Earlier this year, AYANEO revealed details of its next Android-based gaming handheld, the AYANEO Pocket S. However, the actual launch of the device was unknown; that is until today. The company has officially made the device available for purchase via an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Caution is advised with such campaigns but AYANEO has steadily held its end of the bargain for its previous devices, which have all been crowdfunded.

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Features of the AYANEO Pocket S include the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 gaming platform, a large-area VC thermal plate that delivers performance of up to 15W, a 6000mAh battery, a 6" 1440P ultra-retina IPS borderless mirror screen and a CNC full-metal mid-frame. More specs details can be found below:

As for the device's pricing, it will depend on the model, with the 1440p display model starting at $439 on Indiegogo and the 1080p display model starting at $399 on Indiegogo. Additional pricing details, based on individual models and storage capacity, can be found below:

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At the time of writing, the Indiegogo campaign for the AYANEO Pocket S has already exceeded its funding goals and backers can expect to receive their unit in June.

SOURCE: GBAtemp Inbox

 

[Kioku]

You know, for being GBATEMP, there are a lot of silly takes in here.
This is a dedicated portable gaming device, and an EXTREMELY powerful one for the price and size.

I have an a Steam Deck and an AYN Odin2 Pro, and believe me when I say that outside of OG Xbox and Wii U emulation(not ported to Android) and obviously pc games, I will pick the Odin2 10/10 for literally everything else. It's light, feels great in the hands and has an absurd battery life...all reasons why the Steam Deck stays docked most of the time in my home. Also all reasons why it's perfect for travel. It has replaced my CFW Switch for travel as well. It can do PS2 fullspeed @4K, Metroid Prime Remastered fullspeed... and this AyaNeo is gonna be like 40% more powerful than the Odin2, which is pretty wild considering Odin2 is only 6 months old.

These aren't just gimped phones with controls slapped on, guys...there's active cooling, performance tuning, GPU drivers...and this guy can hold 15W, so now if Microsoft gets their sh!t together, it's ready for Windows on ARM as well. These guys are punching WAAAAY above their weight here, and it's amazing if you get into portables.

Found the Ayaneo spokesperson...

 

[coffinbirth]

Found the Ayaneo spokesperson...

That first sentence really called out to you, eh?

I don't own ANY of their products.

 

[Cortador]

Again, you're not getting ANYWHERE near the same performance, sustained nor peak, let alone battery life like that just with thermals alone with a phone. Also, who wants to have to devote their phone to that? Have you used a Steam Deck? It's heavy af, and demands holding it in your lap and looking down at itfor longer than like, 44 seconds of use, haha. This is smaller than a Switch Lite, and has a battery that lasts longer than both of those devices combined x2. For emulation, which is 90% of why this device exists, unlike Steam Deck, this and devices like the Odin 2 are a no-brainer.
But hey, if people want to play throttled, hitchy, improperly displayed games with flimsy controller add-ons whilst getting text messages, good for them. Nobody has to buy these devices. I also have a Razer Kishi for an Android phone...and it's not really even a comparable experience. I love my Steam Deck, but I don't really walk around the house with it, you know? The battery life gives it a pretty short leash, so it just ends up staying docked most of the time.

Wow. You make such a compelling argument. Thank you so much for the thought provocation and insight. How DARE these guys offer us dedicated video game devices? SHAME ON THEM!

This guy gets it.

I have the Steam Deck + Odin 1 and I echo your thoughts on this. Steam Deck for me is great mainly for PC games. Outside of that, I tend to run my emulation on the Odin 1 just for the massive difference in battery life + lighter to hold.

If this device can run Switch emulation with no frame drops and has a battery life as long as the Odin1/2, this is already a win in my books.

 

[coffinbirth]

Depends on what you're emulating. A phone will perform just fine and have plenty of battery life for PSP and older games.


That's exactly why a phone will win out for pocket space 95% of the time over this type of device, it doesn't HAVE to be dedicated solely to playing games.


Definitely not an issue for someone my size, smaller devices tend to cause me finger cramping. Steam Deck OLED seems to have an even better weight balance too, looking forward to that upgrade.


The fact that it costs roughly six times as much as a used Switch Lite would understandably give a lot of potential buyers pause.


It's perfect for downtime at a desk job where tethering it to an outlet isn't an issue. Of course, sometimes you just wanna play retro or indie games too, at which point it's easy to extend the battery life to 6+ hours.

Don't get me wrong, the Pocket S definitely looks slick enough to attract a niche audience, but there are enough of these dedicated emulation devices being churned out on a constant basis now that they rarely retain their value for more than a year or two. Would be the type of thing I'd happily buy from eBay for around $200. Just for killing a couple hours at a time, though? A Miyoo Mini Plus or Anbernic RG35xx Plus will do the trick, for $70 or less. Or even a used DS Lite, for that matter.

1. We're clearly talking about emulation beyond that, as I mentioned PS2 @4K and fullspeed Switch emulation.
2. You're forgetting the controller attachment in this scenario of yours. That makes it TWO devices...and LARGER.
3. I'm 6 foot tall. Well above average height, a Dual Shock 4 feels small to me. It's about holding up 1.5lbs vs .8lbs, it's just simply more comfortable for extended periods. Anecdotal and subjective, I'll give you that. This AyaNeo device does not appear to be as ergonomically sound as some of the other devices out there such as Odin 1/2, however this is meant to be a "pocket" version.
4. Did you really just compare the price of a flagship ARM chipset to a USED console that is like seven years old? That's...something to type, I guess.

Again, I'm not even suggesting this particular device is worth purchasing vs. others such as the Odin 2, I was simply saying that it was odd to see so many scoff at dedicated Android gaming devices in general.

Miyoo Mini plus and Anbernic RG35xx are TOYS compared to these things. We're talking 3-4x native resolution on PS2, Gamecube, Wii and you can easily dock them for 4K TV's and monitors. I paid $300 for my Odin2 Pro and have since sold off my other emulation portables, as they were wholly redundant.

I'm the first to admit that devices dedicated to emulation are niche, but comparing them to $100 devices that can't do much beyond PS1 is certainly apples and oranges.

In my opinion, a Vita-sized handheld with absurd battery life that can do NES, SNES, MD, Sega CD, N64, Saturn, PS1, 3DS, PSP, PS2, GC, Wii, & Switch and is easily dockable should probably be considered a holy grail device around these parts, and yet...here we are.