal of 12.4 inches – two more than the iPad Pro and Air. The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is in no way inferior to the Pro versions from Apple: The display offers a refresh rate of 120 Hertz.
When it comes to RAM, Samsung even trumps its competitors from Cupertino by 2 gigabytes: the South Koreans have given the gaming tablet 8 gigabytes of random access memory. In addition, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor does its job in the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. Its eight cores clock between 1.80 and 3.09 gigahertz. Unusual: Samsung only offers its upper-class tablet with 256 gigabytes of storage space.
Cloud gaming
However, this can be expanded to a maximum of 1 terabyte using a memory card. Apple iPads do not offer this. Processor, RAM, display and storage space – with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus all of this is easily enough for the mobile versions of “Call of Duty”, “Players Unknown Battleground” and of course “Fortnite”. The tablet flexes its muscles when streaming games: Microsoft’s Game Pass customers stream their favorite titles to the tablet as well as gamers who rely on Google Stadia.
Besides, that has Galaxy S7 Plus depending on the variant 5G included. Anyone who will stream games on the go in the future will want faster mobile internet on board. The Android competition of the iPad Pro is not cheap: Samsung charges 880 euros for the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus without and 1050 euros with 5G. Apple and Samsung agree on one point: The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus also has an allergic reaction to the mouse and keyboard used for gaming. Bluetooth controllers, on the other hand, like the iPads, receive it with pleasure.
Galaxy Tab S7: the Android alternative
Android gamers get cheaper with the Galaxy Tab S7 of that. At 11 inches, it is slightly smaller than the in-house top model. It also offers a refresh rate of 120 Hertz, but with a different display technology: Beim Galaxy Tab S7, Samsung unfortunately uses LCD instead of OLED. In addition, it only has 6 gigabytes of RAM. When it comes to storage space, Samsung allows more leeway: gamers can choose between 128, 256 and 512 gigabytes for videos, photos and apps.
Nice: Buyers do not save on the processor, it is the same as in the big brother. Those who rely on 5G, however, have to choose the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, the Galaxy Tab S7 cannot process the new wireless standard. At 635 euros it is 245 euros cheaper than the top model from Samsung and current iPad Pros. Compared to the iPad Air, gamers pay 6 euros more and get a screen with twice the refresh rate, twice as much storage space and more freedom when streaming games.
Are previous models worthwhile?
For Apple users, it’s worth taking a look iPad Pro 2018 – at least if you absolutely want a gaming tablet with a 120 Hertz refresh rate, because the small one is 670 euros11 inch version still 40 euros more expensive than the iPad Air 2020 with 64 gigabytes of storage space. Like the current version, Apple also offers it in 12.9 inches. The A12X-Bionic processor works in the Apple iPad Pro 2018, an eight-core processor that is only slightly weaker than the A12Z of the current iPad Pros. Its integrated graphics unit only has seven processing cores available.
Apple measures the RAM of the older iPad Pro a little more sparingly at 4 gigabytes. The only exception: the 1 terabyte version of the previous model has 6 gigabytes of RAM. Cost of the smallest 12.9 version of the third generation of the iPad Pro: 849 euros. Android users go the opposite way for a gaming tablet from the previous version: Like the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 has an OLED display – but unfortunately only with a refresh rate of 60 Hertz.
For 668 euros in the smallest 128 gigabyte version on Amazon, the tablet from 2019 is not worth considering. Its Snapdragon 855 processor is just as sufficient for mobile games as its 6 gigabytes of RAM.
That depends on the performance of the current top models from Samsung and Apple Galaxy Tab S6 but not close. Shooter players who crave as many images per second as possible might have to lower the graphic settings in “Players Unkown Battleground”, “Fortnite”, “Call of Duty” & Co. With the Galaxy Tab S7 you get the more powerful tablet at a lower price.
Stream over home network
By the way: If you already have a tablet, you can let your home gaming computer do the arithmetic and stream PC games to the tablet. However, this requires a fast home network with a fast internet connection and stable WiFi reception. The private cloud gaming service is made possible by apps such as Rainway or SteamLink. However, gamers will only be happy within their own four walls.
Another negative point: Not every computer game can be enjoyed on the tablet. Shooters like “Counter Strike – Global Offensive” run via stream, but cannot be played properly with the mouse and keyboard. Advantage of Steam: The provider shows its customers which games via SteamLink app work on the gaming tablet. Most of the time it is a question of games that are optimized for controller operation. Advantage Rainway: The app enables game streaming with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hertz.
Editor’s note: The prices may differ from one another from time to time.
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Sources: Chip.de, Chip.de, T3N.de, Netzwelt.de
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