With handhelds getting bigger by the day, it's hard to find space for them in my pocket, even ones that say they're "pocket-friendly".
And because, as many of you know, I grew up with the PlayStation 2 being one of my most memorable consoles, it's a console that I enjoy emulating on handhelds too.
This means, however, I usually have to bring with me a slightly larger handheld in comparison to ones that focus on GAME BOY or NES emulation, for example. The TRIMUI Brick was a contender for this sling build due to my recent obsession with Pokémon ROM hacks, but I ultimately decided to go for something more "serious".
So below is a look into my daily sling, one that comes with me if I am out of the house for the day.
Labo Mono Sling
Picking a perfect sized sling is important. I have a fair few in my arsenal, the biggest being the Orbitkey Urban Sling (4L), which can fit my DSLR camera in it for work days away that require filming.
But it was too big for a day out without the camera. That is when I came across a company called Labo Mono. They create vibrant travel slings that are modular in a way, allowing you to pick colours, strap type, strap colours and a few accessories to chuck into the mix too.
I purchased their medium-sized sling in a "Gridstop Dune" colourway, with a bright orange rope and orange carabiners, coming to a total of £75.
It pops, maybe a little too much. But it's perfectly sized, fits in with my office's orange and wood aesthetics and fits a horizontal 5" handheld comfortably inside, with enough room for accessories.
The front houses a zipped pouch with enough space to hold coins, a smartphone, cables, mints, snacks and so on. It's the slot that gets used the most, in all honesty, and comes with an aluminium key hook to attach your valuable items.
The main pocket has enough space for my handheld, a battery pack, and there are two pen rings, a netted pocket, alongside a zipped netted pocket too, which can hold things more securely. It's surprising how much you can fit in this small bag.
It even comes with security laces on the inside that stop your sling from opening up fully when on the go, if you were to fully unzip it, which is a neat protective feature.
The final pocket is on the back; it's slim and designed to be stealthy. Here is where you put thin objects like passports, notepads, important documents, and maybe even cash.
All around, this is a high-quality, visually exciting sling for someone that wants a small, compact bag to carry their retro handhelds and accessories. Admittedly, it's pricey, but it's no ordinary sling, just look at the damn orange rope on this thing!
Retroid Pocket G2
The Retroid Pocket G2 is Retroid's latest handheld; it's quite simply an Android handheld built for emulating retro games and playing your higher-end Android games on a beautiful 5.5" AMOLED display.
It looks identical to their older Retroid Pocket 5, but comes with more power to help you emulate your PS2 games at 2.5x+ native resolution.
Retroid has created its own custom launcher too, which is an app that organises your ROM files into a library, allowing you to pick your console, view box art, load save states, and more, all in one place.
You can then jump out of that to explore it as an Android handheld, installing your favourites and even dabbling in some AAA cloud streaming if you don't mind viewing those big games on a small 5.5" display (it's personally a little too small for me to enjoy streaming on here, but it's there).
It's built with premium materials, has a glass front, LED hall-joysticks, and analogue triggers, paired with curved grips on the back for extra comfort.
It's one of the best retro handhelds on the market right now, and because of the 16:9 display, it can do everything you need it to, including PSP at 4x native resolution. It's truly beautiful.
It does require some initial setup, like any Android device, but it pre-installs emulators for you and just requires you to add your own ROM files via the SD card slot.
AYANEO Retro Power Pack
An accessory that unfortunately can no longer be purchased is one that went under the radar and was released by a company who build handhelds.
This is AYANEO's battery pack, built specifically to look like an old-school SNES, featuring 12,000mAh of battery, 2x USB-C ports, and a 0.9" OLED smart display, which can show power output, temperature, which ports are in use and more.
At the time, this sucker only cost $39.99 and is now my go-to portable battery pack because it fits in the palm of my hand, can charge my phone and handheld twice over, and it's nerdy!
GAMEBABY iPhone Case
To pair with the Retroid Pocket G2, my iPhone 17 has a GAMEBABY case on it, which can basically transform my iPhone into a games console with phyiscal buttons.
The case has been built to partner with the Delta Emulator, allowing you to install a skin that works with the physical buttons naturally and accurately.
The case comes in two parts, with the bottom half being able to be separated and then flipped to either gaming mode or case mode.
And you might be wondering, why I need these if I have a dedicated handheld?
You're not wrong in thinking that, but playing GAME BOY games on a 5.5" AMOLED display is a little overkill, so this combo allows me to pick at GB/GBC/GBA/NES games on my phone for a small session without pulling out the big guns.
It takes me seconds to open up my Pokémon save, and should my children want to play on my handheld, I have this as backup for myself.
It's a fun, minimal case with high-quality buttons that feel nostalgic, and the case itself offers minimal protection while making your phone look cool AF.
IINE GameBrick Mini Controller
This is a neat little accessory that I found on AliExpress for just £12. It's called the Gamebrick Mini by IINE, it's a mini Bluetooth controller designed to look like the SNES, featuring just two action buttons and a DPAD.
It lasts multiple hours on a single charge using the USB-C port and can be connected to most game consoles that offer Bluetooth controller support.
I'll be honest, it's come in use very little, and acts more like a fidget toy, but I have used it on my phone's emulators on occasion.
AirPods + GAME BOY Case
I've had these suckers for years, and I've paired them with a GAME BOY silicone case from Elago, a company that creates some fun, cheap retro accessories for modern tech.
Stationary Setup
I am also a sucker for good stationery, and I've been using the same pen for years now, which I couldn't recommend more highly.
It's called the Drehgriffel Nr. 1 by Leuchtturm1917, a German-engineered metal ballpoint pen. It's incredibly durable, looks beautiful, feels great in the hand, and the ballpoint itself can be revealed by twisting the bottom of the pen.
It's that kinda pen that will last you for years and it comes in a range of different colours to mix well with your sling.
Emergency Snack Supplies
Because this is a medium sling, there's very little space left for snacks, water bottles or crisps for example, so my choice of snacks had to be minimal.
I went for the classic peanut M&M's and Cherry Airwaves chewing gum combination. Every sling deserves a good snack, and M&M's never disappoint, especially when I've got little ones who want to share.
And that's a look at my EDC retro-gaming focused sling. A partnership of tech products and essentials that come with me on a long day out. The Retroid Pocket G2 may be overkill, but it scratches all my gaming itches when on the go!
