Discover the top guns in FPS mobile gaming

Not all mobile ports and adaptations are created equal, even if big names are attached to the project. First-person shooter mobile games are always measured against how superior the performance and smooth the controls feel while playing. It's already tough to stack up to games that don't provide controller support since you can't test your favorite Android gaming controller to see if you can take your running and gunning to the next level. That's not to say touch-controls cannot be optimized for mobile play to compete against those with a controller, which is why we have rounded up some of the best FPS games on the platform, including titles with controller support and without — which FPS game will you be adding to your Android library?

One of the best controller-supported Android games, and thankfully the touch controls are no slouch either. Doom is clearly a classic, and it can be seen as the father of FPS games. Essentially, it's the game that defined and revolutionized the entire genre. So if you're into retro gaming and want to experience a famous classic on your Android device, the first Doom game is by far one of the best choices on the platform. The 25th-anniversary rerelease (Play Store version) includes "The Flesh Consumed" expansion, and high framerates are supported for a smooth-as-silk experience.

You can't argue that Call of Duty Mobile is leading the pack as one of the best FPS games on Android; it has reached over 500 million downloads since its release in 2019. The game is already a few years old, but it's still going strong. In general, FPS games tend to age poorly as they tend to evolve with newer hardware, and your expectations for games begin to heighten; why dish out hundreds of dollars for a new phone for your games to play on the same graphics and have the same performance as your old phone? Call of Duty Mobile never suffered from this issue. It was already ahead of its time and has developed a massive following; you can fully expect a full-course meal for all the game modes found in Call of Duty Mobile, from zombies to battle royale, along with other modes that made it from the previous games, like team deathmatch with a ton of classic maps. It's an all-in-one package deal, and it's great.

To finally see Apex Legends reach mobile was super exciting; Apex Legends has always been known to provide a solid battle royale experience, from the constant addition of legends bringing more depth and strategy to the usual run, gun, and loot battle royale gameplay. Your legends offer traits and special abilities that provide an edge in a fight, but nothing too crazy that'll skew the balance for the entire match. The movement and gameplay feel exceptionally smooth, which inherently doesn't look too different from what you'd see on console and PC, making this a viable port to Android. Newcomers looking to get started will enjoy Apex Legends Mobile exclusives, like playing as mobile-exclusive legends you can't find on the other versions.

We can't talk about PUBG Mobile and not mention the sister game, PUBG: New State. Comparatively, PUBG: New State is just as good and, in some ways, more optimized for mobile. But age and content separate PUBG Mobile from New State. New State is much newer than PUBG Mobile and still has the potential to overtake the spot that PUBG Mobile currently holds; PUBG Mobile is the veteran battle royale between the two and has a more extensive player base. PUBG is known for bringing in an intricate weapon upgrading system (New State also has weapon customization). Once New State catches up to PUBG Mobile, it'll be even more challenging to see which game deserves the spotlight. Until then, PUBG Mobile is where most are currently playing.

Closer to CS: GO style of FPS than Call of Duty. It is what CS: GO would be on mobile (unofficially). You can collect weapon skins, play single-player and multiplayer (including ranked), join clans and sell your skins in the marketplace. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, considering how CS: GO gameplay is much slower-paced than the standard arcade-style FPS, requiring a lot of patience while traversing small maps to take out your opponents. Going in full force without a plan is the fastest way to forfeit the match, which means practice is very much key to tackling Standoff 2 long term.

Dead Effect 2 is primarily a single-player zombie FPS game that is quite faithful to the genre, resembles a bit of Dead Space, and is certainly not afraid to show blood and gore to set up the chilling atmosphere where players attempt to survive a zombie apocalypse. The storyline is decent (though not for the faint of heart) and offers enough polish to sometimes feel like a console title. You can jump straight into Dead Effect 2 without playing the first Dead Effect game, which you'll probably want to do since it's a sizeable upgrade from the first game.

Excellent gameplay, smooth movement, and satisfying gunplay are all ingredients that make up a high-quality FPS game. Unfortunately, Combat Master Mobile lacks on the content side, but the core gameplay still holds up really well. The game offers a few multiplayer modes like battle royale, quick play, and team deathmatch. Overall, this title resembles Call of Duty Mobile, a decent standard to meet if you're looking for something a little smaller and less stressful.

Another great unofficial CS: GO clone for mobile. Updated seasonally, including a critical pass, thematic mini modes, limited edition skins, and frequent updates. Outside of seasonal content, there are plenty of weapon skins to earn, custom game modes, team deathmatch, and ranked. The game has already reached over 96 million downloads. You can tell that there's a lot of care put into Critical Ops; you'll see the developers releasing updates to the game through their social media channels (such as Youtube and Reddit) and are always looking at ways to improve anti-cheating, fix bugs, and improve stability. After all, trust between the developers and the community is what keeps games alive, and this one is thriving.

Playing games on mobile offers ups and downs, where dealing with aggressive monetization practices, poorly optimized ports, and a lack of invested developers often outweighs AAA titles. But this doesn't mean we don't have any gaming gems on Android to experience; it just takes a bit of trial and error to find the best titles within a genre, like FPS games, to suit your needs, which is precisely why we are here to help. So hopefully, our roundup offers a worthwhile head start finding those gems.

Faith writes guides, how-tos, and roundups on the latest Android games and apps for Android Police. You’ll find her writing about the newest free-to-play game to hit Android, or compiling explainer guides on popular social networking apps like Twitch and Discord. Her area of expertise is in action RPGs and gacha games, but will play and study the occasional competitive shooter. Before joining Android Police, Faith studied Chemistry and graduated with an honors specialization in Chemistry in 2016; leading her to spending many hours toiling around the lab during her time spent as an undergraduate, eventually developing her analytical mindset to dissect and dissemble information and data to arrive at an answer. Her favorite pastime was writing reports, presentations, tutorials, and literature reviews, which led to her pursuing a career in writing after completing a graduate certificate in technical writing. Faith’s first Android phone was Samsung Galaxy Note II in 2012, giving her a taste of how a small piece of powerful hardware can open anyone up to endless opportunities for your favorite hobbies. She’s also been a gamer for over 20 years, starting with Super Mario Bros. on the NES; she has owned over 15 devices for gaming ranging from handhelds to consoles. Now with her analytical mindset, passion for writing, and core identity as a gamer, she can finally chase her dreams as a technical writer and gaming journalist. Nowadays, you’ll find Faith studying spreadsheets and assembling data to theorycraft new teams and builds for Genshin Impact. You’ll also see her trying to dig deep to discover Android gaming’s most hidden gems.