What you need to know
- The Ayaneo Pocket AIR is the company's first gaming handheld powered by Android.
- Ayaneo has been in the handheld space for a few years, focused primarily on providing Steam Deck competitors powered by Windows.
- When released, the Pocket AIR is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 and features a 5.5-inch display.
Many of the best Android phones are already capable of handling your favorite Play Store games and retro emulators. But there's something to be said about having a dedicated device for portable gaming. It's part of the reason why the Nintendo Switch has been so successful and why companies like Razer and Logitech have thrown their hats into the ring.
Now, Ayaneo is getting in on the Android gaming handheld fun with the upcoming Pocket AIR. Until now, the company has only focused on Windows gaming devices, but there's still room in the Android market for dedicated handhelds. This is an ultra-portable device designed for gaming on the go and has a lot of bells and whistles you won't find elsewhere.
It all starts with the 5.5-inch 1080p OLED screen, utilizing a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is great, as you won't have to worry about wonky aspect ratios if you want to dive into the world of retro gaming. Unfortunately, Ayaneo has yet to share more specifics when it comes to the display, such as whether it features a faster refresh rate or if it's locked to 60Hz.
Powering the Pocket AIR is MediaTek's Dimensity 1200 chip, the same SoC found on the OnePlus Nord 2, Oppo Reno 7 Pro, and other cheap Android phones. While not all of the specs have been revealed, the Pocket Air will also feature stereo speakers, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 7,350mAh battery.
As we stated previously, Ayaneo has had its hand in the gaming handheld segment for a while now. With this in mind, the company claims the Pocket AIR will be equipped with a "Windows-level cooling system adapted for ARM-based Android handheld devices." And the software will make it easy to switch between one of the three "preset fan speeds" courtesy of the "quick tool/pull-down control center."
Unfortunately, you can't run over and pre-order the Pocket AIR just yet, but you can register your interest at the Indiegogo landing page. From there, it's pretty obvious that Ayaneo is hoping to capture the hearts of the retro-gaming crowd. But it's all going to come down to price, as the Logitech G Cloud can regularly be found for under $300, while the Razer Edge is priced at $399.
