NEW! Versus Gaming Sling

I’ll start by admitting I own a few WaterField bags going back to the 2000s. I keep coming back because I genuinely love what they do.

The Versus Sling is marketed toward handheld gamers, and honestly, it’s beautifully engineered for that purpose. My use case is a little different though — I travel a lot. I prefer keeping my electronics out of my carry-on so I can reserve that space for clothes and essentials in case I ever get separated from checked luggage. It happens.

The devices I carry now are intentionally small because of airline restrictions: an iPad mini and a GPD Pocket 4. Both fit perfectly in this sling, with room left over for accessories. I went with the waxed canvas and chocolate leather because it matches the color tone of a different waxed canvas backpack I already own.

The layout is excellent. You get three generous compartments with smart internal organization. The front pocket is perfect for quick-access items like a boarding pass, snacks, or small TSA-safe essentials. The middle section handles cables, chargers, batteries, and toiletries — basically everything I need during a long uncomfortable flight. The rear compartment comfortably fits both the iPad mini and GPD Pocket 4.

I’ve owned slings from a lot of companies that get constant attention in the EDC world, and while WaterField is respected, I still think they’re underrated — especially when it comes to sling design. I was actually close to buying the Shinjuku before settling on the Versus, but for my needs, this ended up being the right call.

Before this, I used a WaterField Hip Sling with the magnetic buckle and pull strap. I moved to the Versus because the Hip Sling is discontinued, and I wanted something in waxed canvas to pair with my backpack setup. My only real complaint is that I slightly prefer the older strap system — mostly because of the magnetic lock and the fidget factor — but thankfully the G-hooks let me swap the old strap onto the Versus anyway. That said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the included strap.

The biggest criticism I see online is the price, and honestly, I don’t really get it. People will spend absurd money chasing limited-edition drops or luxury labels, but suddenly $229 is “too much” for a handcrafted sling made in the USA with premium materials? Maybe I’m crazy, but I know quality when I see it.

WaterField bags feel designed around real use, not marketing. Their bags feel like they were made by people who actually use them.

5 stars all day.

Another beautiful bag! Versus looks like a really cool game device. I’ve never heard of it before. But I thought the bag would be perfect for my next trip to Africa with my DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera and gear. Sleek, tough padded.

What’s better? The anticipation or using the bag? Hard to tell, but of course I love your stuff, keep producing wonderful things on the San Francisco!

Overall, I like it, but it feels a bit too small for anything other than a handheld device, a battery pack, and headphones. I expected it to be a bit bigger to carry more items, but it fills up quickly.

This sling is light enough to not notice on my back but the materials are durable enough to trust to last a long time. It's got plenty of compartments for my daily carry, I love it so far!

I’ve been buying backpacks, slings, and sleeves from Waterfield for two decades now, so I fully expected my new Versus Gaming Sling to be well-designed, made of high quality materials, and hand-crafted to perfection. And it is. 
I also expected it to be able to comfortably fit my Switch 2 along with its charger, HDMI cable,  Pro Controller, and games. What I did not expect was that I could fit all of these (with the possible exception of the Pro Controller) in this case ALONG WITH MY SWITCH 2 DOCK. But I was amazed to find that I can, indeed, carry my Switch 2, cables, dock, and games all in one lightweight, compact case. Did I mention how compact this thing is, even when fully loaded with everything including the dock???
Seriously, if I could rate this with 10 stars instead of just 5, I would do so. This Sling is definitely a home run (not to mix metaphors or anything 😎).