Playing two-player on the TV with the SF3500

Think back. Sunday afternoon, the console plugged into the big living room TV, the controller warm in your hands, and your brother, your sister or your best friend sitting right next to you. You laughed, you squabbled, you shouted when the other one won. The SF3500 brings those afternoons back.

It is a retro handheld with a big 5-inch screen. But it also has a video output for your TV. Plug it in and it becomes the living room console. Here is how to make the most of it.

Two-player afternoons are back

Playing alone on a handheld is nice. Playing with someone in front of the TV is something else. You look at each other, you challenge each other, you help each other out. You share the giggles and the sore losing. That is often where the best gaming memories come from, and it is probably what grown-up players miss most.

The SF3500 is built for those moments. It fits in a bag, sits next to the sofa, and all you have to do is plug it in for the game to move to the big screen. No need for a bulky home console under the TV stand.

What you need

To play on the TV, you need:

• the SF3500, of course, charged;
• a TV connected to the console’s video output;
• controllers for the players on the sofa.

That is it. Controllers come with the Duo and Salon packs. The console on its own (Solo pack) is still perfect for handheld play, and you can always come back for more later.

Which pack should you choose for the TV?

All three packs contain the same console. What changes is the number of controllers.

• Solo: the console on its own. Ideal if you mostly play on the train, in bed or on holiday.
• Duo: the console and one controller. The right starting point for an evening for two.
• Salon: the console and two controllers. Our most complete pack for the TV, the one we recommend if you often have people over or have kids.

A tip: if you are torn between Duo and Salon, think about who will be playing. For a couple, Duo may be enough. With kids or friends dropping by, having an extra controller saves a lot of arguing about whose turn it is.

Setting up your game corner

A few small things make the evening nicer, and they cost nothing:

• Sit at a comfortable distance from the screen. Your usual spot on the sofa is perfect.
• Keep the console close, on the coffee table, so it is easy to reach.
• Charge the console before your guests arrive. Its 3000 mAh battery recharges easily between evenings.
• Dim the lights a little. Colours stand out more, and the mood takes you straight back to evenings long ago.

They are details, but they are what turn a quick game into a proper game night.

Games that bring people together

The best thing about two-player is that it brings together people who do not usually play together.

Parents and kids. You can finally show your children what you played at their age. They will laugh at the graphics, then they will not want to let go of the controller. And you will find out they are better than you.

Friends. A pizza night, two controllers, and the competition starts again like back at school. Old rivalries come back fast.

Couples. A duel in the evening, or a co-op session to finish a level together: it is another way to spend time as a pair.

Owners talk about it too. On Reddit, one of them says they gave an SF3500 to their nephew, then had so much fun with it that they bought a second one for themselves (r/SBCGaming, December 2025). That is exactly the effect we are after: a console you buy for someone else and end up sharing.

And when the TV is taken?

That is the whole point of the SF3500: it is not stuck in the living room. When someone wants to watch a film, you unplug it and it goes back to being a pocket console with its 5-inch screen.

So you can play on the TV on Saturday night, then take it on the train on Monday morning. One console for both. It also plays your music and videos, for the moments when you just want to unwind.

To sum up

If you have fond memories of two-player afternoons in front of the TV, the SF3500 is made for you. It brings back that simple pleasure without cluttering the living room, and it follows you everywhere the rest of the time.

It also makes a lovely gift for two: a brother and sister, a couple, a parent and child. With the Salon pack, everyone has their own controller from the very first evening, and nobody waits their turn on the edge of the sofa.

Pick your pack on the SF3500 handheld game console page. Delivery is free, you have 14 days to change your mind, and the legal guarantee of 24 months applies in most of the EU. All the details are on the shipping and returns page.