These are our five common-sense recommendations for gaming on the road. Plenty of videos show people carrying giant laptops or entire consoles, which isn’t conducive to easy travel, especially with young children. This isn’t sponsored, and some links in our original video description were Amazon affiliate links. Products and prices have changed since we recorded this in 2024.
1. Backbone One mobile controller
We have the USB-C second-gen PlayStation version, which is compatible with PlayStation Remote Play and Xbox Game Pass, so it covers both. It’s small, lightweight and fits in a pocket. You can play CoD Mobile, Genshin Impact or retro games with just a phone or tablet.
2. Anker 737 power bank
This power bank can charge a laptop, phone and gaming device at the same time, delivering a true 140W over USB-C. It’s a bit heavy at 1.4 pounds, but on a recent trip to Japan it kept all our phones and laptops charged and we only had to recharge it twice. You need an equally powerful charger to recharge it, so get the 150W Anker 747 charger.
3. Nintendo Switch plus the Genki Covert Dock Mini
For us the Switch is the perfect travel console: small, compact, with great games, and it can connect to a TV. The official dock is huge, which defeats the purpose of travelling light, but the Genki Covert Dock Mini is tiny, so no more lugging the big dock and power adapter. The Switch is also great for multiplayer. On our last trip home to Puerto Rico we played Cruis’n Blast, SEGA AGES Virtua Racing and Super Mario Party with family and friends. It also has Hulu, Crunchyroll and YouTube apps, handy on a hotel TV. If you won’t dock it, the Switch Lite is a good choice.
4. Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones
The noise cancelling is phenomenal: sit right next to the airplane wing and it seems like you’re nowhere near the engines. Why not the newer XM5? The XM5 doesn’t fold into a travel case like the XM4, and the XM4 is cheaper.
5. 8BitDo Pro 2 Bluetooth controller
A travelling gamer needs a proper, robust controller. The 8BitDo Pro 2 supports Switch, PC, Android, Steam, iPhone, iPad, macOS and Apple TV, with a toggle on the back to choose. It’s a mix of a Super NES and a DualShock controller, charges over USB-C and has a 20-hour replaceable battery pack. For about $50 you get a very complete, comfortable controller. There’s a newer Hall Effect joystick version, so get that one rather than the old version.
Our travel philosophy
The less you carry, the better. Think about what you’ll actually use at your destination. Do you really need an Xbox Series S? We’ve travelled with one just to play for 30 minutes, so we know. Limit yourself to smaller items. A Steam Deck is maybe, since it’s a bit heavy but not a bad option. We also kept to devices that all charge over USB-C, so you don’t need to worry about multiple chargers.
