Handheld gaming device manufacturer AYANEO has today launched two new consoles, the Pocket DMG and the Pocket MICRO. These devices pack recognisable form factors, with the Pocket DMG taking inspiration from the Game Boy and the Pocket MICRO borrowing from the Game Boy Micro.

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Specs of the AYANEO Pocket DMG are as follows:

- Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 Gaming Platform: Delivers top-tier performance for vertical handhelds.
- Powerful Cooling: Flagship-level cooling with up to 15W max performance, ensuring seamless performance switching.
- Retro Design: Combines AYANEO’s minimalist and elegant aesthetics with a completely retro design.
- Ergonomic Shape: Offers a comfortable and delightful grip, with overall dimensions of 91.5 x 151 x 22.3mm (15mm at the thinnest part).
- OLED Screen: Features an original 3.92" OLED colorful screen with high resolution.
- Medium Hall Sensing Joystick: Ensures precise control with no dead zones.
- Innovative Controls: Includes a left joystick + touchpad design for enhanced control.
- MagicSwitch Wheel Key: Slide and press to unlock a magical experience, enabling rich feature mapping.
- Coastline Shoulder Buttons: Elegantly hidden design with practical use.
- Long Battery Life: Compact body with a 6000mAh battery for extended playtime.
- AYAHome + AYASpace: Enjoy rich features and convenient management.

Specs of the AYANEO MICRO are as follows:

- Exquisite Retro Design: Pays tribute to classic pocket consoles while maintaining AYANEO’s minimalist aesthetics.
- Borderless Full-Screen Display: Offers a refined texture and immersive viewing experience.
- Classic Colors: Available in three classic colors with gleaming glass panels.
- High-Definition Screen: Features a 3.5" 960 x 640 IPS screen for a high-definition retro gaming experience.
- Premium Build: Constructed with a premium CNC aluminum alloy frame for a unique high-end feel.
- Helio G99 Processor: Provides smooth performance for 4X GBA games.
- Compact and Powerful: Includes a 2600mAh battery for extended playtime.
- AYAHome + AYASpace: Enjoy rich features and convenient management.

Early Bird prices starts at $339 for the AYANEO Pocket DMG and $189 for the AYANEO Pocket MICRO. As with its other devices, AYANEO has opted for the crowdfunding route for its new devices. Caution is advised with such campaigns but the company has a strong track record with delivering its products to backers.

SOURCE: GBAtemp Inbox

 

[digipimp75]

They can't be serious with these prices

 

[Xzi]

They can't be serious with these prices

Absolutely insane, especially considering they're years too late chasing the $35 Miyoo A30 with the $189 Pocket Micro.

 

[Scarlet]

Absolutely insane, especially considering they're years too late chasing the $35 Miyoo A30 with the $189 Pocket Micro.

Like I said in my post, the Pocket Micro is magnitudes more powerful than the A30, the price does make sense to a degree. Having said that, AYANEO are hardly broadcasting the chipset's capabilities. Do they really think they're going to get positive attention by advertising it with "Provides smooth performance for 4X GBA games"? A ten year old phone can do that much. Much like with the DMG they've stuffed a decent chip into a form factor that probably doesn't gain that much from it. The fact it can play GameCube is certainly neat, but I just can't see it being comfortable.

 

[Xzi]

Like I said in my post, the Pocket Micro is magnitudes more powerful than the A30, the price does make sense to a degree. Having said that, AYANEO are hardly broadcasting the chipset's capabilities. Do they really think they're going to get positive attention by advertising it with "Provides smooth performance for 4X GBA games"? A ten year old phone can do that much. Much like with the DMG they've stuffed a decent chip into a form factor that probably doesn't gain that much from it. The fact it can play GameCube is certainly neat, but I just can't see it being comfortable.

Yeah that's definitely poor marketing, but I also feel like it's a waste sticking that much processing power into a device with such a small (and low res) screen. Retro games look pretty great compressed like that, but I can't imagine trying to do the precise platforming that Mario Sunshine requires, or even worse, trying to fight on Hyrule Temple in Smash Bros Melee on that thing.

 

[ftjiso]

we have something cool like the wii keychain then.. this. gotta get reminded of ayaneo in case you forgot about them

also $189 for that is stupid. i can get a ps vita and mod it for that price easily or buy something cheaper with that screen size

 

[ertaboy356b]

Expensive for a piracy machine.

 

[Nincompoopdo]

You can buy a Miyoo Mini Plus for $50, there's no need to spend more for a Gameboy style retro portable. That Snapdragon chip can easily emulate Switch games, but who in the right mind will play them on this form factor with such a small screen?

 

[The Catboy]

Another fucking ayaneo device! Yay, more ewaste!

 

[regnad]

600 bucks for a souped up Gameboy, huh?

Think I'll stick with my Steam Deck.

 

[lordelan]

Damn, OLED, maybe I should have waited before buying Analogue Pocket.

Totally different device.
FPGA vs software emulation
The Analogue Pocket has a cartridge slot and official docking station whereas the Ayaneo Pocket DMG runs Android 13 and runs way more systems.

 

[LoggerMan]

Totally different device.
FPGA vs software emulation
The Analogue Pocket has a cartridge slot and official docking station whereas the Ayaneo Pocket DMG runs Android 13 and runs way more systems.

I been using my Analogue Pocket and I like knowing the emulation is more accurate than software emulation. But, I mean I'm playing gameboy and snes games on it, software emulation is pretty good already yeah? And hardware emulation still isn't 100% perfect, look at the changelog of the Analogue Pocket software, they are constantly patching for specific game bugs. I guess if I didn't get the AP then I would still be wanting one, so I made the right choice. But really I think I would have been happier with a premium software emulation device.

 

[Maximumbeans]

Do they really think they're going to get positive attention by advertising it with "Provides smooth performance for 4X GBA games"? A ten year old phone can do that much.
The fact it can play GameCube is certainly neat, but I just can't see it being comfortable.

This is what's weird about AYANEO. I assume there's some passion for the scene behind their products because why else would they design and make them, but it's also like somebody just took quick notes on what retro gamers love and keep scattershotting products around those notes. I get the feeling that the company is very much for gamers, but not really by gamers.

 

[Scarlet]

I been using my Analogue Pocket and I like knowing the emulation is more accurate than software emulation. But, I mean I'm playing gameboy and snes games on it, software emulation is pretty good already yeah? And hardware emulation still isn't 100% perfect, look at the changelog of the Analogue Pocket software, they are constantly patching for specific game bugs. I guess if I didn't get the AP then I would still be wanting one, so I made the right choice. But really I think I would have been happier with a premium software emulation device.

I have an Analogue Pocket myself and I don't use it as much as I'd like. I think I was slightly jaded towards it when mine turned up DOA, and since getting it back and repaired, which took several months, I just don't have the same enthusiasm towards it. I do appreciate that it's probably the ultimate way to experience GB(C) games though, and at some point I'll have it setup for such. I spend more time than anything with emulation handhelds like you mentioned, with the Odin 2 Mini being the primo pick in my mind. I will say though, it's really incredible what the Pocket is capable of despite it only really being a GBA/GB(C) player at its core. It's a solid system in its own way, so I wouldn't feel too bad about owning one.

This is what's weird about AYANEO. I assume there's some passion for the scene behind their products because why else would they design and make them, but it's also like somebody just took quick notes on what retro gamers love and keep scattershotting products around those notes. I get the feeling that the company is very much for gamers, but not really by gamers.

They annoy me to an extent. I genuinely do really like their systems. I think they do really interesting things, but there's always some kind of caveat to them that could likely have been avoided with a bit of thought.

 

[ldeveraux]

I have an Analogue Pocket myself and I don't use it as much as I'd like. I think I was slightly jaded towards it when mine turned up DOA, and since getting it back and repaired, which took several months, I just don't have the same enthusiasm towards it. I do appreciate that it's probably the ultimate way to experience GB(C) games though, and at some point I'll have it setup for such. I spend more time than anything with emulation handhelds like you mentioned, with the Odin 2 Mini being the primo pick in my mind. I will say though, it's really incredible what the Pocket is capable of despite it only really being a GBA/GB(C) player at its core. It's a solid system in its own way, so I wouldn't feel too bad about owning one.


They annoy me to an extent. I genuinely do really like their systems. I think they do really interesting things, but there's always some kind of caveat to them that could likely have been avoided with a bit of thought.

I'm struggling (and apparently I'm not the only one) to determine why these articles/reviews keep appearing on GBA then. It's not like the devices in question provide anything revolutionary or even new/different. Slow news year? FOMO? I only read them for the comments at this point.

 

[lordelan]

I been using my Analogue Pocket and I like knowing the emulation is more accurate than software emulation. But, I mean I'm playing gameboy and snes games on it, software emulation is pretty good already yeah? And hardware emulation still isn't 100% perfect, look at the changelog of the Analogue Pocket software, they are constantly patching for specific game bugs. I guess if I didn't get the AP then I would still be wanting one, so I made the right choice. But really I think I would have been happier with a premium software emulation device.

Yeah I feel you. What bugs me the most about the Analogue Pocket is the unconvenience of the OS when jumping between a few games / cores. You would always have to navigate to the rom after picking the core. There's no "Recently played" or "Favorites" menu from where you can access your current top 5 games or something like that. Such a small detail which makes the device so unattractive.

I use it primarily to play GBC games, one at a time (so I don't have that hassle). For anything else I use my RG405M or hacked OLED Switch.

What I love about the Pocket is the outstanding screen and that it has the aspect ratio of the original GB/GBC thus making that a pure joy with no letter-/pillarboxing. I'd probably love it more if it was software emulation and thus had something like Onion OS though, for the same reasons you mentioned.

 

[HarveyHouston]

At first, I thought this was a refresh of the Analogue Pocket, and I was like "That's a weird design choice." Then, I realized it was AYANEO, and my questions were answered... but also raised more questions.

For instance, why is the joystick dedicated to a corner where the palm of your hand goes?!? God knows, I wouldn't have made such a design... if I was in the retro gaming console business, anyway.

 

[scoobydude51]

They gotsa do money laundering somehow.

well they are a Chinese brand, so flooding Amazon, Wish and Temu is why they release so many of these handhelds

 

[LoggerMan]

What I love about the Pocket is the outstanding screen and that it has the aspect ratio of the original GB/GBC thus making that a pure joy with no letter-/pillarboxing. I'd probably love it more if it was software emulation and thus had something like Onion OS though, for the same reasons you mentioned.

That's what I thought too, the perfect aspect ratio and the dot matrix recreation is nice. But with software emulation and any high enough resolution screen you can fake the dot matrix look too with a filter. I guess I should just be happy with my AP. Been playing SNES and GC/C on it and it's fine, plays games just fine.

 

[Keylogger]

Damn, OLED, maybe I should have waited before buying Analogue Pocket.

Analogue pocket will remain the best for GB/GBC with its screen resolution and display filters that match real hardware

Post automatically merged: Aug 4, 2024

I Will probably buy one for NGC games
I always wanted a GBC style handheld powerful enough for dolphin emulator

 

[LoggerMan]

Analogue pocket will remain the best for GB/GBC with its screen resolution and display filters that match real hardware

That's what I thought, but then I tried a gameboy emulator on my Mac and it had a dot matrix filter, that let you have the black dots with the white gap between the pixels, and it looks pretty good. I'm thinking any high enough resolution screen will fake the dot matrix just fine now, no need to have the exact right resolution and ratio at all.