We have been gaming on both the Samsung S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max flagship phones for several weeks and tested them from a real user perspective. Here is our detailed experience of how these phones perform in gaming and what problems are faced.
In terms of graphics and performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip of the Samsung S25 Ultra is great for gaming. We ran heavy games like PUBG, Call of Duty Mobile and Genshin Impact on maximum settings. Games ran very smoothly on the AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, especially HDR games had a great experience.
Apple’s A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro Max is also amazing. iOS optimization makes it better in games, but some games are still limited to 60fps. One thing to note is that the metal frame of the iPhone heats up quickly, which makes it difficult to play games for a long time.
Heating and throttling issues
The benefits of the vapor chamber cooling system are clearly visible in the Samsung S25 Ultra. Even after playing Genshen Impact for an hour continuously, the phone’s temperature did not go above 42°C. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts heating up within 20 minutes and performance drops. Playing games outside in summer becomes even more difficult.
Battery life and charging time
Battery consumption is a major concern during gaming. Playing heavy games like Genshin Impact on the Samsung S25 Ultra consumes about 18% of the battery per hour. Due to 45W fast charging, gaming can be resumed after charging a little in between. We also tried playing games like FREE FIRE and BGMI at high FPS on both phones.
Battery consumption is slightly higher (22% per hour) in the same games on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The biggest problem is the slow 20W charging, due to which it takes more time to charge the battery in between gaming.
Software and game optimization
Samsung’s Game Booster and One UI have many useful features for gaming. It has performance mode, low latency settings and the facility to manage background apps. This reduces unnecessary disturbances during gaming.
iOS’ gaming mode is limited in iPhone, but controller support is better. PS5 or Xbox controller can be connected easily. However, if a call comes in the middle of gaming, then the game may have to be restarted. This problem does not look good.
Also Read: Motorola’s vs samsung’s ultra wide camera auto focus review
Problems and conclusion
Some games do not support 120Hz in Samsung S25 Ultra, while iPhone has problems with overheating and brightness drop. If you are a serious mobile gamer then Samsung is a better option, but if you like the iPhone’s ecosystem for casual gaming then 16 Pro Max is also fine.
