You can now use your Android tablet as a gaming computer

Gaming is one of the most popular enthusiast industries in the world, with gamers around the world spending ungodly hours playing, streaming, and interacting with gaming media in some capacity. However, it has also become one of the most expensive hobbies. Consoles are more expensive than ever, games are creeping ever closer to the $100 per title mark, accessories and peripherals aren’t cheap either, and, if you’re serious about diving into the deep end of the gaming enthusiast pool, a PC rig will cost you a small fortune.

Everyone is looking for a budget-friendly option or a way to get more bang for their buck with their existing devices. That’s why we want to highlight something that could allow you to enter the gaming scene without purchasing a fancy gaming console or PC. Your humble Android tablet, like the RedMagic Astra 2, could be your gateway to gaming bliss.

The Astra 2 is a traditional tablet offering high-end AAA gaming performance, meaning you can get the best of both worlds. With a dedicated console mode, powerful processor and gaming chip, you have everything you need to turn your tablet into a gaming PC.

Here’s how the RedMagic Astra 2 manages to deliver a smooth gaming experience, while still functioning as a solid traditional tablet. First, users need to connect the tablet, which will also charge the device, eliminating any worries about battery drain. Next, users will want to connect the console to a larger monitor or TV, connect keyboards, controllers, or a mouse using the tablet’s USB-C ports, allowing you to project whatever’s on the tablet’s screen directly. Then the next step is to press a switch on the device, allowing you to enter console mode.

This gives you access to a full desktop-style user interface, while also allowing you to use the tablet’s touchscreen interface independently. This effectively allows you to use a traditional tablet while doubling as a gaming PC on a larger screen. In theory, that’s a big ask for a tablet, but thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and an internal liquid cooling system, this device can handle high-quality PC game emulation, native Android games, and much more.

The main emulation options would be GameHub, Dolphin or GameNative depending on what you want to emulate. However, you can also opt for cloud gaming via GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass by downloading their respective apps from the Google Play Store.

Tablets are very useful items to have around the house, as they are a much more portable, yet still powerful, alternative to laptops. However, where they generally pale in comparison to gaming laptops and PCs is their ability to run mainstream AAA gaming experiences. That’s where the RedMagic Astra 2 comes in: not only serving as a functional and versatile Android tablet, its compact design, sleek OLED display, and solid battery life double as gaming hardware.

With a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and RedCore R4 gaming chip powering this tablet, this portable technology is capable of running high-end games via PC emulation, maintaining stable frame rates, and doing it without burning through the battery before your gaming session starts. The only downside would be that certain accessories are almost essential for a smooth gaming experience with this tablet.

Mainly, external storage is a must if you intend to emulate and run high-end AAA games. Unless you want to constantly delete and reinstall games to work within the parameters of the tablet’s 512GB internal storage. That 512GB figure is also allocated to the tablet’s operating system, apps, and other features, so even if you think 512GB is enough, you’re not getting that full amount; making it even more of a solid case for external storage. Good options for this include the Adata SD810, Crucial X9, or WD My Passport Portable.