Our favorite Android gaming phone just got a massive update, but there’s a catch

If you’re the type of person who gets excited about new Android updates, we’ve got some good news. Two of our favorite gaming phones, the Asus ROG Phone 9 and Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, are now eligible to install the Android 16 preview program, giving anyone with those phones access to some of Google’s latest software features.

For those who don’t know, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is currently the top pick from our guide to the best gaming phones, offering top-tier performance, a lovely OLED display, and wicked fast charging times. The phone’s only real drawback is that the phone is only getting two software updates, with Android 16 being the first, while brands such as Samsung and Google Pixel are currently offering up to seven years of fresh software with their latest flagship phones.

The only caveat to updating to the Android 16 preview program is that there’s no way of going back to a stable version of Android 15 once you’ve updated your phone. That’s a pretty big deal, as beta updates often have a few bugs, so unless you’re determined to try out Android 16 for yourself, it might be worth holding out for now until the official release arrives further down the line. Failing that, be sure to link your in-game data to your Google account so you don’t lose any of your progress in any of your favorites from our guide to the best Android games if anything goes awry.

Still, if you want to give Android 16 a go on your Asus phone, you can just repeat these steps:

• Go to the Settings menu
• Go to System
• Select System update
• Tap the cog in the top-right corner of the screen
• Select the option to ‘enroll in Android preview program.

For more on the latest hardware, be sure to check out our guides to the best handheld consoles, including the Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck OLED, and the best gaming tablets. Or, if you’re more of an Apple power user, see our picks for the best iPhones and the best iPads for gaming ahead of the anticipated September launch of the new iPhone 17 series.