Video games have dominated the entertainment scene with fascinating characters, immersive game worlds, and many consoles and devices to play on. Now, people can play on the go on their smartphones, including Android. While there will always be consoles and computers, there will also be people who refer to play on their phones. In fact, PlayToday reported that 2021 saw 2.6 billion mobile gamers hit the scene, regardless if they use Android or another smartphone.
With that said, the mobile gaming industry has boomed substantially. There’s a wealth of amazing games available for Android. From free to play puzzlers to retro games, they are now available to you while you’re on the go.
However, what happens if your game isn’t performing as well as you’d like it to. Chances are, it could be that your phone doesn’t have the right settings for gaming. Or, it could be that your phone’s connection isn’t up to par. Nevertheless, whatever you want to play, you want to have the best experience while doing so.
Here are some tweaks you can make to your Android device to make it the perfect gaming machine:
Use The Right Internet Connection
First, think about the Gs. Your phone company should tell you if your Android is either 4G or 5G. Regardless of which one you have, that tells you how powerful your network is when running mobile games. That also takes into account how stable your WiFi connection is. In that case, you’ll need the right technology enabled, so that you can reduce latency or anything else that might disrupt your connectivity.
So, if you’re playing online games on your device, then the speed of your internet connection is crucial. The games need to send and receive data constantly, and the quicker it can do that, the better experience you will have.
For most Androids, you can follow these steps:
- Step 1: Open “Settings.”
- Step 2: Choose “Network & Internet.”
- Step 3: In that section, select “Mobile Network.”
- Step 4: From there, select “Advanced.”
- Step 5: Then, select “Preferred Network Type.”
- Step 6: Finally, select “Global.” (This allows your Android to optimize its connection for gaming.)
As such, make sure you’re connected to the fastest possible internet connection when you play. What that is depends on where you are. If you’re at home, it’s most likely your home Wi-Fi connection. If you’re out and about, it could be a Wi-Fi hotspot or your mobile data connection, especially if you have access to 5G.
Change The Screen Refresh Rate
Believe it or not, high refresh rates have already become the standard for many smartphones, including Androids. In other words, people want refresh rates to be top-notch for the best gaming experience possible on mobile. When a high refresh rate is enabled on Android, motion on-screen is smoother, and images are updated faster than the average phone display.
With games getting more and more visually impressive on Android, you want them to be able to shine when you play them. You can get the most out of the visuals when you change up your screen refresh rate.
“The higher refresh rate, the better,” says gaming blogger Adil Dudley, from Boom Essays and OX Essays. “You’ll see a real difference in your games if you can change the refresh rate.”
The good news is, some Android devices will let you change that refresh rate. To change the refresh rate, do the following:
- Step 1: Go into your Settings.
- Step 2: Tap the Display option.
- Step 3: Select “Advanced,” and then “Refresh rate.”
- Step 4: Finally, just select the highest possible refresh rate.
Follow those steps, and you’re all set.
Speed Up Your Device
This tip isn’t just handy for gaming, but for using your Android device in general. As you use it, it collects all kinds of junk files and data. This slows down the phone’s operating speed, making it slower and more frustrating to use. That’s not ideal when you want to play games on it.
It’s a simple fix, however. There’s a built-in feature on your device that will help you delete these files and, in turn, speed up your phone. Here’s how to access it:
- Step 1: Go to “Settings.”
- Step 2: Tap “Storage.”
- Step 3: From there, you can tap “Free up space.” (This allows you to select any files you don’t use anymore.)
- Step 4: Once you select some unwanted files, tap “Free up.” From there, the phone will delete those unwanted files.
As a result, it will free up a lot of space on your device, and make it run faster.
Turn On Force 4X
Force 4X (also known as multisample anti-aliasing) is one of the best Developer options settings for gamers looking to improve their Android’s gaming performance. Essentially, Force 4X is a feature that comes on some Android devices, but you may not know about it because it’s usually disabled by default. That’s because it will vastly improve your gaming experience, but it does drain battery life quickly.
To enable Force 4X, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Go into Settings
- Step 2: Tap “About phone.”
- Step 3: Then, tap “Build number seven times.” (This puts the phone into developer mode.)
- Step 4: Afterwards, go back to Settings, and select “System.”
- Step 5: Tap “Developer options.”
- Step 6: Then, find the option for “Force 4x MSAA,” and toggle it on.
You’re then ready to start gaming. Just keep in mind: You’ll need to watch your battery as you do some gaming on your Android.
Find A Good Game Boosting App
“As gaming becomes more prevalent on Android devices, there are more apps out there at boost your experience’ says writer Phillipa Hunter, from Essay Roo and State of writing. ‘You can find plenty of apps that improve gaming on your device.”
These apps usually make changes to your phone settings for you, so you’ll get the best experience when you’re playing. For example, they’ll turn off notifications when you play, optimize settings for smooth gameplay. Try apps like Game Booster to enhance your gaming experience.
Try Gaming Accessories
Finally, what’s a mobile gamer without the accessories? You heard right! Android has its own gaming accessories available on the market.
Just like accessories you can buy for a gaming console, you can buy accessories for your Android device. Depending on the type of games you like to play, they may help you get more out of gaming.
For example, external game controllers help you control games with more precision, and make the device more comfortable to play on. Android Central names some of the best Android controllers:
- Razer Kishi
- Razer Raiju Mobile
- SteelSeries Stratus Duo
- Xbox Series X Controller (surprisingly compatible with Android smartphones), etc.
Wrapping Up
So, there you have it!
If you rely on your Android device for hardcore, on-the-go gaming, then consider following these tips. Just tweaking your phone here and there can do wonders for your mobile gaming experience. And, with loads of games to play on the Android these days, the possibilities are endless!
So, try these tips to make gaming on your Android better than ever before. They’re all simple to execute, but will make a real difference to the games you play.
