One of first major gaming accessories I purchased, back in high school, was an Alienware backpack. It felt so official – a big, bulky, black behemoth made just to lug around my gaming laptop. Back then, I didn’t realize that a) gaming laptops are a bad personal investment and that b) there really wasn’t much special about the bag aside from the size and branding. But it didn’t matter – I felt cool, and that was worth lugging it around.
Now, about a decade later, I finally got my hands on another gaming backpack. This time, though, the advantages went way beyond a snazzy Alienware emblem and a bit of extra space to cram my garbage in. No, the Mobile Edge Core Gaming Backpack is a beast built for a very specific type of gearhead. For those types, it’s mostly a success.
The Core Gaming Backpack is a practically endless abyss of pockets, pouches, and zippers, with seemingly enough storage space to pack your whole life up and run away in the night if need be. You’re looking at four main pockets for your laptop, keyboards, and whatever else your want to shove in there. You’ve also got four side pouches, which provide ample room for gaming mice, smartphones, PS Vitas, whatever. Those last two things are also a great fit, as well, as the Core Gaming Backpack has a special spot for universal powerbanks and an external USB ChargePort. Need to charge your phone, or keep your Vita on for those marathon travel sessions of Hatsune Miku Project Diva F2? Mobile Edge has got you covered.
Unlike a lot of these products, Mobile Edge has also placed a pretty big emphasis on comfort. Despite being a rather large, intimidating monolith of a thing, there are really snazzy back panel pads and padded shoulder straps to make travelling with this thing more bearable. Which is good, because even without stuff in it, this thing’s pretty heavy, and a bit cumbersome to carry around in your day-to-day life. When you’ve got it fully loaded up with a laptop, keyboard, mouse mat, and USB powerbank, though? It’s rough, and not something you’d want to take everywhere with you. However, for people who wnat to go long distances without leaving anything behind, it’s the ideal product. And for esports players, in particular, it’s an almost invaluable asset – you really can fit all your gaming essentials in here and then some. I could see this product being a massive boon for pro FPS and MOBA players.
However, there’s a big caveat here, and it’s one you can find in user reviews on Amazon – the backpack itself doesn’t exactly work as advertised. My Windows Surface Pro fit without a problem, obviously, but attempting larger laptops was more of a mixed bag. People with laptops in the 17”-18” range beware – the designated laptop sleeve’s padding is not enough to product your investment and is a rather uncomfortable fit. More importantly, there ends up being no padding between the zipper and your laptop, meaning you’ll likely get some nasty gouges. This is disappointing, and it would behoove Mobile Edge to be a little more realistic about what people can expect from a $100-plus dollar product.
Mobile Edge was also kind enough to provide us with their Core Power USB Laptop Charger, which is a fairly top-shelf product. The powerbank gets to a full charge within four hours, as advertised, and can keep your devices afloat for several hours of flying, layovers, what have you. You can power up to three USB devices at the same time, and for me, being able to charge my Vita and smartphone on long travels is a must. Also, and I don’t know why you’d ever actually need this, but the powerbank also serves as a flashlight. It’s… a pretty decent one? It lights up dark places pretty alright, so I guess it does its job.
Overall, the Mobile Edge Core Gaming Backpack is mostly a success. It’s a bulky beast, yes, and I really do think it’s a more appropriate fit for laptops in the 16” range. However, with the amount of pockets and pouches this thing offers, plus the reinforced molded exterior and copious padding, it’s one of the more fully featured gaming backpacks on the market. With Mobile Edge’s Core Power charger, it’s a powerhouse of a product that offers travelling gamers a robust storage experience that should last them for years to come.
Just… maybe don’t lug this thing to your local coffee shop every day.