Dedicated home consoles andPC gameshave come a long way from moving a couple of pixels across the screen. you may now experience fantastical new worlds, incredible stories, and amazing locations in near-photorealistic high definition. Now, consoles are making a move toward going wherever gamers are, even if it means leaving their living rooms.
The Nintendo Switch 2, theXbox ROG Ally, and the PlayStation Portal (as well as therumored PlayStation handheld device) are all dedicated to taking gaming off the big TV screen and into players' hands. But you don’t have to buy a dedicated handheld console device to enjoy console games on a mobile device—you already have a powerful mobile computer that’s capable of playing console games.And developers have realized this and ported some big hits, which means you can now play some excellent console and PC games on your iOS and Android devices.
10Unpacking
A Cozy Game To Play In Bursts
Unpackinghas players unpack and arrange items from a move, following one character’s life, moving from one living space to another. It was such a popular game that it spawned a whole slew of knockoffs and imitators who tried to replicate the magic of the indie title by Witch Beam. But it’s challenging to replicate whatUnpackingdoes, as the game strikes the perfect balance between cozy item arranging, mild puzzling, and aheartfelt story told without a single word.
The title is perfect for mobile gaming, thanks to its slow-paced nature and super-simple controls. The mobile version supports both touch and controller inputs, butthe touch controls are so intuitive that you might find you prefer them. The game’s slow pace also makes it easy to pick upUnpackingin short bursts, which is ideal for mobile games played on the go.
9The Grand Theft Auto Series
Take Over The Streets Of San Andreas, Vice City, And Beyond
TheGrand Theft Autoseries by Rockstar Games is so iconic and well-loved that the upcomingGTA 6is already being declared by many to be the2026 game of the year,despite not even having a release date yet. The series lets players run wild in various fictional cities based on real-world locations, completing missions, and breaking the law in various creative ways.
TheGTAgames available as iOS and Android mobile ports are:
Unfortunately,GTA 4and5aren’t available on mobile at this time(though the manual forGTA 5is, strangely). Still, this collection of games is a great way to while away the time on your phone or tablet while you wait forGrand Theft Auto 6to be finally released next year(hopefully).
8Civilization 6
The Fate Of An Entire Civilization At Your Fingertips
Decide the fate of an entire civilization at your fingertips with Sid Meyer’sCivilization 6. Just like in previousCivgames, the sixth installment in the franchise has playersdevelop a flourishing civilization,explore the world, complete challenges, and become a powerful force throughout the world. The game came to iOS fairly early on in 2017, and arrived on Android a few years later in 2020.
7Balatro
The Card Game That’s Easy To Pick Up And Too Addictive To Put Down
The little"Solitaire meets Poker"card game by LocalThunk that took the world by storm last year, when it wasup for game of the year at The Game Awardsagainst giants likeFinal Fantasy VII RebirthandMetaphor: ReFantazio. The game is simple: get a better hand than your AI opponent. What this looks like differs depending on which Joker you put in play, which can sometimes change the entire rules of the game. This is all delivered in a pixel art package that’sbeautiful to look at and extremely addictive to play.
Balatrowas released in February 2024 and posted to Android and iOS in September. Whilethe game’s simple UI makes it a good on-the-go game, the mobile ports also remastered the controls to work best with mobile devices. The result is a game you can play in short bursts, but probably won’t because it’s so hard to put down.
6Bully
Climb The Clique Ranks And End Bullying
Bully, another Rockstar Games title, is a classic 2006 PlayStation 2 game that washighly controversial at the time of its releasefor its violent and sexual nature. Players control Jimmy as he rises through the ranks of Bullworth Academy’s various cliques, aiming to unite the school and put an end to its widespread bullying.
The mobile version of the game,Bully: Anniversary Edition,was released in 2016. The special edition was updated specifically to be played on mobile devices with both touch and controller support, and fixed several known bugs from the original game. Though it’s an old port, it’sstill regularly updated today, with the latest patch fixing a longtime Android issue but removing the multiplayer.
5Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Side With Good Or Evil In The Star Wars RPG
LikeCiv 6,Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republicwas brought to mobile devices by Aspyr. Originally developed by BioWare,KOTORis an RPG set in theStar Warsuniverseand based on theStar Wars Roleplaying GamefromMagic: The Gatheringpublisher, Wizards of the Coast. The game lets players side with the light side as a Jedi or fall to the dark side of the Force through decisions that make a difference in how the world interacts with their character.
The mobile port features the completeKOTORexperience,which does mean that you need quite a large amount of free space on your device (the download file alone is 2.6 GB). If you have the free space, though, this faithful port brings the classic Star Wars title to your fingertips with streamlined touchscreen controls.
4Stardew Valley
The Cozy Farming Game, Optimized for Small Screens
Stardew Valleyis thehit cozy farming and village sim titlefrom solo developer ConcernedApe. The game features adorable pixellated graphics and plenty of characters to meet andsecrets to uncoverin and around Pelican Town. Players take control of a farmer who’s inherited their grandfather’s farm,a laHarvest Moon,which means cultivating the land, forming relationships with the locals, fishing, mining, and much more—or any combination of those.
The mobile version of the game is optimized for phones and other mobile devices,streamlining the already simple UI into a mobile-friendly versionthat shifts the inventory to the side of the screen to free up more screen space. Although the mobile (and console) versions lagged behind in getting updates by about half a year, the game is now completely caught up on all platforms. And, withConcernedApe focusing all his time on his next project,Haunted Chocolatier, you’re able to playStardew Valleyon your phone all you want without missing out on anything.
3The Final Fantasy Series
Relive One Of The Most Influential RPG Series Of All Time
Final Fantasyis one of the most beloved and well-known RPG series of all time, with each entry weaving a standalone tale of a world in peril, mythical crystals, and a group of adventurers caught in it all. Square Enix has been working hard to ensure the series remains accessible to modern gamers, through remakes like the three-partFF7 Remakeseries andremasters like thePixel Remaster. But, in addition to being available on current-gen consoles,all the numberedFinal Fantasygames through the ninth have mobile ports.
Square Enix games are priced more like console games than mobile games. Some ports are worth it and others have mixed reviews on how well the game actually translates to mobile. Check the reviews before you commit.
You can currently get these mainline, numberedFinal Fantasygames on mobile:
The series also has severalmobile-only entries worth checking out if you’re a fan, likeFinal Fantasy 7 Ever Crisisand the tactical RPGFinal Fantasy Brave Exvius: War of the Visions.
A Smooth-As-Butter Souslike Metroidvania Roguelite Mobile Mashup
Dead Cellsby Playdigious is aroguelite Metroidvania with the heart of a Soulslike,and if that’s too many descriptives for you, all you need to know is in its description: “Kill. Die. Learn. Repeat.” Choose your random weapon and skill, and make your way through interconnected worlds, learning the lay of the land and fighting your way through increasingly difficult enemies. It’s aclassic action-platforming experience where you’ll die many,manytimes,but get a little better each time.
“Kill. Die. Learn. Repeat.”
Dead Cellstranslates beautifully to mobile as one of the better ports of a console game.The controls are very responsive and smooth, and the game is easy to play on a smaller screen.It’s also available through Netflix and as part of the Google Play Pass and Apple Arcade, with all its DLCs. But even if you don’t have any of those subscriptions, it’s worth getting on mobile as a great example of an excellent mobile port.
1XCOM 2
Regain Control Of Earth From Aliens On Your Lunch Break
XCOMis the much-loved sequel toXCOM: Enemy Unknownby Firaxis Games (published by 2K). The turn-based game had playerscontrol a group of soldiers going up against aliens who had taken over the world. The game combined tactics game elements with permadeath, procedurally generated combat maps, and challenging missions to create a difficult but rewarding experience forRPG and tactics fans.
The port is generally considered by fans to be good, and though you may encounter visual glitches occasionally, they’re usually not game-breaking. Each mission inXCOM 2takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, so it’s a console andPC gameyou can chip away at on your mobile device.
