Review: GAEMS G155 Portable Gaming System

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Back at E3 of this year, I wandered in to what I like to call the “doldrums.” The little booths filled with smaller companies, people attempting to get you to sign up for a credit card amid all the hoopla and confusion.

Once in awhile, you’ll stumble upon something interesting - as was the case with GAEMS G155 Portable Entertainment System. And while I was immediately impressed with the design of this case, and I still am, I can’t shake the price tag or get past the lack of practicality with the G155.

The G155 is designed quite well. It’s about the size of a 1970s suitcase and has various padding and such to keep your system all nice and cozy. The case is built out of a strong, durable plastic that’s supremely useful for travel whether you’re a Major League Gamer or someone who, for some odd reason, can’t go without playing video games for five days. The lack of a shoulder strap is something that I’m still scratching my head about - as carrying around the case with all of my other baggage was a bit cumbersome.

The HD screen is absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t say enough good things about it for its size. While it is certainly not going to replace the screen on your massive gaming rig at home, it’s a good substitute. And while the G155 doesn’t produce the most booming sound, you’ll probably want to stick to using a headset like the ASTRO A40s or a Turtle Beach if you’re gaming in public. Luckily, there are two headphone jacks so you can play with a friend - unless, you know, you want to be that guy who plays on this thing alone.

Despite all of this, there’re a few things that hold me back in recommending this to the casual gamer. First: the price. At GameStop, the unit costs $279.99. Ouch. You’re basically paying the price of a game console, to be able to play the game console outside of your house. Second: practicality. I would imagine this would be a wonderful thing to have on the road with you if say you were a WWE Superstar or a serious MLGer, but with the 3DS, Vita, iPhone and Android devices all providing more-than-adequate gaming experiences, it’s hard to see where exactly this product fits into the average gamer’s ensemble. Perhaps those glorious midnight launches? But then, you’d have to hope there was an outlet nearby.

With peripherals, it’s always hard to assign a numerical score to a review. The same can be said for games. Throwing out arbitrary numbers really doesn’t make much sense. So for the G155 we’re going to have to say that it’s a not smart investment for the casual gamer, and a “maybe” for the road warrior.

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