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I’ve been raving about one of the best gaming tablets I’ve tested this year for a few weeks now, but until now I could never fully recommend it. With the RedMagic Astra finally up for grabs at Amazon, though, I’m all set.

This is a compact gaming tablet, but that smaller size hides bags of power. With a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a 165Hz OLED display, the Astra is a gaming-first device with the benchmarks and screen quality to handle anything you can throw at it. Before now, the Astra was only available via pre-order at RedMagic’s own site, with a good chunk of delivery time behind it.

It was the screen that originally had me excited about the RedMagic Astra when I first booted it up. This is a full OLED panel with gorgeous contrast and fantastic sharpness – colors are bright and bold, even popping with details in more subdued scenes and that super-fast 2,000Hz touch rate is perfect for on-screen joystick controls. Everything from YouTube doom-scrolls to TMNT Shredder’s Revenge feels far more polished here compared to my own iPad.

That smaller design also works in the Astra’s favor if you’re after a more portable device. It easily fits into a smaller pocket in a backpack or smaller bag, without stealing valuable laptop space. It’s also remarkably comfortable in one hand, making more casual scrolling and reading far more enjoyable than on a larger device.

There’s just one problem with that smaller screen, but if you’ve already clocked the lack of 3.5mm audio jack you may not suffer so much for it. The speakers are located exactly where the palms sit in a horizontal grip. Holding the tablet with both hands often left me blocking the sound. This is one for those with a wireless gaming headset ready to go.

There’s another trick in this book as well. The USB-C charging port doubles up as a full 4K-out for an external monitor. Plug that bad boy in and you’ve essentially got a dockable console-like experience, provided you use streaming services or have a hefty Google Play Store library.

Gaming-specific tablets are still pretty rare, but even the models that dominate the headlines often drop this level of speed in their connectivity.

• See all gaming tablets at Amazon
• RedMagic Astra (12GB / 512GB) | $699 at Amazon
• RedMagic Astra (24GB / 1TB) | $949 at Amazon

I’m also hunting down all the best gaming phones and best gaming laptops for more portable options, or check out the best gaming handhelds.

Managing Editor of Hardware at GamesRadar+, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I’ve written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i’m focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards, headsets and mice that come with them), PS5, and trying to find the perfect projector.