5 Best budget phones under $500 for gaming in 2024

Specialized gaming smartphones cost an arm and a leg, but there are a few budget phones under $500 that hold their own for playing most top games. The pool to choose from reduces considerably in size if you are located in the US, though. Why is this? Many of the brands that sell globally are not available in the USA.

This leaves only brands like Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Motorola, OnePlus, Google Pixel, and a handful of others, for you to pick from in the US market. Because we are looking at the budget segment here for gaming, there has to be a focus on the most important features that affect gaming performance and ignore most other features.

For gaming performance, the processor, RAM, display resolution and refresh rate, as well as good battery life, are the uppermost concerns. And so, the below-listed budget phones under $500 have been chosen by our team of expert phone reviewers based on these criteria.

Samsung Galaxy A35

First on our list of budget phones under $500 for gaming purposes is the Samsung Galaxy A35. Its more capable sibling, the Samsung Galaxy A55, would have been our top choice if Samsung had not refused to sell it in the USA. That leaves us with the Samsung Galaxy A35. Powered by an Exynos 1380 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The Galaxy A35 has a 6.6 inches AMOLED display and is available unlocked for all carriers for $329.99.

The Galaxy A35 is the most affordable budget phone for gaming that we recommend buying. It is not that you cannot game on lower-priced smartphones; it is that the experience degrades below this price point. $100 to $250 smartphones are just not that great for gaming.

Samsung Galaxy A54

If you do not mind a smartphone from 2023, the Samsung Galaxy A54 is powered by the same Exynos 1380 chipset as the A35. It has a smaller 6.4-inch AMOLED display with 1080×2408 pixels resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It has 8GB RAM, which is a plus over the 6GB that you get in the Samsung A35. Storage is 256GB. Samsung Galaxy A54 has a 5000mAh battery and 25W fast charging.

Samsung Galaxy A54 is available for $379.50 and is unlocked for all carriers. You can pick one up from Amazon USA, Best Buy, other stores, or from your carrier.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in the Galaxy S23 FE is a bit older than others featured in this list, but it is a capable high-performance chip. Other features of the phone include 6.4 inches AMOLED display with 1080×2340 pixels and 120Hz refresh rate, 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE has a 5000mAh battery and 25W fast charging and sells for $484.50 in factory unlocked state. You can pick one up from Amazon USA, Best Buy, other stores, or from your carrier.

Motorola Edge 2024

Also known as the Motorola Edge (Gen 5) in some other places, Motorola Edge 2024 is one of the available budget phones under $500 for gaming in 2024. It has a 6.6 inches pOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate and 2400×1080 pixels. It is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset paired with 8GB RAM. Internal storage is 256GB, and there is 68W TurboPower charging for topping up the 5000mAh battery. Motorola Edge 2024 is available for $499.99, unlocked for all carriers.

OnePlus 12R

OnePlus 12R is the most expensive of the smartphones on this list, and for good reason. It is powered by a proper premium flagship processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, coupled with 8GB RAM. You get 128GB storage, 5500mAh battery and 80W fast charging. The 12R is available unlocked for all carriers and costs $499.99.

And that concludes our list of budget phones under $500 for gaming. These smartphones are available in the US from Amazon, Best Buy, other stores, and from all the big carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon) and many of their MVNOs.