Replace Your Boring Keychain With These 5 Tiny Gaming Handhelds

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Over the years, handheld consoles have just gotten bigger and bigger. Back in the days of the Game Boy Advance SP or PlayStation Portable, it would be tough to imagine hefty handhelds like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck. But that doesn't mean that gaming has to be all huge, clunky devices that need their own compartment in your bag. In fact, there are plenty of perfectly portable retro-inspired consoles to choose from right now, including a fun assortment of tiny little keychain gadgets you can sling on your keys to take anywhere with you.

As you've probably already guessed, you won't be able to play anything especially out-there or intensive on one of these tiny handhelds. But they are really adorable — and surprisingly functional, meaning you won't need to worry about getting caught anywhere without something to do. There's also a remarkable amount of variety out there, insofar as they aren't all loaded with the same games or features. Some even offer significant customization and have fun communities built around them, giving you something to do even when you aren't actually gaming on your new device.

If trawling through libraries of homebrew games or DIY creations isn't your cup of tea, then there are still some options for you. Plenty of tiny gaming handhelds out there are themed around classic retro games you probably already know and love, like "Tetris," "Pac-Man," and an assortment of Atari arcade games.

TinyCircuit's Thumby is a truly tiny keychain gadget with a twist. As you'd generally expect from a device like this, it comes preloaded with a handful of monochrome games, including riffs on "Pong," "Snake," and simplistic takes on side-scrollers, shooters, and RPGs. But it also lets you program your own tiny, playable games and transfer them to your console. 

Using the manufacturer's In-Browser Code Editor software, you can program simple, 2D games written in Python. Anything you create will work through MicroPython, an implementation of the programming language made for microcontrollers. Something fun about this is that it gives you the chance to learn your way around a new skill (or to hone one you already have, if you're already a keen programmer) as well as giving you something to play with. There's tons of official documentation, tutorials, and code examples available, making it easy to learn on your own. Alternatively, if making your own games isn't your idea of fun, then you can also play other community creations on your device. With a link cable, you can even play with friends.

When it comes to size, the Thumby really lives up to its name. It's just over an inch long and less than an inch wide, so it clips onto your keys without adding bulk. That has its downsides, though, as the D-pad and two action buttons could be a little tricky to press. You won't get hours of comfortable gaming out of it, but it's charming and fun nonetheless. Or, if you prefer a higher-spec option, you can opt for the Thumby Color instead.

If the Thumby is reminiscent of the Game Boy and the Thumby Color of the Game Boy Advance, then the cute, clamshell FunKey S is like a distant, even tinier relative of the Game Boy Advance SP. The FunKey runs a little differently, though; it's a pocket-sized emulation device that you can use to run all kinds of different consoles. Examples include the PlayStation 1, Game Gear, multiple generations of the Game Boy, several Sega consoles, and more. 

Because it's an emulation device, the FunKey S won't come with any commercial, licensed games pre-loaded, so it isn't exactly a "grab and go" gadget. However, it does come loaded with a collection of homebrew and DIY games, so you won't be left without anything to do. You can also easily add your own games using legally acquired ROMs from your computer via a USB micro cable, so your options can stretch as far as the console's software and hardware can handle.

The fun, flip-top design isn't just an aesthetic option, either. The FunKey S has an instant play feature, meaning it knows when you shut or open the screen. It uses that information to save your game, shut down the console and pick up where you left off the next time you open it. That's pretty handy in general, but especially with a device that's designed to be used on the move, when you might suddenly need to snap it shut at the end of your commute or when interrupted while out.

"Tetris" is a great game to keep nearby. Besides being a fun, tried-and-true way to pass the time, research suggests that playing it might even help protect your mental health. So why not add a bespoke player to your keychain, so you can grab it whenever you want?

The Tetris Pixel Player is an officially licensed, battery-operated handheld gaming device and keychain packed with 11 games, a full-color LCD screen, and all the buttons you could need to play the iconic puzzler. It's a colorful device, with each button clearly making the most of "Tetris's" vivid color scheme in bright shades of blue, red, and orange. Admittedly, at just over $20, the keychain costs more than playing with an app on your phone, but its retro design also makes it a charming accessory. 

At just under two inches wide and four inches tall, you can still easily fit it into your jeans or jacket pockets when you aren't playing. The small overall size naturally means you compromise on screen size somewhat; it's only 1.8" across, and as a result, the actual space you can play on is rather limited. So, you won't want to get too sucked into lining up those colorful rows unless you enjoy eyestrain. However, it makes up for that lack of comfort by letting you take the game with you anywhere on the go.

Atari created many classic, household-name games from years past. Among them are "Centipede," "Millipede," and "Crystal Castles," which you can play wherever you go using this unique mini retro game gadget. This Atari Keychain Gamer runs on three triple-A batteries to bring the trio of classic games to a teeny 2", 240 by 320 resolution TFT LCD screen.

The handheld includes a full interface, including a D-pad, two action buttons, and start and select buttons. There are also volume controls on the side, so you can choose to listen to each game's soundtrack (or avoid irritating anyone else on your bus). It finishes with a retro "Centipede"-themed design, so it looks fun on your keychain even when you aren't playing it. 

As you might expect from a small, budget device (it only costs $30) the keychain has its limitations. For example, Super Micro's small screen can make it hard to see exactly what you're doing. The aforementioned centipedes and millipedes are incredibly tiny, which could make it trickier. Still, that small size is exactly what makes it so portable.

"Asteroids," "Gravitar," or "Yars' Revenge" more your speed? There's also an official Atari Keychain Gamer for them, too. Alternatively, you can grab other, non-Atari Super Micros made by the same company, including a "Space Invaders" edition and one themed all around "BurgerTime". Each version is largely the same technically and comes packaged with three individual games.

When you think of retro gaming, you probably picture "Pac-Man" pretty quickly. It's hard not to; his golden, orb-like appearance, neon ghost nemeses, and waka-waka sound effects go hand in hand with retro gaming. So, it's hard to go wrong with a fun, quirky keychain that brings a simplified version of the arcade game with you alongside your keys.

Fizz Creation's "Pac-Man" Keychain Game is a fairly basic handheld, reminiscent of something you'd be lucky to find in a cereal box in the '90s. Nonetheless, it's cute, convenient, and certainly cheap, with a price tag just shy of $20. Its LCD screen offers a clear but simplistic black-and-white display. With that in mind, you can't expect to immediately know whether you're being chased by Blinky, Pinky, Inky, or Clyde, but you probably can expect it to make the most of its two AA battery power supply — which is invaluable if you mostly find yourself playing it while waiting for a train, appointment, or meeting while out and about.

Fizz Creations also offers several other fun retro-themed handhelds you can use as a replacement for your regular keychain. If "Pac-Man" isn't your thing, then the other themes you can choose from include "Asteroids," "Commando," and perhaps most surprisingly, the ICEE Polar Bear mascot. Like the Super Micro Keychain Gamers, they're all officially licensed. Just be sure to pick the versions with a keychain attached, and not the company's similar, regular handheld mini consoles, as they don't come with a clip. 

Surprisingly, there are a lot of mini gaming handhelds are on the market. To narrow our search, we kept a few things in mind. First, we made sure any products we picked were functional; we left out anything purely decorative. As a consequence, any cute, Game Boy-shaped or PSP-themed keychains were off the cards.

Second, we made sure every product came with some kind of keychain hook clip, carabiner, or similar fastener. That way, you don't need to modify or add accessories to your handheld to put it on your chain; you can just clip it on. Third, we only picked devices small enough to fit in a bag or larger jacket pocket. Otherwise, your keychain could easily become more of a hindrance than a way to find your keys and show off some personality.

Lastly, we were also selective about which products we highlighted so we wouldn't show too many devices that were basically the same thing. For example, we didn't include multiple Atari keychain handhelds as separate entries (even though plenty of them exist) since they would effectively be duplicates of one another. Similarly, we were careful not only to pick handhelds with pre-loaded games, but also a couple of options you could load games onto yourself, like the FunKey S and the Thumby.