Best phones under $400 for gaming (2026)

US list prices up to about $400. Ranked for gaming. Editorial scores, MSRP bands, and links to full guides—no sponsored picks.

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Top picks

Top pick

POCO X 5 (2023)

$299–$359

The POCO X 5 (2023) (2023) — a Xiaomi phone in the budget tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Upper middle

POCO X 5 (2023) guide

Strong alternative

POCO X 5 (2024)

$349–$608

The POCO X 5 (2024) (2024) — a Xiaomi phone in the budget tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Upper middle

POCO X 5 (2024) guide

Also consider

POCO X 5 (2025)

$399–$724

The POCO X 5 (2025) (2025) — a Xiaomi phone in the budget tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Upper middle

POCO X 5 (2025) guide

Why these phones?

We start from every device in our catalog with validated US MSRP bands, apply your filters, then rank using the same 1–10 category scores documented in our methodology. “Top pick” is the highest composite for this page’s intent—not a paid placement.