I used to think flagship phones like 2 lakh or 3 lakh give very big advantage in gaming. After using many mid-range and flagship phones together I learned something different.
Real difference in 2026 If phone has Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 8 Gen 3 or 8s Gen 3 or Dimensity 8300 level chip you already get 90 to 95 percent of flagship gaming performance.
Extra money mostly gives you Better camera which you do not use while gaming Longer software updates 4 to 5 years instead of 2 to 3 Slightly better speakers and vibration feedback Little better build quality
But actual gaming things like frame rate stability heating battery drain and lag the difference is very small after certain price.
My personal rule now Spend maximum 80000 to 100000 rupees. You will get almost same gaming experience as 200000 rupee phone. Above that you are mostly paying for brand camera and status.
