A pocket-sized device that recharges your phone and nostalgia levels just got a significant price reduction. The PowerBoy 2-in-1 Retro Gaming Console and Fast-Charging Power Bank is $79.99, a full $49 savings off its list price of $129, making this an easy travel upgrade for your own needs or a great gift for the gamer on the go.
It’s a hybrid device that snaps to the back of your phone, delivers 22.5W wireless charging, and entertains with a 3-inch color display and more than 1,500 preloaded retro titles.
- What You Get for the Price: Features, Value, and Perks
- Battery and Charging Insights for Daily Use and Travel
- Retro Library and Expandability for Casual Play Sessions
- How It Compares to Other Power Banks and Retro Handhelds
- Who Should Consider It: Travelers, Commuters, and Students
- Bottom Line: A Handy 2-in-1 Charger for On-the-Go Fun
It also allows you to add your own games via a TF card and includes built-in cables that can charge up to three devices simultaneously.
What You Get for the Price: Features, Value, and Perks
The draw here is versatility. With the PowerBoy, you don’t need to lug around another handheld console plus battery pack. The 5,000mAh battery provides fast top-offs for phones, earbuds, and handhelds — plus the built-in cables take the fuss out of juicing a friend’s device when you can’t find a spare cord. The wireless charging plate is a convenient touch for those moments when you want a no-cable desk or tray table setup.
Entertainment-wise, the 3-inch display is great for playing classic pixel art games, and the curated game list makes it easy to start playing editions you can always come back to. It supports TF cards, and tinkerers have space to play. This $49 discount is about a 38% savings on MSRP — something you’ll occasionally see from holiday deals on accessories.
Battery and Charging Insights for Daily Use and Travel
A 5,000mAh battery bank comes out to roughly 18.5Wh of capacity, which is generally good for about one full recharge of a modern smartphone when sized relative to your device’s battery and usage habits. Real capacity will be lower than that figure because of voltage conversion and heat; battery engineers often claim that one gets 70–80% on a real delivered capacity basis where usable (not just full, but also empty) is the measure taken, which we find in sites like Battery University.
Wireless charging is inherently a little less efficient than wired, so consider it more of a convenience when you can just stow the phone and forget about it, and rely on the built-in cables when you want to get the maximum out of each milliamp. If you’re catching a flight, the lithium-ion batteries are OK to take onboard so long as they are 100Wh or lower (and at about 18.5Wh this is obviously far below that limit), with easy packing and being cabin-ready.
Retro Library and Expandability for Casual Play Sessions
Preloaded collections like this tend to highlight 8- and 16-bit era titles that look great on small screens, with quick-hit gameplay ideal for those short airport lounge or ride-share sessions. And despite the negatives (no box art or game information), being able to import your own games through a TF card is something that will appeal to those who legally back up their owned titles. Industry organizations and preservation activists are quick to trumpet the cultural value of retro gaming as well, and the Entertainment Software Association has even acknowledged that gaming “reaches across generations” — widespread interest in this category is no coincidence.
Expect casual-friendly fun over high-end emulation. If your needs extend to super-deep modding, shader packs, or modern indie ports, there are dedicated retro handhelds — though very few that double as a power source for your phone.
How It Compares to Other Power Banks and Retro Handhelds
Where most power banks in this price tier feature capacity, often 10,000mAh and beyond, they don’t game. In contrast, lower-end retro handhelds at comparable prices provide a wider range of emulation, but are unlikely to save a dying phone at an impersonal gate. The PowerBoy splits the difference: modest capacity, decent convenience, and built-in entertainment. For commuters and travelers, that trade-off is practical.
The 22.5W wireless spec looks impressive on paper (peak speeds, of course, will depend on handset support and alignment), and it’s a clear “this way to the future” number for any compact bank. An output to three devices — a tri-device output — is another plus when a family or circle of friends need that last-minute top-up.
Who Should Consider It: Travelers, Commuters, and Students
It’s the 2-in-1 for anyone who constantly feels the push and pull of battery paranoia and just needing a moment to herself. It’s a useful travel buddy for parents rounding up kids in downtime, commuters looking for rapid sessions that don’t suck dry their phones, and students who appreciate the small throw-in-the-bag backup — and oh look at that, it charged my device while playing.
Bottom Line: A Handy 2-in-1 Charger for On-the-Go Fun
Currently $79.99 with a $49 MSRP discount, the PowerBoy 2-in-1 Retro Gaming Console and Fast-Charging Power Bank makes a smart marriage between utility and downtime relief.
It’s not going to replace a high-capacity charger or button-laden handheld, but as a tiny do-it-all device it makes a compelling argument for itself — especially on price. Like any deal, availability and pricing can change.
