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Currently, “Fortnite” is one of the most popular free games on the market. The title has a low barrier for entry since it is free and runs on many smartphones. Plus, unlike consoles, you can take mobile versions of the game with you and connect to matchested equal, and one model beats the competition because of its specs
If you go looking for the best gaming smartphone, two names will keep cropping up: The RedMagic 11 Pro and RedMagic 11S Pro. These phones are all about power thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 CPU and a secondary (and proprietary) RedMagic RedCore R4 chip. Not only do RedMagic 11 models load games faster and with higher graphical fidelity than most phones, they can store more games too. Titles such as “Fortnite” tend to eat up drive space, but RedMagic 11 models have 1 TB of storage, which should be more than enough for “Fortnite” and just about any other games you want to play on the phone. Furthermore, the screens support up to 2K resolution with 144 Hz refresh rates.
Of course, we shouldn’t take RedMagic’s word for it. According to outlets that have tested the RedMagic 11 Pro and 11S Pro, including GamesRadar, these phones are easily “the best gaming phones” of 2026. The devices are a little thicker than most smartphone users are used to, and their cameras are lackluster, but they outshine the competition thanks to powerful hardware and a liquid cooling system that keeps the internals running smoothly under heavy loads. You can’t exactly play (or succeed in) “Fortnite” if the processors overheat.
Is the RedMagic 11 Pro really worth it?
While the RedMagic 11 Pro was priced at $699 on the official RedMagic store, the device is currently sold out as of this writing. But you can purchase the more powerful RedMagic 11S Pro for $799, also on the official RedMagic store. It’s not the cheapest gaming phone out there, but it’s more affordable than most iPhone models (the iPhone 17 Pro retails for $1,099, for example). But don’t go spending that money just yet.
While the RedMagic 11 Pro and 11S Pro are considered the most powerful gaming phones on the market, they share the same weakness of every other gaming smartphone: Their main controls are virtual. Unless you buy an additional controller, such as the Backbone Pro ($169.99 on Amazon), you have to press the screen to do most things in-game, which limits your field of view. Plus virtual controls are nowhere near as accurate as a physical joystick and buttons.
The final problem with the RedMagic 11 Pro and 11S Pro is their prices. Again, they aren’t the most expensive smartphones on the market, but they still cost more than modern game consoles such as the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 (but not the PS5 Pro). These provide superior graphical fidelity and won’t run out of juice short of a blackout. Heck, if you really want to play Fortnite on the go, you could buy a Switch 2 or a handheld like the ROG Xbox Ally X. Both are more powerful than the RedMagic 11 series, their screens are bigger, and they include physical joysticks. Plus, the Switch 2 is less expensive. Nothing against the RedMagic 11S Pro. Reviews are clear that it is a fantastic phone, but if you’re interested in gaming, they’re not your only options.
