Remember when your biggest worry was keeping your phone charged, and your greatest joy was sneaking in a few rounds of Tetris during your lunch break? Well, someone in Japan just figured out how to give you both at the same time, and honestly, it’s kind of genius.
Oscar Japan Inc. has introduced the Mobile BOY, a portable power bank that doubles as a fully functional retro gaming console, giving you something to do while you wait for your dead phone to charge. Think of it as the love child between your old Game Boy and that emergency charger you keep in your purse.
Designer: Oscar Japan
Built into the back of this 5,000mAh MagSafe-compatible battery is a complete gaming system loaded with 300 retro titles that don’t require WiFi or any internet connection. No downloads, no updates, no wondering if you have enough data left. Just pure, simple gaming whenever boredom strikes.
The design is wonderfully nostalgic without trying too hard. While the name blatantly cribs from the Nintendo Game Boy, its layout mirrors classic handheld consoles from the ’80s and ’90s, with directional buttons on the left and command controls on the right. It fits in your pocket, looks sleek enough to pull out in public, and the rounded edges make it comfortable to hold during those longer gaming sessions.
What makes this particularly clever is how practical it is. The 5,000mAh capacity handles most modern smartphones for a single full charge, and it works with any device that supports wireless charging. For iPhone users with MagSafe, it snaps right onto the back of your phone magnetically. Android users aren’t left out either, as long as your phone has wireless charging capabilities.
A tiny screen on the bottom left displays battery percentage, and when the power bank itself needs juice, it charges via USB-C. There are also two small speakers for game audio, and a wrist strap attachment on the upper right side so you can game without worrying about dropping it. It’s these little details that show someone actually thought about how people would use this thing in real life. Color options include silver, pink, and black, each with a black display background for easy reading. The pink option is particularly appealing for those of us tired of tech that only comes in masculine colors. It weighs just 3.63 ounces, so it won’t weigh down your bag or pocket.
Here’s the catch, though. The Mobile BOY is currently available through Oscar Japan’s crowdfunding campaign, with early-bird pricing starting around ¥8,400 ($56) and general release pricing at ¥8,960 ($60). Delivery is expected in December, initially focusing on the Japanese market with potential international expansion. So if you’re outside Japan, you might need to wait a bit or use a forwarding service.
For retro gaming collectors, this hits differently than most tech gadgets. It’s not trying to be the most powerful gaming device or hold the most charge. Instead, it’s solving a very specific problem: what do you do when you’re waiting for your phone to charge and you’re bored out of your mind? The answer, apparently, is to play the same games that kept you entertained in middle school. At around $60, it’s affordable enough that you don’t need to justify it as a serious tech investment. It’s more like treating yourself to something fun that also happens to be useful. And in a world where most gadgets are either purely practical or purely entertaining, finding one that manages to be both feels like a small victory.
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