AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini GBAtemp review
Hardware
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://www.ayaneo.com/product/AYANEO-Pocket-AIR-Mini
AYANEO has been in the handheld gaming market for a few years already, and it has made a name for itself with its premium devices. The company takes a meticulous approach in offering a high-end experience from the packaging to its software experience. However, its devices haven’t always been accessible due to their cost, which can be prohibitive.
The company has recently announced a sub-branch, KONKR, dedicated to releasing budget-friendly devices. It has also taken a rather unexpected move with the release of the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini, an affordable handheld from its main brand.
As with its other devices, AYANEO has taken the crowdfunding route for this device, with pledges starting at $70 in the ongoing campaign. Caution is advised with such projects, but AYANEO has a solid track record and seems to gauge interest through this approach (the campaign, while ongoing, has already exceeded its funding goals). We’ll take a closer look at an early unit of this handheld in this review.
AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini contents and specs
The AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini provided for review came with the following items, but this might vary in retail units:
Specs of this gaming handheld are as follows (click on the image to view it in full screen):
An affordable handheld with a premium build
When AYANEO first announced the starting price of the Pocket AIR Mini, I was curious to see if they made concessions on the hardware. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that no corners were cut in crafting this handheld. It looks and feels like an AYANEO product.
The sturdy shell, the feedback of the physical controls, the dual speakers output, and the crisp HD display all speak to the premium craftsmanship that the company is known for. The joysticks and triggers are Hall effect-based, and the face buttons and D-pad are membrane-based for that refined feedback. It also features a headphone jack and expandable storage.
The Pocket AIR Mini feels nice and comfortable to use, especially with it being a lightweight device. It will be hard to find handhelds of this make within this price range, and the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini essentially sets a new bar for what budget gaming handhelds can be in terms of hardware.
It’s worth noting that this handheld has a symmetrical layout. This is unlike most of AYANEO’s devices, which bear asymmetrical controls, and this points to the Pocket AIR Mini being targeted at retro gaming. The face buttons and joystick are also smaller than usual but remain very accessible and responsive.
The only concessions that I could point out are that there is no screen protector or charging brick in the package. These might keep the cost of the device in its current range, but I’d still recommend getting the screen protector (available in the crowdfunding campaign). AYANEO also has a hard case designed for this device that is being sold separately.
Gaming on the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini
Powering the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini is the MediaTek Helio G90T chip. 3D mark’s Sling Shot Extreme benchmark scores position it among the lower-tier, reflecting its focus on retro emulation rather than high-end Android gaming.
With this chip, you can play less demanding Android games like Dead Cells and Evoland 2 with no issues. Older 3D games like Pascal’s Wager are also playable but some newer 3D games like Zenless Zone Zero are not compatible with the device, likely due to specs limitations. That said, the symmetrical layout lends itself well to D-pad-oriented games like Dead Cells, which feel right at home on this device.
As for emulation, the D-pad-oriented layout lends itself well to older systems, especially with its 4:3 aspect ratio. Dreamcast and GameCube games at 1x resolution run at full speed.
You can also play games from more demanding systems like the PS2 and Wii. For example, the PS2’s Ratchet & Clank and Shadow of the Colossus at 1x resolution and moderate underclocking would run between 20-30fps, respectively. Wii’s The Last Story at 1x resolution runs between 25-30fps with occasional dips in performance.
The AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini might not be the optimal device to emulate PS2 and Wii games on. But these options are still nice to have, and you can get better performance on other titles and by tweaking the emulator’s configuration further. I was still pleasantly surprised to see that it can run these systems with playable performance.
Whether it’s Android or emulated games, the visuals are crisp on this device. This is thanks to its 4.2” HD display. The experience is enhanced with the dual speakers.
The 4500mAh battery is more than decent on such a device. It ensures hours of gameplay, especially when emulating older systems. In parallel, the efficient cooling system ensures that the device never gets uncomfortably hot during gaming sessions.
As an AYANEO device, the Pocket AIR Mini comes with the AYASpace launcher. This gives you control over features of the device, such as joystick sensitivity and button mapping.
AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini: the new standard for budget gaming handhelds?
After years of outputting premium gaming handhelds with the corresponding price tag, it seems like AYANEO is now able to cater to the budget-conscious gamer; and it’s a major win for the gaming community. The company doesn’t hold back when it comes to quality hardware and the Pocket AIR Mini is the first step in making such hardware available to a larger audience. It might even provide a glimpse of more cost-effective AYANEO-branded handhelds to come, and I hope that the company makes its more unique-looking devices available in this manner.
This device might not be the most powerful out there, but it does pack an attractive price:performance ratio, especially when factoring the hardware quality. It might even set the new bar in terms of budget gaming handhelds’ hardware. At its price point, the only catch is its performance but this device is geared towards more retro, D-pad-oriented experiences, and it doesn’t disappoint in this regard. If you are looking to experience a premium handheld for retro gaming that won’t break the bank, then look no further than the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini.
Verdict
- Premium build
- Decent price:performance ratio
- Expandable storage
- Headphone jack
- Specs limit available Android games
- Limited accessories included in package
- Emulation performance generally limited to D-pad oriented systems
