Due to a delayed arrival compared to the UK debut, ASUS did not have an easy time with the ROG Phone 6 launch this year, at least not in the US. The ROG 6 has been released in the US for a few months now, and despite some delivery issues, it’s obvious that no other gaming phone can compete in 2022. For this reason, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 is ranked first in AP’s awards for gaming phone of the year.

While RedMagic and Black Shark provide some intriguing possibilities at a lower cost, ASUS is a gaming expert and goes all out each year with top-of-the-line specifications that don’t cut corners. The ASUS ROG Phone 6 has been chosen by AP as our gaming phone of the year because there isn’t a mobile game we can throw at it that causes it to falter. The cheapest ROG 6 starts at a cool $1K and only goes up from there, but you get a high frame rate 1080p screen (up to 165Hz) that can easily chew through demanding games thanks to the included Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and 12GB RAM.

The ROG Phone 6 Pro received an eight out of ten rating in our evaluation. Justifiably so, as the only real differences between the Pro model and the standard device are some additional RAM and storage. You may go from up to 18GB of RAM if you need even more, but 12GB is more than adequate for any mobile game.

For me, the ROG 6’s 6,000mAh battery, which comfortably lasts through a day or two of regular usage, is what I appreciate most about it. While playing energy-intensive games like Genshin Impact won’t give you days of battery life, the extra battery life is unquestionably advantageous when using the device as a standard smartphone. The comforts don’t end here, though. There are two USB-C ports—count ’em, two—and you can pass through power on the side port to keep the gadget running without charging, preventing unnecessary heat—which is crucial for a small device pumping so much power.

ASUS even provides a few add-ons to enhance the gaming experience, such as an external clip-on fan and a clip-on controller that functions similarly to the Nintendo Switch’s detachable Joycons. Fortunately, this controller performs admirably, which is fortunate given that ASUS has relocated the bottom USB-C connector such that it is incompatible with third-party clip-on controllers.

But ASUS is still the only company going all out with its hardware if you’re looking for the fastest and best-supported gaming phone on the market. This implies that using the greatest gaming phone will cost you a hefty fortune, but with so many ROG 6 deals taking place as the new year draws near, now is the perfect time to get the device if you can locate a discount.