If you’re thinking about the Google Pixel 9a good for gaming? Let’s see how this mid-range Pixel 9 series phone performs in real-world gaming. And it can handle your favourite games like BGMI, CoD Mobile and Genshin Impact without breaking a sweat.
Quick Verdict & Key Specs
The Pixel 9a is a solid all-rounder phone for casual and mid-core gamers, It offers a 120Hz pOLED display, Google’s Tensor G4 chipset, and a normal 5,100mAh battery. While it may not outshine dedicated gaming phones, it holds its own for most popular games, especially at balanced settings.
- Display: 6.3-inch pOLED, 1080 x 2424, 120Hz
- Processor: Google Tensor G4
- RAM: 8GB
- Battery: 5,100mAh, fast and wireless charging
- OS: Android 15
Design & Build: Gamer-Friendly Enough?
The Pixel 9a features a clean, minimalist design with a plastic back and metal frame body. It is very lightweight at 186g and easy to grip during long gaming sessions. The in-display fingerprint scanner is quick, and the IP68 rating means a little sweat or a spilt drink won’t end your game.
Although it lacks good RGB lighting. And its simple design will disappoint many gamers who want a modern-looking device.
Display & Audio: Immersive, Smooth, and Bright
- Display: The 6.3-inch pOLED screen boasts a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, and up to 2,700 nits peak brightness. Colours are vibrant, and motion is buttery smooth, making fast-paced games like PUBG Mobile / Call of Duty Mobile a pleasure.
- Touch Response: The high refresh rate and responsive touch panel ensure quick reactions in shooting and fighting.
- Audio: Stereo speakers deliver clear sound, though the bass could be deeper. No 3.5mm jack, but Bluetooth works flawlessly for wireless headsets
Overall, its display and audio experience are good for gaming and HDR video content viewing.
Pixel 9a Processor Performance Review
- The Pixel 9a has a Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) chipset and Mali-G715 MP7 GPU that delivers great performance, with its Antutu Score around 1,104,665 points, which is enough for 90fps gaming.
- For BGMI, smooth casual gameplay requires at least 7 Lakh above score, and the Google Pixel 9a comfortably achieves approximately double its score.
- It runs popular games like BGMI smoothly and gives a good experience (we tested at 60fps). Because now, 90fps gameplay is not available.
The Pixel 9a’s VC cooling system is very poor; when we play 30 minutes plus gameplay, it achieves 43°C temperatures and gives an average performance for gaming. But for normal day-to-day life tasks, it gives a superior performance.
RAM and Storage
The Pixel 9a comes with LPDDR5X RAM, which is good RAM in the market right now. This LPDDR5X RAM consume less energy and offers better power-saving capabilities, ensuring smooth multitasking and app switching.
The Google Pixel 9a is equipped with UFS 3.1 storage, which is good, but at the same price, all the smartphone brands use UFS 4.1 for fast file transfers, fast copy-pasting, and fast downloading. The Pixel 9a supports 18 5G bands. And Network speeds don’t disappoint you.
Pixel 9a-Antutu and Geekbench Scores
| Benchmark | Score |
|---|---|
| AnTuTu | 1,237,651 |
| Geekbench (Single) | 1,534–1,746 |
| Geekbench (Multi) | 4,264 |
| GFXBench Manhattan | 3,720 |
| GFXBench T-Rex | 3,362 |
These scores put the Pixel 9a in the upper mid-range smartphone category, close to the near flagship category, but a step behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered gaming phones.
The Pixel 9a delivered short-term performance when we did the CPU throttling test, where it scored 59℅, which is a bad stability, indicating it can handle heavy tasks during short-term smooth performance.
Real-World Gaming Test
BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India): Gameplay
If you’re looking for the best BGMI graphics settings on the Pixel 9a? Our table provides a detailed breakdown to ensure smooth gameplay. The gyroscope works smoothly, and it enhances your overall gaming experience.
| BGMI Graphics | Vivo V40 5G |
|---|---|
| Smooth | Extreme |
| Balanced | Extreme |
| HD | Extreme |
| HDR | Extreme |
| Ultra HDR | Ultra |
| Extreme HDR | NA |
BGMI Gameplay
During a one-hour BGMI session on the Pixel, I experienced smooth performance for the short term with the ‘Smooth + Extreme’ settings, offering 60fps best gameplay for 30 minutes.
- Performance: It gives a short-term smooth experience and delivers an average of 55 to 60FPS during TDM matches. And 45 to 53fps is delivered in classic games like Erangel, Sanhok, and Livik.
- Frame Drop: Occasionally, frame rates drop below 35fps, especially during jumps and heavy combat. But it quickly returned to its previous version.
- Thermals: Max temperature reached 43.2°C after 30 minutes in BGMI. The phone gets warm, and sometimes it gives an uncomfortable feel, and Google may have improved its thermal cooling system after updates.
- Battery Drain: About 13-17% per hour of gaming, which is normal for a 5,100mAh battery.
Also read: Vivo T4 Gaming Test Performance Review: BGMI FPS, Heat, and Battery Life
Genshin Impact Gameplay
- Settings: Highest + 60 FPS
- Performance: Averages 25-31.5 FPS, with occasional drops in crowded areas. At 30 FPS, it is very warm after 30 minutes plus gameplay.
- Thermals: Peaks at 42.4°C on max settings, with major throttling observed.
Call of Duty Mobile
CoD Mobile runs at high settings, maintaining 50–60fps with minor drops during heavy action. Touch response is excellent.
Zenless Zone Zero / Other Demanding Games
Playable at medium settings, but not ideal for ultra-competitive gamers who demand maxed-out visuals and a high FPS rate.
Thermal & Battery Performance
- Thermals: The Pixel 9a does not manage heat impressively, rarely exceeding 43°C, even during prolonged gaming. But its AI-powered cooling does not help keep the device uncomfortable to hold.
- Battery: The 5,100mAh cell delivers 5–6 hours of continuous gaming, with around 13 hours in the PCMark battery test. Fast charging and wireless charging add convenience for quick backup.
Gaming Features & Software
- Gaming Mode: While Pixel 9a does not have a dedicated gaming mode like some competitors, Android 15’s Game Dashboard offers basic tools like screen recording and notification management.
- AI Features: The Tensor G4’s AI optimizations help with resource allocation and thermal management, contributing to smooth gameplay and cooler operation.
- Software Experience: Clean, bloat-free Android ensures no background clutter slows down your games. Seven years of updates promise long-term support
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Smooth 120Hz display
- Good performance for most games at medium settings
- Excellent thermal management
- Clean Android with long-term updates.
Cons:
- Struggles with demanding games at max settings (frame drops, stutters)
- No headphone jack
- The display can be hard to see in direct sunlight.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Pixel 9a for Gaming?
If you’re a casual or moderate gamer who values a smooth display, reliable performance, and a clean Android experience, the Pixel 9a is a great choice, especially for lower graphically intense games.
Hardcore gamers looking for maxed-out visuals and flawless FPS in popular games like Genshin Impact may want to consider a more gaming-focused device, such as the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 phone, but for most, the Pixel 9a strikes an excellent balance between price, performance, and versatility
If you are a Google Pixel series fan and you want this, my honest recommendation is that you can wait for the sale. The Pixel 9a is available for under 35,000.
FAQ
Yes, it offers smooth gameplay with good performance for casual and moderate BGMI players.
Yes, the temperature on the Pixel 9a rises above 43°C after 30 minutes of gameplay.
The average FPS ranges between 40-60 FPS, depending on settings.
Temperatures may reach 39–43°C during extended play, which is manageable.
Battery drains at a moderate rate, roughly 10-15% per hour of gameplay.
You can expect around 6-7 hours of continuous BGMI gaming on a full charge.
Yes, Minimal throttling occurs, and lag is rare with optimized settings.
Balanced settings like Medium graphics and High frame rate provide smooth performance.
It struggles with HDR+Ultra; lower settings are recommended for smooth gameplay.
The Tensor G4 delivers efficient performance with good frame stability.
Yes, Pixel 9a offers improved performance and thermal management over Pixel 8a.
The screen refresh rate is capped at 60Hz during gaming.
Occasional minor frame drops may occur, but generally smooth.
It’s suitable for casual to semi-competitive play but not ideal for pro-level gaming.
Yes, it includes basic game optimization features to enhance performance.
Pros: Smooth gameplay, good battery life, efficient chip.
Cons: Limited to 60 FPS, moderate heating, not for ultra settings.