We test on old phones so you don't have to guess

Most reviews are written on the newest, fastest phones. That's fine for the reviewer, but useless if you're playing on something older. So we keep a couple of mid-range and aging devices around specifically for this.

Performance matters more than screenshots suggest. A game that runs at a smooth framerate on a flagship can stutter badly two generations back, and touch input lag ruins anything reflex-based. We note it when it happens.

Battery drain is the other silent killer. Some games chew through a charge in under an hour, which we mention because it changes whether a game is practical for a commute or a flight.

When we say a game runs well, we mean on hardware most people actually own. If it only shines on the latest chip, we'll tell you that too, plainly.