15 Must-Have Handheld Gaming Accessories That Won’t Break The Bank

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Whether you want spending hours in your handheld console or choose enjoying your favourite titles in your smartphone, there are equipment that may make gaming much more snug and will even offer you an edge over your opponents. There are a ton of choices on the market, although, with various worth factors, so that you may need some issue selecting which of them to purchase. After all, you do not need to waste your cash getting one thing that seems to be ineffective and even detrimental to your gaming expertise.

So, these are some equipment that you’re going to admire including to your telephone or handheld that may assist make gaming extra handy and cozy. I’ve personally owned and used a number of of the gadgets right here for years now, so I can vouch for his or her usefulness. Other gadgets have been beforehand featured right here on SlashGear. Although we’re not itemizing particular gadgets, we’ll prepare them roughly from least expensive to most costly, with the priciest equipment coming in at about $120. That approach, you could find an adjunct or two you can afford, it doesn’t matter what funds you’ve gotten.

You won’t suppose a lot of finger sleeves, however they’re really nice for avid gamers preferring enjoying on their smartphones. In reality, Razer, which is understood for making gaming computer systems and equipment, launched the Razer Gaming Finger Sleeve. These gadgets go over your fingers, with some avid gamers saying that their capacity to soak up sweat ensures that your telephone doesn’t miss any presses you make on the display. Aside from that, they are saying they cut back friction, making it simpler to your thumb to glide over the display and stop stuttering actions.

The Razer finger sleeve is sort of costly, although, at $19.99 for a pack of two; and that is not counting transport prices. On the opposite hand, we noticed the OniAim Gaming Finger Sleeves on Amazon, which is simply $12.99 for a pack of six. This means you’ll be able to put them on each your thumbs and index fingers, and have two additional sleeves prepared to make use of in case you lose one or put them within the wash.

Many customers purchase a display protector for his or her telephone as quickly as they get it, and gaming handheld consoles deserve the identical remedy, too. Aside from defending the display from cracks and scratches, it may possibly additionally cut back the probabilities of glass fragments from scattering in case you break the show. This is precisely the rationale why Nintendo says you shouldn’t take away the display protector layer of the Switch 2. Unfortunately, not all handhelds include a built-in display protector.

In reality, the Steam Deck, which arguably began the trendy handheld PC gaming revolution, didn’t include a display protector. While most avid gamers won’t use and abuse their handheld consoles, including a display protector is only a prudent thought because it offers your console extra safety in case you drop it or drop something on it. While a couple of customers argue towards the concept of putting in one, saying that Valve already used tempered glass for the Steam Deck and that additional safety would scale back the sensitivity of the touchscreen, display protectors just like the Jsaux 2-pack screen protector for the Steam Deck is so low cost, at simply $9.99, that it is completely definitely worth the added safety.

If you have already got a terrific controller that works with PCs and need to swap over to cell gaming, a controller smartphone mount may be a superb accent to get you began. That approach, you’ll be able to simply reuse your current gaming peripherals to your telephone as an alternative of buying one other one, which is nice when you have a relatively costly controller. These adapters are additionally fairly low cost, like this Universal Xbox Controller Clip, costing simply $14.99.

A controller smartphone mount or clip will provide help to play comfortably, because it retains your telephone mounted immediately above the controller. That means you do not have to discover a flat floor or a stand to position the telephone on, making it notably helpful in the event you’re enjoying in a spot with out an accessible desk, like in a automobile or on a prepare. Some adapters additionally allow you to cost your telephone or connect wired earbuds whereas gaming with out the cable getting in the best way.

Audio is necessary in gaming. Aside from making it immersive, it may possibly additionally offer you clues and cues as to the place your opponents are coming from. And whereas a couple of choose their sounds to come back from a top-rated speaker, that may be disturbing to different folks, particularly in the event you play in public, like on a bus, prepare, or airplane.

While a pair of a few of the perfect wi-fi earbuds are nice for listening to music, they generally have a small lag, which could be distracting when gaming. If you need to keep away from that, the perfect resolution can be to make use of wired earbuds that join bodily to your gadget. This ensures that you simply immediately hear all the pieces that is occurring on the display, and can even provide help to avoid wasting battery by letting you flip off your telephone’s Bluetooth throughout lengthy gaming classes. They’re additionally fairly inexpensive, with in style selections just like the Apple EarPods solely costing $19 on Amazon.

Many avid gamers choose utilizing controllers when enjoying, however they could possibly be expensive and require charging. Wireless fashions additionally typically join through Bluetooth to your smartphone, consuming additional battery energy, and a few video games, like “Call of Duty: Mobile”, would solely pair you with different gamers which have the identical management scheme. If you need to keep away from all these limitations, think about getting this $21.99 game pad trigger from Amazon.

Although it has the identical idea as clip-on cell gaming triggers, this accent holds your telephone in a cradle much like Backbone-style smartphone controllers. This ensures that your telephone is securely held within the controller and likewise comes with palm grips, to make lengthy gaming classes extra snug. Aside from that, it replaces the buttons on clip-on equipment with correct triggers, making it far simpler and extra ergonomic to make use of, particularly in FPS video games. I’ve personally used this accent to win matches on Call of Duty: Mobile, and whereas it could look bizarre, I can say that it really works effectively and is an efficient different to a few of the finest gaming controllers for Android with out breaking the financial institution.

Many of us place our telephones and tablets in a case and canopy them with a display protector, which is greater than sufficient safety for many day-to-day eventualities. However, we can not say the identical for handheld consoles, particularly as they’ve thumb sticks and different buttons that may be by accident pressed in your bag. Even in the event you put a protecting case round your handheld, the controls in your gaming gadget can nonetheless be pressed and moved while you simply chuck it in together with your different belongings. This may result in untimely put on of the gadget’s joysticks, resulting in points like stick drift. While you’ll be able to repair minor points by way of cleansing, recalibration, and useless zone adjustment, you may must restore or exchange your console’s management sticks if the problem is unhealthy sufficient.

You may discover directions on-line on easy methods to repair this challenge for nearly any gadget, together with for the Nintendo Switch. However, it will be higher if you did not have to take care of the problem in any respect through the use of a carrying case. This accent ensures that there is at all times a clear and protected place you can put your controller in, and it’ll additionally stop its controls from being moved whereas it is in your bag. They additionally do not price very a lot, with the Jsaux Carrying Case, suitable with a number of units, solely costing $25.99 on Amazon.

Most folks purchase handheld gaming consoles due to the portability of those units. But there may be a couple of instances while you’re at residence, and also you merely need to play on a bigger display whereas mendacity in mattress or sitting on a sofa. So, when you have among the finest TVs for enjoying Xbox or PlayStation however do not need to spend cash on a console which retains receiving large worth hikes, why not simply get a docking station to your handheld gadget as an alternative?

Prices for a docking station might fluctuate, particularly when you have a Nintendo Switch 2, which regularly doesn’t work effectively with third-party docks. But when you have handheld gaming PCs, just like the Steam Deck, you’ll be able to simply discover an inexpensive dock for simply $20 or $30. For instance, this $29.99 Jsaux Docking Station helps you to join a 4K monitor to your Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Legion Go, or MSI Claw handheld through an HDMI port. It additionally presents an Ethernet port and a number of other USB ports to attach different gaming peripherals, like mouse and keyboard, to your handheld, turning it into a light-weight gaming PC.

Handheld gaming consoles with built-in controls are nice for gaming on the go, however they don’t seem to be for everybody. So, in the event you choose enjoying in your smartphone however nonetheless need a comparable management scheme, the smartphone gaming controller is for you. There are many various variations of this gadget in the marketplace, however we choose ones that join on to your smartphone through the USB-C in order that you do not have to take care of Bluetooth latency and charging one other gadget.

We’ve reviewed the GameSir X2S Type-C earlier this 12 months and located it to be mild and compact whereas remaining versatile, straightforward to make use of, and inexpensive, at simply $46. We’ve additionally discovered newer variations of this controller with the GameSir X5 Lite, which is even cheaper at simply $34.99 on Amazon. But if none of those take your fancy, take a look at our checklist of inexpensive alternate options to the Backbone Gaming Controller.

While touchscreens provide a variety of flexibility relating to gaming, they’re nonetheless not as tactile as bodily switches you could find on gaming controllers. So, to resolve this, you will get mechanical clip-on cell gaming triggers that connect to the highest of the display. These shoulder triggers connect to the highest of your telephone or pill and faucet on the display while you press the set off. Note that the set off and button are mechanically linked, so that you needn’t pair it together with your telephone or cost it while you’re utilizing it. They’re additionally fairly transportable, so you’ll be able to simply slip them in your bag or pocket after which connect them to your gadget while you need to play a match.

With this accent put in, you simply must remap the motion buttons in your sport to the realm in your display that the set off presses on. That approach, you’ll be able to simply use your index and center fingers to press the buttons on the triggers and activate the actions without having to hunt for the tiny icons in your telephone display. OnePlus launched its personal model of this gaming set off, however evidently it’s now not in manufacturing. You can get the Bigbig Won Gaming Triggers on Amazon as an alternative, which price $35.99.

Smartphones have gotten much more highly effective lately, with fashions just like the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung S25 Ultra providing a ton of efficiency in such a small bundle. But as a result of these units are constructed with portability in thoughts, they typically would not have the perfect cooling, particularly when in comparison with bulkier handheld consoles with built-in followers. So, in the event you plan to have lengthy gaming classes in your telephone, a cellphone cooler can do wonders to your efficiency.

The RedMagic VC Cooler 6 Air is a $44.90 magnetic fan that snaps on to the again of your gadget to offer it extra cooling. Even in case your telephone would not have MagSafe or include a magnetic case, you’ll be able to nonetheless use it through the included attachment clip to assist cool your telephone. RedMagic says that it may possibly reliably deliver your telephone to 77 levels Fahrenheit, and that the gadget itself can go as little as 26 levels, which must be sufficient to cease your telephone from overheating and throttling efficiency, even in the event you play all day lengthy.

If you actually need to deliver the sensation of console gaming to your smartphone, a Bluetooth controller is the perfect accent for you. A Bluetooth sport controller is without doubt one of the cool devices you should utilize together with your Android telephone, and it additionally works with the iPhone, as I’ve examined with my GuliKit KingKong 2, which prices $49.89 on Amazon. While this nonetheless doesn’t ship the texture of a mechanical keyboard and a gaming mouse, you continue to get a greater gaming expertise versus simply enjoying together with your telephone display.

The main draw back with that is that it is a cumbersome accent that you will have to maintain in your bag. But in the event you’re into console gaming and need to have some sport time whereas in transit, then it is definitely worth the problem of bringing it round. And as a result of most Bluetooth controllers hook up with different Bluetooth units, you might be able to use it to your PC and consoles, too.

While smartphones, tablets, and handheld consoles have for much longer battery life in comparison with years in the past, you would nonetheless run out after a couple of hours of gaming. That’s why we suggest maintaining a slim quick charger with you — that approach, you’ll be able to cost up your gaming gadget wherever there’s an open outlet, permitting you to play for longer as soon as you’ve got topped up your gadget’s battery.

Of course, it is inconvenient to lug round an enormous charger with you, so as an alternative of choosing a large energy brick, we as an alternative suggest a slim USB charger with a foldable plug. One good instance is the Ugreen Nexode Pro 65W Slim, which is obtainable on Amazon for $55.99, though it is typically on sale for lower than $45. It will get fairly heat while you’re utilizing it, however it’s no bigger than a deck of playing cards, and comes with two USB-C and a USB-A port. It additionally has a most output of 65 W, which is greater than sufficient to quick cost a telephone and even some handheld consoles.

There are instances when it is simply not potential to plug into an influence outlet while you get a low battery warning in your gaming gadget. When this occurs to you, an influence financial institution will probably be a lifesaver. These units vary between 5,000 mAh and 50,000 mAh in capability, with most transportable fashions coming in at 10,000 mAh, which must be greater than sufficient to offer a telephone one full cost.

Power banks can even cost handheld consoles just like the Steam Deck, supplying you with additional minutes of gameplay. It will rely on the console what number of extra minutes of battery life you will get with one 10,000 mAh energy financial institution, however some units just like the Nintendo Switch have a battery capability that is much like a smartphone, so anticipate the identical recharging capability. Decent fashions just like the Share Icemag 2 we have reviewed costs around $70 on Amazon, a superb worth for a gadget like this that you should utilize for a number of units.

Many Bluetooth earbuds have unacceptable latency relating to gaming, that is why many customers — particularly these into fast-paced, high-intensity video games — don’t love utilizing the typical pair when going right into a match. But in the event you insist on wi-fi expertise due to its comfort and for watching motion pictures and listening to music, you’d want a superb pair of wi-fi earbuds. While we now have an inventory of the perfect Bluetooth headphones, we can not suggest them immediately as a result of we do not know if their latency is sweet sufficient for gaming.

Instead, you must check out earbuds which were particularly made for low latency, just like the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro. This pair of earbuds solely price $79.99, however Razer claims that it has a 60 ms latency when gaming mode is activated. Although the corporate presents a more recent mannequin with 2.4 GHz connection through a dongle, alongside Bluetooth 5.3, it prices over $160, placing it out of attain of our $120 funds.

Most telephones now not include expandable reminiscence, so you can not use a microSD card if you wish to set up a ton of video games on them. But when you have a handheld console with a microSD slot, then a microSD card is a no brainer improve for a lot of gamers. The additional storage would permit them to put in extra video games, decreasing the necessity to always uninstall previous titles simply so you’ve gotten the area to put in new ones. If you’ll be able to afford to get the best capability microSD card you should purchase immediately, then you would doubtlessly obtain your whole library on to your handheld.

But even when that’s out of attain for you, we discovered this high-quality 512 GB Lexar Play Pro microSD card for just $119.99 on Amazon. You may most likely discover cheaper microSD playing cards from different respected manufacturers, too, however at all times get those with a velocity ranking of A2 and above to keep away from encountering loading velocity points together with your video games.

I selected all these gaming equipment primarily based alone expertise enjoying on smartphones and different handheld units for a number of years now. I’ve additionally personally reviewed a number of of these things and owned extra of them. As for the remaining, we thought of the experiences of different SlashGear writers, and we have linked to a few of the gadgets we have reviewed as effectively. Each of these things prices lower than $100, and all are at the moment accessible for buy.