In the past, pushing the limits of a game’s framerate was done by desktop computers. But now, advancements in hardware and an ever-expanding roster of graphically intensive games have allowed Android phones to reach high framerates for games with demanding graphics.
However, your phone needs to support high refresh rates to take advantage of higher framerate caps. All our favorite gaming phones have refresh rates of at least 120hz, with some reaching a staggering 165hz. We’ve gathered the best Android games that support high framerates (at least 120FPS), so you can push your phone to its limits.
1 Minecraft
Minecraft is often heavily modded to push desktop computers to their limits. While the modding scene for Minecraft on Android is lackluster, it still offers a way to push your phone’s hardware to the max. An Unlimited framerate setting limits the game to what your phone’s hardware can handle, but be warned; this is an experimental feature. However, there’s no better way to test out your gaming phone than by cranking Minecraft’s settings to the max and seeing how many frames you can squeeze out of it.
2 Dead Cells
Dead Cells’ pixel graphics might not be as demanding as others, but its fast-paced gameplay takes full advantage of high framerates. Its unlimited framerate cap means that most phones can handle it at their maximum refresh rate. It’s especially noticeable on 165hz devices like the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro. You can pick up the full title for $10, and while that’s high, it’s one of Android’s best games that easily pushes the bounds of high framerates, so make this one of your first downloads on a new gaming phone.
3 The Bonfire 2: Uncharted Shores
Another fantastic game without a framerate cap, The Bonfire 2 is a brilliant survival city-building game that is a perfect way to relax after a long day. Like Dead Cells, you won’t be pushing your phone’s hardware much here thanks to simple graphics, but it means you’ll never be distracted by frame skips or laggy gameplay since all the power can go towards the high framerate.
4 Hearthstone
Hearthstone is best experienced on a large screen, and if you pick up one of the best Android tablets, you’ll be able to run it at up to 120FPS in its full glory. It’s grown a lot since its release, so if you haven’t touched Hearthstone in the last couple of years, now is a perfect time. There are multiple ways to play to accommodate all kinds of players, and its competitive scene is as vibrant as ever, so no matter your skill level, you’re covered.
5 Alto’s Odyssey
Alto’s Odyssey is a stunning game that deserves a high framerate. Maxing out at 120FPS, you’ll be able to speed through the desert on your sandboard without a hitch. Like Dead Cells, the graphics aren’t going to set your phone on fire, but the fast-paced gameplay benefits greatly from the high framerate cap. We recommend trying out the Zen Mode to sit back and relax while enjoying the beautiful scenery and chill tunes.
6 Mindustry
A mixture of factory-building and tower defense, Mindustry will keep you occupied for hours. Later levels involve thousands of entities moving around the screen, so some Android devices may not be able to hit the 120FPS cap. But for those with more recent hardware, you’ll be able to grow your factory to colossal proportions in the sandbox mode without a drop in frames, making for a buttery experience.
7 Oddmar
Oddmar is a gorgeous adventure game that is perfect for your next RPG. The latest gaming phones can easily handle this charming game at its highest framerate of 120 FPS. It’s free to download, but you’ll need to pay $4.49 to unlock the whole game. It’s well worth it, though; from the absorbing story to challenging puzzles, there’s a reason it’s one of our favorite platformers on Android.
8 Grimvalor
A gritty RPG platformer, Grimvalor is Oddmar’s dark twin. You’ll chain together attacks into brutal combos as you adventure through the world, but thanks to the intuitive controls, it’s as easy as breathing. Graphics are a bit more intensive here, so some phones may struggle to hit the 120FPS cap. But for those that can, you can enjoy the stunning graphics while experiencing silky gameplay.
9 Eternium
Eternium is an ARPG inspired by classic titles. Gameplay is relatively fast-paced, so you’ll make full use of the 120 FPS cap as you tear through packs of enemies. It’s a little bit simplistic compared to some of the deeper ARPGs out there, but its repetitive gameplay shouldn’t put you off what is one of the best RPGs on Android since it’s made for chilling instead of crunching endless numbers.
10 Plague Inc
A 120 framerate cap might sound like wasted performance on a game like Plague Inc, but it’s a classic game that deserves a place on this list. Over a decade old at this point, it’s still as addicting as ever, and it’s still being updated with new content. The latest update, The Cure, flips the tables. You’ll race to stop a fatal disease from spreading, developing new tactics to combat its spread.
11 Trials Frontier
While it may be old, this means that any Android device with a sufficient refresh rate will be able to hit Trials Frontier’s cap of 120FPS. Managing your bike is trickier than it sounds, as you’ll have to adjust your weight for each stunt to avoid crashing head-first into the ground. There are challenges to complete, a 50+ hour story, and ranked PvP seasons to test yourself in. Overall, it’s one of the finest racing games for Android, even at its age.
12 Don’t Starve
Don’t Starve will run at up to 120FPS. The quirky, ink-sketch animations may not seem to necessitate such a high cap, but the last thing you’ll want is to be distracted by low framerates in this fantastic survival game. Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked will also run at high framerates, another reason to pick up the tropical expansion.
These games will help test your phone’s capabilities.
High refresh rates on phones are becoming more and more common. Even if you decide that a dedicated gaming phone isn’t right for you, most of our favorite Android phones offer at least a 90hz refresh rate, and more and more devices will be sporting similar features, so expect to see plenty of more titles that support these high framerate smartphones.
