REDMAGIC Astra 2 review - top-tier tablet gaming 

Of all the tablets to launch back in 2025, the REDMAGIC Astra was my personal favorite. Unlike the brand's phones, which can often be a bit garish, it combined a subtle design with elite gaming performance to offer something that felt like a true competitor to Apple's market-leading iPad. Now, the Chinese brand is introducing a successor, the REDMAGIC Astra 2, and I've spent the last few weeks putting it through its paces.

At first glance, both in terms of its specs and its appearance, the Astra 2 might not look all that different from last year's model. However, this tablet offers improvements in the areas it specializes in, most notably performance. As you might expect, these upgrades come at a cost, which means that to claim the top spot in our list of the best gaming tablets, it really needs to feel worth it. Fortunately for you, whether it justifies its higher price point is exactly why I'm writing this review. So, let's get right into it.

Price and availability

While we don't have an exact launch date for the REDMAGIC Astra 2 at the time of writing, outside of a mid-August window, we have got pricing details for both configurations. You can check them out in the table below:

As for colorways, you can pick between either Black Eclipse or Silver Starfrost in either configuration. For this review, REDMAGIC sent us the 16GB+512GB model in Black Eclipse.

Specs

Here are the REDMAGIC Astra 2's specs:

Performance and gaming

Given that the REDMAGIC Astra 2 is a gaming tablet, a lot rides on whether it delivers high-level gaming performance. Well, good news: it does. It really does. Admittedly, it doesn't come as a surprise, given that this tablet packs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the most powerful mobile platform around at the time of writing. Still, it means that you can throw any of the top picks from our guide to the best mobile games at this thing, and it'll take it in its stride.

To see just how capable the Astra 2 is of elite performance, I booted up Honkai Star Rail, one of the most demanding Android games. The sweet spot for this game is high visual settings and 60FPS, which makes for smooth visuals and detailed animations. I did try the highest possible settings, but there was a bit of stuttering in the visuals, especially during battles. Fortunately, one step below the highest is still a lot better than much of the Android tablet competition.

Not only is the Astra 2 ideal for Android games, but thanks to some PC game streaming apps, including GameNative, it's also pretty capable when running Steam games. I checked out my Steam go-to, Balatro, and it ran nice and smooth, just as smooth as the official Android version. Admittedly, it's not a gaming PC, as I found out when trying, and failing, to run Fallout 4 - it just didn't load, weirdly - but it's got enough firepower for some indies.

As for thermals, REDMAGIC's AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 keeps the tablet cool even during extensive play sessions. Like a lot of Android devices these days, be they tablets or the best gaming phones, it can get a touch toasty during monster downloads, as I found out when installing all the files for Honkai Star Rail. Outside of that, though, you shouldn't experience any overheating, and there are options in the settings to dial up the thermal management if required.

Features and software

On the software front, the Astra 2 comes with the latest version of REDMAGIC's Android 16 OS skin. This is perhaps the first sticking point, as, while there are a lot of worse operating systems out there, REDMAGIC's software can be a little clunky, especially if you're used to more refined OS alternatives from the likes of Apple, Google Pixel, or Samsung. It's not awful, but it just feels a touch convoluted in places and a little bit aesthetically behind the times.

Given that this is a gaming tablet, we've got to touch on the gaming-specific software features, of which there are quite a few. First off is the Game Space, REDMAGIC's launcher, which you can easily open by pushing the red button on the side of the tablet. Here, you can find all your games, plus a bunch of performance and optimization options to enhance the experience.

I've got to admit, out of all the game launchers I've experienced on mobile, REDMAGIC's software offers the highest level of control. If you're playing at home, and battery life isn't a concern, you can select the 'Rise' performance mode and truly push the tablet to its limits. Earlier, in the performance section, I mentioned that, by default, this tablet couldn't quite handle Honkai Star Rail's highest possible settings. Well, if you tinker with the settings a little, it can. It's a trade-off, sure, but it's worth highlighting.

Outside of performance settings, Game Space has a bunch of features to check out, ranging from aspect ratio controls to button remapping, and much more. My one complaint is that it can feel a little overwhelming with all these options appearing on the same screen. If I could offer one piece of advice to the software team at REDMAGIC, it'd be that the features are great, but the aesthetics could do with a little more work, as they're not massively user-friendly as is.

On the privacy and security front, there's the option to use either a code, the fingertip sensor, or facial recognition. The fingerprint sensor has its moments, but outside of that, all three are decent options and guarantee privacy if you don't want anyone messing around on your tablet without your consent. As for bloatware, there's your regular slew of commonplace apps, the likes of Facebook and Booking.com, but there's not all that much to clear out.

Design, display, and audio

Unlike their phones, REDMAGIC tablets are a bit more subtle when it comes to overall design, and that's true of the Astra 2. From the front, the device is almost indistinguishable from some of its rivals, such as the Xiaomi Pad Mini or Legion Tab Gen 5. On the back, though, above the REDMAGIC logo, there's an RGB strip that gives the tablet a lovely bit of flair. The aluminum frame feels nice and slick, too, and the glass panel on the back feels robust enough not to worry about too much damage from any accidental drops.

The Astra 2's unique feature is the Magic Key - the red button I mentioned earlier - on the side of the device, which you can use to open Game Space without fiddling around in the software. As for water and dustproofing, this tablet has an IP54 rating, which isn't great. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 has an IP68 rating, which makes the Astra 2 look a little impractical in comparison. It's not the only tablet that could do better on the durability front, and the market-leading iPad is just as guilty, but it's still not ideal.

On the display front, the Astra 2's 9.06-inch OLED is as good a screen as I've used on any tablet, made better by its staggeringly high 185Hz refresh rate. All in-game visuals are vivid and buttery smooth, which, given my experience with REDMAGIC phones, is exactly what I anticipated. If you're used to an 11-inch tablet, the display might feel a bit compact at first, but I prefer it, and the 90.1% screen-to-body ratio means that you've still got plenty to play with. As for audio, this tablet holds its own, with clear frequencies across the spectrum and a good level of volume.

Battery

As far as battery life and charging are concerned, the REDMAGIC Astra 2 is an absolute unit. Its 8,300 mAh battery is good for a full eight hours of gaming, with a bit of juice to spare, and if you're using the tablet sporadically, it can go for days in standby mode. As for when it's time to charge, you can juice from flat to full in just under an hour, which beats out a lot of the competition, including the latest generation of flagships from the likes of Samsung and Apple.

My one issue in the battery department is that, while the Astra 2 supports up to 75W charging, it doesn't come with a charger brick. This is pretty common with phones these days, but if you're spending upwards of $700 on a tablet, I think it should come with all the tools you need to charge it. Not everyone has a super-fast charger at home, especially those who usually use Apple devices, so it's a bit of a disappointment. Still, REDMAGIC is by no means the only brand that isn't all that generous when it comes to charging hardware these days, so I can't be too mad.

Cameras

Okay, so let me be up front about this. Few tablets, especially at this price point, have fantastic cameras, and the Astra 2 doesn't buck that trend. However, what I will say is that the front-facing 9MP camera is relatively decent. Now, normally, I wouldn't consider that worth mentioning all that much, but given that the last couple of REDMAGIC phones I've used have been very disappointing in the selfie camera department, it's worth highlighting. Again, it's not great, but for the odd selfie and some video calling, it's capable enough.

The 13MP camera on the back of the Astra 2 is similarly utilitarian. What I mean by that is that, if you want to capture a picture of a list or a product that you're looking to buy at a later date, it's fine for that. As for taking a picture of someone or a landscape or basically anything you might want to upload to social media, I'd stick to your phone, or, for an upgrade, check out our list of the best Android phones. Still, I'm not taking many points away here, as the same applies to most tablets I've tested in my time as Pocket Tactics' hardware editor.

Should you buy the REDMAGIC Astra 2?

If you're predominantly looking for a tablet that offers fantastic performance, long-lasting battery life, and a screen that brings almost any mobile game to life, you can't go wrong with the REDMAGIC Astra 2. It's also a truly comfortable tablet to use, made better by its dual USB-C slots, which means that even when it comes time to charge, you don't have to adjust the way you're using it. For me, it's worth every dollar.

While the Astra 2 has a lot of the competition beat in multiple departments, it's worth saying that the software experience isn't quite as refined as an iPad or a Samsung tablet, with the operating system being a bit clunky in places, and the fingerprint sensor is slightly lacking in the consistency department. There's also the missing charger brick, which isn't the end of the world but would make for a more tempting all-around product that doesn't force you into another purchase to take advantage of the rapid charging speeds.

Finally, I think it's fair to say that if you've already got the Astra, I wouldn't see this successor as a crucial upgrade. Don't get me wrong, the performance improvements are impressive, but it's not exactly what I'd describe as a generational leap. Still, for anyone with an old Android tablet or iPad that isn't up to the job anymore, it should be a much more tempting proposition.

Alternatives

If our REDMAGIC Astra 2 review hasn't sold you on the gaming tablet, check out some of our suggestions for alternatives below.

iPad 11

While the standard iPad might not be as capable in the performance department compared to the Astra 2, it does offer you access to the massive library of Apple Arcade games. Not only that, but one of the few things holding REDMAGIC devices back is the brand's slightly clunky Android skin, which isn't as user-friendly as Apple iPadOS. It all comes down to what you value most in a tablet for day-to-day use.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11

If you're looking for a gaming tablet that doubles as an all-rounder for streaming and productivity, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is a viable alternative. It's not got quite as much gaming firepower, but the operating system is cleaner, and its IP69 rating makes it a bit more durable, so it's likely a better call if you're looking for a family tablet.