The Ayaneo Pocket Ace is the company’s latest retro-focused handheld, and it channels the Gameboy Micro in all the right ways. With a 4.5-inch 1080p display with crisp, colorful visuals, the Pocket Ace looks to be roughly the same size as a standard smartphone, but with a D-pad, two analog sticks, and all the face and shoulder buttons you need to play nearly anything you want.
Ayaneo describes the device as “a true gaming-focused retro Android handheld.” It’s powered by the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, so while the processor is a bit dated, it still holds up and maintains solid, stable performance. Ayaneo claims the real-world performance of the chip rivals that of gaming smartphones.
The handheld also boasts a 6,000mAh battery and supports 40W fast charging. You’ll be able to play for hours on end and top off the charge in little to no time. That’s great for those of us who tend to forget to charge devices until the last minute.
Customization is where this handheld really shines. The buttons can be configured to match both Japanese and western layouts, and the Start/Select buttons can be placed at either the top of the bottom of the device. If you’re a gamer who chases authenticity in your retro titles, this little handheld delivers.
That said, it has plenty of modern features like haptic rumble. The vibrations let you feel everything from the rumble of an engine as you take a sharp turn in a race to the impact of a kick in Street Fighter 2. The joysticks are Hall Effect, so there’s no need to worry about stick drift.
The whole platform is managed by Ayaneo’s AYAHome software. This makes it easy to configure different performance modes, button mapping, and much more. There’s no estimated release date or price yet, but Ayaneo says the handheld is “coming soon.”
While not suited for cutting-edge AAA games, the Ayaneo Pocket Ace is a great option for playing slightly older games. Based on its specs, it should be able to handle most anything up to titles like Genshin Impact, and possibly even beyond.
