AYANEO has a reputation for making high-performance handheld gaming devices for enthusiasts willing to pay top dollar. Their Windows-based handhelds are loaded with the latest features and often come with the price tag to match. Introducing the AYANEO Pocket Air Mini, an Android handheld that starts at a mere $70 during the crowdfunding period.
At first glance, the Pocket Air Mini flat out looks like a retro gaming device. The 4.2 inch 1280 x 960 4:3 screen is perfect for playing classic console games from the N64, PS and Dreamcast era. The 500 nits of brightness is enough to play in bright light and the 60Hz refresh rate is smooth enough for the games it’s designed to play. Weighing 269g and measuring 6.5 x 3.2 x 0.7 (1.1 at the thickest point), it easily fits in your pocket, making the handheld the perfect grab and go companion for mobile gaming.
- NOTE: Out of box to play console but NO Nin10do-games, please prepare your own games if needed.
- High resolution display 3.5-inch 640*480 IPS screen full lamination
- Built-in 3000mAh 3.7V LiPo battery 4-6 hours life long enduration
The Pocket Air Mini is powered by a MediaTek Helio G90T processor with 2 ARM Cortex-A76 cores, 6 Cortex-A55 cores and Mali-G76 graphics. According to AYANEO, the device can run Dreamcast games at twice the native resolution and N64 and PS games 4x the original size. So it’s perfect for playing oldies like Super Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot with better clarity. A built in fan keeps things cool during long play sessions which is nice for a tablet at this price. The 4,500 mAh battery with 18W charging should be enough to keep you gaming.
The base model has 2GB RAM and 32GB storage for $70 during crowdfunding and $90 retail. The higher end model has 3GB RAM and 64GB storage for $80 and $100 retail. You won’t be able to store a large game library but a microSD card slot is available to expand storage cheaply which is perfect for loading up ROMs of retro games. Connectivity is simple: WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5 for wireless and USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack and the microSD card slot for physical connections.
The Pocket Air Mini’s controller layout is where it differs from other budget devices. The analog sticks and triggers use hall effect sensors, which are more robust and accurate than standard parts, so you don’t get the dreaded stick drift that plagues so many handhelds. The joysticks even have RGB lighting, which is rare for a product this cheap. These are the kind of details that make the device feel like a quality product despite its low specs. It’s the kind of design decision that shows AYANEO isn’t just cutting corners to meet a low price point, they’re trying to give you a good time.
Crowdfunding is risky, but AYANEO’s track record gives you confidence. They hope to start shipping the Pocket Air Mini as early as next month, with the first 1,000 units at $70 for the base model. After that the price goes up slightly, but even the retail price of $100 feels like a steal. For comparison, similar compact handhelds like the Anbernic RG Slide cost around twice as much, so the Pocket Air Mini is a real bargain. AYANEO is also teasing a higher end Pocket S Mini with a 4:3 screen, which will be out in March, but for now the Air Mini is the budget king.
[Source]
