AYN recently got in touch with me, asking if I’d like to review the AYN Thor in an article, and…naturally I said ‘yes’. I’ve been super excited, seeing that there’s a new boom in DS retro handhelds, hoping that this might mean a viable alternative to the older genuine Nintendo hardware.
I’ll just give you a tldr here:
For me, this really is the alternative. There are some caveats, but they’re so few, and those it does have really don’t affect me much. This can handle all the consoles I need, I’ve been enjoying Wind Waker HD, MGS 2, Mario Odyssey and so many DS and 3DS games (Metroid: Samus Returns has been a blast!)
Regardless, this is a handheld I recommend if you can afford the higher price point!
Hol up, DS is now old enough to be considered retro‽
Why does my back hurt so much? Unrelated I’m sure.
Better lie down for this fact: 3DS is considered retro.
2011 is not retro, dammit!
14 years ago, man.
Edit: I fogor how to count
Was N64 retro in 2010?
Bruh. The GameCube was practically retro in 2010
Who said that?
Yes. I very much remember it being uncontroversial to call the N64 retro in 2010.
The original DS released almost 21 years ago. Because of that, the patent is now in the public domain, hence why products like this can be sold now
Review Sample? You’re an influencer now :P
I don’t miss the crab claw pain trying to play with anything in the DS form factor and that d-pad placement looks rancid.
For sure you’d need to get grips immediately for it to resemble a controller.
I didnt read your article (I did goto their page on the device) but I was wondering to anyone that did, did they disclose what type of sticks they use. For this price if its not hall effect and we get drift (even tho I am sure they would give us better access to the sticks and we could map a custom dead zone to fix it) I would be upset.
never mind I just saw in the buying text (not the specs area) ‘hall sticks’. Sorry for being a dolt.
Glad you found the info!
For a handy stats sheet, this was included too:
I wish it (or something similar) had a cellular modem for calls/sms. I would love to replace my phone with something like this, even if it’s a bit large
…That’s an N-Gage.
Relegate all the telephony stuff to a smartwatch/earbuds pair and that would be great.
Looks great. I might be interested in something like that. In your article you mention it’s running Android, so I immediately started wondering… how will this and similar devices be impacted by the upcoming ‘sideloading’ restrictions? And honestly, any potential future changes to Android’s policies.
From what we know (its not definitive, but 99% so), its only for Google Play Protect ‘certified devices’. And none of thes handhelds have that.
You can find the full list of manufacturers here:
Super super cool. I don’t have a need for this since I have a nice modded 3ds lite, but the youtube on one screen and gaming on the other is absolutely sick. The screen size and color depth looks great too.
Does it have an SD card slot? I didn’t see it on their site but I assume so.
It does, yes! I’m running all my ROMs from a Samsung SD card on there.
SBC gaming and Emulator handhelds have rekindles my zest for gaming. Mainstream consoles are dull and uninspired monetization machines while PCs are overrun with GPU fetishists and Steam cultists.
Neat! Can it run WiiU games as well?
Yes, but the WiiU emu on android isn’t that great, and you’d be better off using a switch emu, as the best wiiu games were ported to switch anyway.
Exactly this!
CEMU on Android is still very new to the scene, so some things work and some don’t. I’d consider it just an added bonus (like Wind Waker!) when things work!
Wait, it runs Android? One one hand ewww, on the other ooo F-droid store!
Does it have a 3D display?
No, Nintendo is the only one who managed that! This is just straight AMOLED
I mean… The 3D idea was pretty cool, and it worked surprisingly well, but I realistically never used it other that for fun occasionally.
I’ve just hacked and started reusing my old 3DS and it’s great fun! Can download most games abs cool hacks/mods to modify them.
Is this able to hook up with the same software as 3DS so I could do the same on it?
You don’t need that same software. The principle is still the same though, you’re loading ROMs of games on there. The 3DS console method simplifies it because they created their own freeshop, but with this, you’re going to load the ROMs yourself.
That’s not true, there are other companies making glasses free 3D displays. For me, no 3D is a deal breaker for a device like this
What is the game UI you’re running in the top picture?
Or is it a different retroarch theme?
Daijishō is the launcher up top!
The temptation to get the 12gb model has been so bad… I would love it…
I know there are some cool new ways to run PC games on stuff like this. If you have them, how does this run the PC versions of games like Isaac, Gungeon, Slay the Spire, or Vampire Survivors? I know these all (or mostly) have Android or Switch ports but for one reason or another (usually mod support) the PC version is superior. I’m looking into this device as a lower weight, lower power alternative to a Steam Deck, so support for 2D indie PC games is a must.
Yes!
You can use things like GameHub/GameHub Lite (a community fork which strips the telemetry), or Winlator. This can run far, far more taxing games than just the little indies. Tomb Raider (2013), Halo MCC, Fallout New Vegas, Silksong, Dave the Diver, Hades II and so on. There is tinkering sometimes, but its getting more and more impressive as time goes on.
Its up to you if you want to plan for the future and buy the ‘Max’ version (with more RAM), but for all that’s possible now, the 12GB version (the Pro model) is more than enough.
It will 100% play small indie games, but remember some games are weird. They’re fickle and refuse to work (I think one of the Deus Ex games refuses to play, I might have read that somewhere?). So it might be a case-by-case basis. If it helps, do a search for AYN Odin 2 (or AYN Odin 2 Portal) + GameHub or Winlator. They share the same chip and have plenty of users sharing their experiences!
Hope this helped :)
How’s performance in Isaac with some workshop mods specifically? Locked 60 even with a bunch of crap on screen
Does it have a HDMI port to connect to a TV? Since it’s Android, I suppose pairing a new controller would be easy, so stuff you emulate from home consoles can be played with 2-4 people
Some Android support video out over USBC so it’s not a stretch
No HDMI port but does support video over its USB c connector and full support for multiple controllers. Most handhelds that start around probably $150 and are android based will most likely have this functionality as well.
I’m really interested in getting my hands on one of these. Really wander if it’s better than my Flip 2. For DS games it’s a clear winner but I also got a DS for 50 bucks refurbished. The screen looks legit!
