As a fan of tablets under 11”, the RedMagic Astra 2 caught my attention, doubly so, as when it comes to high-end Android devices, Nubia sits among the top, delivering flagship-level performance with both their phone and tablet offerings.
Coming in at 207.1 x 134.2 x 6.9mm and 363g, the RedMagic Astra 2 is a lighter device than its predecessor, though not by a significant margin; it still offers an uptick in performance and specs. Inspiring weight loss goals aside, what really caught my attention with the RedMagic Astra 2 is its 9.06” OLED display, making it the ideal size for use with mobile controllers. Prospective buyers interested in the RedMagic Astra 2 should know that the box includes the tablet itself, a quick start guide, and an eye-catching USB-C charging cable, but no power brick.
Taking a look at the tablet itself, one of the more striking elements that users will notice right away is the cooling vent on the back of the RedAstra 2. Nuba refers to its cooling implementation as the AquaCore Cooling System 2.0, which features liquid cooling, Liquid Metal 3.0, and a robust vapour chamber design, ensuring optimal airflow and venting. In truth, beyond the marketing jargon and technical specs, the physical look and aesthetic of the RedMagic Astra 2’s cooling mechanism are undeniably eye-catching, making it stand out from the countless other tablets on the market.
“The RedMagic Astra 2 caught my attention, doubly so, as when it comes to high-end Android devices, Nubia sits among the top.”
Talking aesthetics, the RedMagic Astra 2 continues Nubia’s trend of crafting hardware and software that cater to gamers, while still looking refined enough not to fall into the often garish, loud RGB aesthetic associated with the style. Beyond the aesthetics of the tablet, the RedMagic Astra 2 features a 9.06” OLED screen with a max peak brightness of 1600 nits (1,100 full-screen coverage) at up to 185Hz.
In practice, pretty much anything you throw at the RedMagic Astra 2, which has a resolution of 2,400 by 1,504, looks sharp. More importantly, its 9.06-inch screen means the tablet can comfortably fit into most telescopic game controllers, transforming the tablet experience into something that can rival dedicated gaming handhelds with relative ease.
Inside the device, the beating heart that keeps the RedMagic Astra 2 ticking is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 paired with Nubia’s own RedMagic Redcore R4, a special in-house co-processor found inside their flagship devices, such as the Astra 2. The tablet comes in two sizes, 256 GB and 512 GB, with the one sent to me having the larger of the two.
In terms of RAM, the RedMagic Astra 2 features 16 GB of RAM and 12 GB of extended (virtual) RAM for better background app management. One area I must give Nubia props for is the inclusion of two USB 3.2 Type-C ports, located on the bottom and right faces of the tablet, making it perfect for controllers that have different physical connections.
Now, I’m not much of a mobile gamer, especially when it comes to gacha-heavy titles, but I am a big fan of everything Cyberpunk, including Cyberpunk Edgerunners, which just so happened to have a crossover event with the recently released Wuthering Waves game, making it the perfect candidate for testing. Before booting the game (or any title, for that matter), I toggled the Magic Key switch on the RedMagic Astra 2, which, by default, opens the RedMagic Game Space frontend, allowing users to easily boost the clock speeds and performance of whatever is running on the tablet.
I used the Rise profile for all my testing going forward, which ensures the max performance possible on the RedMagic Astra 2. Booting up Wuthering Waves, I played for around 2 hours and noticed a fairly consistent 90 FPS with a mix of high and medium settings. In static screens, there was some aliasing that could be noticeable on character models; however, in action or during cutscenes, the game looked stellar and ran at a locked FPS, making it comparable to the PC release of the game.
To test the competitive chops of the RedMagic Astra 2, I set the device to its 185 Hz mode and booted up Call of Duty: Mobile on the high preset. The popular mobile shooter ran at a very steady 160 FPS, making the game feel ultra-responsive and even better than what my current TV can output, which made the experience feel extra premium.
More impressively, lowering the clock speeds and performance metrics from the Rise profile to the standard one netted me around 140 FPS, but with the added benefit of much longer-lasting battery life. With the pared-back settings, the RedMagic Astra 2 lasted around 7 hours, compared with roughly 3 hours with everything topped off. Similarly, I tested the mobile release of PUBG and saw frame rates around 120 FPS with the same 7-hour window of use, making it truly one of the most efficient tablets I have ever used.
To really put the RedMagic Astra 2 to the test and go beyond mobile gaming, I installed the GameNative app. For those unfamiliar, GameNative uses the Proton translation layer and Wine, similar to what the Steam Deck uses to run Windows applications on Linux-based devices, including Android. In other words, with GameNative, I was able to browse and install a huge portion of my 1,500-strong Steam library directly onto the RedMagic Astra 2.
2D titles ran flawlessly on the tablet, with games like Absolum and Scott Pilgrim EX both running at a locked 60FPS on normal settings. In other words, playing smaller indie games and 2D releases felt like playing stock Android ports on the RedMagic Astra 2. Moving on to heavier 3D-focused titles, I tested the Bioshock Remaster, which, on high settings, again ran at a locked 60fps, with slightly longer-than-average loading times between levels, making it far superior to, say, something like the Nintendo Switch release of the Bioshock Collection.
“Ultimately, the RedMagic Astra 2 is the best Android tablet money can buy.”
Similarly, the Game of the Year Edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum ran at a locked 60 FPS. However, the game did require quite a bit of tinkering for the sound and performance to stabilize due to its age, making it less than ideal. But from a pure performance standpoint, it highlights how powerful the RedMagic Astra 2 can be.
Of course, the last two games are relatively old, so to really push the hardware beyond its specs, I loaded up the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, which, as expected, only netted me around 10 FPS, making it rather unplayable. That said, running the same benchmark again with frame generation enabled netted me closer to 27 FPS on average, which is still a far cry from the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, but still something I would consider playable in a pinch.
When it comes down to it, the best use case for PC or console gaming on the RedMagic Astra 2 is instead unlocked with game streaming. When paired with a good mobile controller and a strong network connection, either at home or through services like Tailscale, streaming PC games through apps like Artemis yields flawless results, with games looking pin-sharp and ultra-responsive, transforming the RedMagic Astra 2 into a powerful gaming PC that rivals the best of the best.
Ultimately, the RedMagic Astra 2 is the best Android tablet money can buy, blurring the lines between tablet and PC while making itself an all-in-one powerhouse for enthusiasts and core gamers looking for a dedicated gaming tablet.
