Last week, handheld gaming console manufacturer AYN teased its first handheld gaming PC, the AYN Loki. In the teaser video released, the company called the device "the most affordable Windows handheld ever created". But not much was revealed about the pricing then but the company followed up with an official pricing list of the device:

As you can see from the image above, the AYN Loki is not one device but rather a line of handheld gaming PCs with different specs and price tag ranging from $299 for the Alder Lake U-equipped Loki Mini to $799 for the AMD 6800U Loki Max. The company has yet to announce launch dates for the devices but it is likely they will open up sales through a crowdfunding platform as they did with their first device, the AYN Odin.

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[Veho]

Looks like everyone is adding a "little weirdo" tier device to their product line lately. AyaNeo just announced their own $300 model, AyaNeo Air Plus, with the AMD Mendocino processor. Let the battle of the $300 handhelds begin!

 

[Prans]

Looks like everyone is adding a "little weirdo" tier device to their product line lately. AyaNeo just announced their own $300 model, AyaNeo Air Plus, with the AMD Mendocino processor. Let the battle of the $300 handhelds begin!

making a post about the AIR atm

 

[Veho]

Little aside, looks like "AYN" and "AyaNeo" sound so similar that people are getting confused, and some news outlets reported that AyaNeo had previously announced the Loki

 

[CompSciOrBust]

I haven't paid attention to benchmarks for the past few years. How does this compare to the Steam Deck? (I think) every Steam Deck model uses the same APU so which model of the AYN would you need to buy to match or beat the Deck's performance?

 

[Xzi]

The Mini at least seems a solid deal for anyone wanting to play only indies/emulation. Would definitely have to skin it though, all white is far from the best aesthetic choice. For emulating more recent consoles and playing AAA games, I'd still recommend waiting it out in the Steam Deck queue. Even some of the stuff that I thought would annoy me about it I ended up loving, and SteamOS is a much better UX than Windows on a portable.

 

[Xzi]

I haven't paid attention to benchmarks for the past few years. How does this compare to the Steam Deck? (I think) every Steam Deck model uses the same APU so which model of the AYN would you need to buy to match or beat the Deck's performance?

The CPU of the $499 model and above should match or beat Steam Deck's, and the Loki is using RDNA2 graphics, same as Steam Deck. What they haven't revealed yet, however, is how many GPU cores it's packing, and it's rumored to have quite a few less than Deck.

 

[lokomelo]

Found out just now of both this product and the air. The air is more compelling IMO. Power is important, but low price is king.

Also, who already have a capable PC can get good streaming when home with any computer, weak or not.

 

[Wavy]

Hope they ship to Australia! The Steam Deck isn't available here and I don't want to go through all the hoops to get it imported. (Thanks Valve!)

Edit: The AYANEO Air looks like a good deal as well.

 

[fvig2001]

Sucks that no one's making pocketable clamshells anymore. That's the market that no one's catering to.

 

[Xzi]

Sucks that no one's making pocketable clamshells anymore. That's the market that no one's catering to.

Because the form factor is needlessly limiting. N3DS is about as good as you're gonna get power-wise for a semi-pocketable portable. The market has since shifted toward larger devices that are more comfortable to hold for adult hands, even among smartphones.

 

[urbanman2004]

The AYN Loki starting @ $300 or the AYANEO AIR starting @ $199 (for a limited time)? Decisions, decisions...

 

[subcon959]

Little aside, looks like "AYN" and "AyaNeo" sound so similar that people are getting confused, and some news outlets reported that AyaNeo had previously announced the Loki

The first time I saw the name I immediately thought AYN was short for Aya Neo.

 

[chrisrlink]

I might get one of the two dunno yet the price point has me interested hopefully you can install other OS;'s like steamOS though some bootloader modding

 

[regnad]

The AYN Loki starting @ $300 or the AYANEO AIR starting @ $199 (for a limited time)? Decisions, decisions...

How do these compare for emulation?

 

[urbanman2004]

How do these compare for emulation?

Your guess is as good as mine... I'm just waiting on the reviews to come out before I make my decision 😁.

 

[Veho]

Because the form factor is needlessly limiting. N3DS is about as good as you're gonna get power-wise for a semi-pocketable portable. The market has since shifted toward larger devices that are more comfortable to hold for adult hands, even among smartphones.

On the other hand this "larger devices / more comfortable for adults" trend has led to consoles that are barely portable and completely impractical. Comfort is all well and good but things tend to get chunky, and when you add the grips and the full analog stick and the three levels of shoulder buttons and analog triggers, you get something more akin to those trays used to serve breakfast in bed, than to a handheld console.

Here's the Steam Deck next to an actual portable handheld console:

This shit is bananas.

Speaking of bananas:

I mean come on.

 

[tarian]

How do these compare for emulation?

I follow TimeIsArt's Handheld Spec Spreadsheet

They do a pretty good job at estimating what will be possible as more information is provided. I can't post a link because my account is too new but googling should work to find it.

 

[Xzi]

On the other hand this "larger devices / more comfortable for adults" trend has led to consoles that are barely portable and completely impractical.

Barely portable, sure. That's what the case is for. "Completely impractical," though? That's an exaggeration. No reason you can't play with a Steam Deck anywhere you could with a GBA. Trains, hotels, airplanes, car rides, waiting rooms, lunch breaks, whatever. If you're gonna have both hands on the device regardless, might as well make it comfortable to hold and pack a bunch more power in there as an added bonus.

If people were opposed to this trend, Switch wouldn't have sold anywhere near 100 million units. With a Hori Splitpad Pro attached, it's almost the exact same size as Steam Deck. Anyone who finds these devices too large will just stick with their smartphone for light emulation and mobile games, and that's probably the number one reason nobody bothers trying to design true portable systems any more.

Besides all that, these devices aren't targeting just any gamer, they're targeting PC gamers. The people who for decades would haul their entire desktop tower, monitor, and keyboard/mouse to friends' houses for LAN parties. To have something like Steam Deck back in the day would've been absolutely mindblowing.

 

[ganons]

I'll be getting the mini and the base 6600U (Odin Pro owner).