As the handheld gaming market continues to grow, it’s not just high-end PC gamers who are in for a treat. Retro enthusiasts also have a wider selection of sleek emulation machines to choose from, including a handful of new devices with impressive specs and beautiful designs.
First up is the Odin 2 Mini. Announced last week by Chinese manufacturer Ayn, it is the more compact version of the company’s popular Android handheld. It features a Snapdragon 8 Gen2 processor and a mini LED touch display, perfect for streaming games and conveniently emulating via the PlayStation 2 and Wii Ears. The battery is smaller, but that might be worth it for fans of the PlayStation Vita-style handheld who are still mourning the fact that Sony has turned its back on portable gaming. The white version looks particularly crisp. The price is high at $340, but the first edition is already sold out.
Then there’s the AYANEO Pocket Micro, an homage to the tiny Nintendo handheld of the same name. In addition to the D-pad and face buttons, there are also two analog sticks. Slightly larger than its spiritual predecessor, AYANEO promises four times better resolution than the Game Boy Advance and a screen that doesn’t make retro games look overstretched. I love the minimalist design and horizontal form factor. There’s no price or release date, but more information is expected to be announced later this year.
Finally we have the AYANEO Pocket DMG, a clear competitor to the popular Analog bag which plays original Game Boy and Game Boy Advance cartridges directly instead of emulating them. The Pocket DMG features a 1240 x 1080 pixel OLED screen and an analog stick on the bottom mounted on a touchpad. The jumbled layout isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as its analog counterpart, but should give the Pocket DMG more flexibility for the types of games players can emulate on it. AYANEO has not yet confirmed whether it will also run on Android.
Nobody needs any of these handhelds, but I still want them all. It’s great to see manufacturers exploring the more luxurious part of the market, just as certain boutique firms have put together nicer and more expensive Kindle competitors over the years. When it comes to emulation, handhelds are like that Retroid bag 4 professional, MIYOO Mini Plus portable, ANBERNIC RG405M Each offers a different mix of specs, firmware and form factor for retro nerds to experiment and fall in love with.
None of them can match the power and flexibility of a Steam Deck or an Asus ROG Ally, but that’s not the point of spending $300 to play esoteric RPGs from the early 2000s Riviera: The Promised Land on a mega-powerful Game Boy from an alternative future.
