Gaming On the Go – 5 Great Portable Video Games to Play on Vacation
Unless you break out the cargo shorts, even the Nintendo Switch won’t fit into your pocket. Unlike these portable video games.
We’ve all been there before, sitting in a waiting room, or at a bus stop. After you’ve finished doom-scrolling through Twitter, you need something to take the edge off. These are 5 portable gaming consoles that truly fit in your pocket.
Playdate
The first one on the list is a bit of a cheat since it’s not out yet. But it’s a really exciting and innovative little gadget that is currently on pre-order. It’s called Playdate.
The basic idea behind Playdate is to offer a weekly rotation of games. The console updates itself automatically and delivers brand new games each week. The games will be from plenty of different designers, genres, themes, etc. Games aren’t deleted from week to week, so it’s just a constantly increasing library!
The software development kit means that aspiring game developers can create their own games for Playdate, including a pixel art designer. If you’re the sort of person who is always looking for games on places like itch.io, Playdate is for you. In fact, itch.io has games specifically designed to be available to sideload onto Playdate!
Game Boy Phone Case
Why play games on your phone when you can play games… on your phone?! There’s a wide selection of options available, depending on your phone size. This model offers 36 retro titles like Mario, ExciteBike, and Contra.
Some of the user reviews say the buttons aren’t always the best, so don’t expect any high-level gameplay. But for a casual experience to kill a few minutes and a few aliens, it’s not a bad way to go.
Nintendo Game & Watch
I’ve been a long-time Legend of Zelda fan – since the very first game. So when they announced the Legend of Zelda Game & Watch last year, I knew I needed to pick one up myself.
I started with a playthrough of Zelda II, but got to Death Mountain and decided to move on to Link’s Awakening. The console is small, I won’t sugar coat it. If you’ve got big hands, this might be a tough sell for you. There were several times when I misclicked on the D-pad and ran in the wrong direction.
Still, the sound was clear and strong, and the screen can get very bright. Overall, I’m very happy with the purchase and the clock feature is very entertaining. There is also a Mario one if that’s more your style.
Razer Phone Controller Add-On
Why reinvent the wheel when someone has already reinvented it already? Mobile games are a huge market and there are tons of great ones out there. This little accessory snaps onto your phone turning it into a fully-fledged portable video games console. It’s available for Android or iPhone. Also in different button layouts, depending on your preference.
No longer is the idea of trying to play Fortnite or Fall Guys on the phone a laughable experience. With this accessory, you’ll be topping the charts for those victory royales, no matter the platform.
Haihuang Portable Game Console
This is the Haihuang RG351V Handheld Game Console. According to the product description, it perfectly supports many different game formats.
Getting the system running, as you might expect, could require a few YouTube videos. But if you’re the sort of person who will find a way to play games however they can, this is a great way to do just that.
