What Gamers Should Know When Bringing Their Consoles Through TSA

It’s not uncommon to see someone at the airport playing a Nintendo Switch or other portable system, but what about bulkier home consoles? It’s a great way to spend your down time while traveling, especially if you’re going to be gone for a while. Not to mention, it’s the only way to play Grand Theft Auto VI while you’re away until the game eventually releases on PC. 

The TSA enforces so many rules, often in a somewhat terrifying tone, so it’s best to know ahead of time what the guidelines are around game systems. For both portable and home consoles, the general guidelines on what you can take and whether it can be in your checked or carry-on baggage will be the same everywhere due to national guidelines. Minutiae like whether it actually needs to come out of your bag, though, is more of a case-by-case basis depending on your flight situation. 

Once you know the rules, and apply a healthy dose of common sense when it comes to keeping your console safe, you’ll be ready to travel.

If you’re bringing a gaming handheld like a Nintendo Switch 2 or Steam Deck with you, chances are it uses a lithium-ion battery. That is, unless you’re bringing something retro like a Game Boy that utilizes disposable alkaline batteries. According to TSA regulations, all devices that utilize lithium-ion batteries need to be stored in your carry-on baggage due to the risk of thermal runaway, which is when lithium-ion batteries uncontrollably overheat and can potentially start a fire. 

You may be asked to turn on any devices to show they are real; keep them shut off otherwise to avoid them waking up from sleep mode in your bag and overheating. Home consoles don’t utilize these batteries, but most controllers do, meaning those will also need to be in your carry-on luggage. Xbox controllers use AA batteries by default, so they’re an exception if you haven’t bought the separate charging pack.

While home consoles like a PlayStation 5 are allowed in your checked luggage, it’s not necessarily the best idea to keep them there. If you’ve ever watched luggage being loaded onto a plane, you’ll know bags often get tossed around harshly, and that’s on top of any shifting around your bag does within the cargo hold. It’s also not unheard of for objects to go missing from checked luggage: out of all consumer claims filed with the TSA between 2002 and 2025, approximately 63.5 percent were for property loss. 

Considering consoles are becoming increasingly expensive and have a lot of delicate internal parts, it’s best to keep yours with you where you can better watch over it. If you do put it in your checked bag, put it in a protective case with padding and slip in an AirTag in case it gets lost.

Whether you need to take out your gaming device from carry-on luggage or a backpack at the TSA checkpoint depends upon the particular airport. Many airports across the country have recently installed CT scanners in place of X-ray scanners, which give a 3D view of your bag and eliminate the need to take out items like liquids and electronics. If your airport doesn’t have these yet, the TSA will likely want you to put your console in its own bin, since it’s an electronic larger than a phone. Pack accordingly so you can easily take your console our of your bag and slip it back in afterward.

If you’re traveling with an obscure console that would be hard to identify for an average TSA worker, it’s best to mention its presence to an agent and let them decide if it should go in a separate bin. Otherwise, you’re likely going to have your bag pulled aside for a more detailed inspection anyway.