Essentially the most {powerful} Android handheld

In terms of actually premium Android gaming handhelds, AYANEO virtually owns the market. Its units are admitedly area of interest in comparison with the likes of Retroid and ANBERNIC, however they provide premium units with efficiency that blows away the competitors.

So when it was introduced that the Pocket S2 can be one of many first devies to get the Qualcomm’s new handheld-focused G collection chips, I used to be instantly intrigued. May this be the primary of a brand new technology of extremely {powerful} Android gaming handhelds?

After per week of testing, I’m assured that the reply is sure. Does that imply it’s best to really purchase it? That’s nonetheless up for debate.

Earlier than I get to the chipset, let’s discuss concerning the design of the AYANEO Pocket S2. At first look, the all glass entrance and flat form-factor make it look an terrible lot like a cellphone, which doesn’t sound like excellent news for ergonomics.

However I’m joyful to say that it really feels nice to carry. The aluminum body is completely curved and clean, with the plastic again offering a bit of additional grip in your fingers. It makes use of the identical flat design philosophy because the Nintendo Swap, however with a extra premium construct.

The opposite factor that makes it snug to carry are the stacked triggers. Just like the Nintendo Swap, they flare out from the again, and supply a pleasant little ledge to relaxation your fingers on. They’re way more pronounced than the triggers on my OG Swap, and the triggers themselves have a pleasant, grippy texture.

In contrast to the Swap, the remainder of the controls are additionally nice. The buttons provide a satisfying quantity of resistance, though I did discover them a bit on the small facet. The sticks are additionally on the smaller facet and I’d extremely advocate choosing up greater stick caps or changing the sticks altogether in the event you’re going to play FPS video games. They pop proper off, so it’s a fast repair.

Dimension apart, they’re high-end TMR electromagnetic sticks. This know-how is basically the successor to Corridor impact sticks, offering most of the similar advantages however with higher precision, decision, and battery effectivity. I’m certain these won’t ever drift as badly as my Swap sticks do, even after changing them as soon as.

The D-pad, alternatively, is ideal. It’s an absolute pleasure to make use of, and in the event you swing for the Pocket S2 Professional, it comes with a second, shield-style different. There’s a small device to pluck out the D-pad to put in the opposite one, and it’s simply as straightforward as swapping the keys on a mechanical keyboard. It’s utterly pointless and nobody else does it, nevertheless it does spark pleasure.

Talking of sparking pleasure, the Pocket S2 marks the return of a fan favourite characteristic: a headphone jack. I’m glad AYANEO determined to take heed to the followers on this one, as a result of it doesn’t make a lot sense to omit them on gaming handhelds. On telephones you possibly can argue it helps with water resistance, however I’m not taking the Pocket S2 anyplace near the pool, irrespective of how scorching it will get this summer time.

My solely grievance, apart from the smaller sticks, is the display screen. It’s a stunning, 6.3-inch 1440p IPS show with nice colours and brightness, however at this value, it feels prefer it needs to be extra. Don’t get me fallacious, I like gaming on this display screen, however OLED needs to be the usual right here. Or on the very least, a 120hz refresh-rate to allow black body insertion on retro titles. That’s obtainable on cheaper units just like the Odin 2 Portal and even the ANBERNIC RG 477M.

Nonetheless, the entire bundle appears to be like and feels premium. It’s additionally comparatively gentle for the dimensions, weighing in at 440g. That’s similar to the Odin 2 Portal (430g) and considerably lower than one thing just like the Steam Deck OLED, which weighs a whopping 640g.

Clearly the Steam Deck is a distinct class of machine, however there’s a cause I’m evaluating them, and it’s as a result of the Pocket S2 packs far more energy than some other Android handheld launched till now.

I ran the Pocket S2 via our normal suite of benchmarks, and it confirmed what I already knew: this factor is a beast. Let’s evaluate the scores to different standard handhelds, together with the AYANEO Pocket ACE (Snapdragon G3 Gen 2), AYN Odin 2 Portal (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2), ONEXSUGAR SUGAR 1 (additionally the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3), and the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 (Snapdragon 865).

By way of multi-core CPU efficiency, we’re a greater than 25% enhance over the earlier chief, the AYN Odin 2 Portal. It even outperforms the SUGAR 1, which has the identical chipset. That machine has two screens and a less-than-ideal cooling setup, nevertheless it may be chalked as much as AYANEO’s years of expertise with Android handhelds.

Transferring on to GPU efficiency, we see much more drastic outcomes. The Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is basically a gaming-oriented Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, so it is sensible that it outperforms the competitors. Nonetheless, I wasn’t anticipating the delta to be so giant. It scored 20% greater than the Pocket ACE, and greater than 40% greater than the Odin 2 Portal. Evidently, the Retroid Pocket Flip 2’s older chipset is totally outclassed right here.

It isn’t straightforward to see within the graphs, however the G3 Gen 3 on the Pocket S2 additionally made features when it comes to sustained efficiency. These exams charge units for stability, basically evaluating the very best and worst outcomes after 20 runs, and the G3 Gen 3 scored roughly 91%. That’s up from 85% on its predecessor, however nonetheless lower than the 99% on mainline chips.

Temperatures had been additionally properly inside management, peaking at simply 42 levels celcius. In comparison with 46 levels on the Pocket ACE, that’s remarkably cool. These temperatures are additionally centered within the heart of the machine, so I by no means felt any warmth on my palms whereas holding it.

In different phrases, it’s the brand new strongest Android gaming handheld in the marketplace by a heathly margin when trying on the uncooked information. However how does it carry out in Android video games and emulators? Spoiler: additionally nice.

This factor ran actually the whole lot I may throw at it. Clearly retro video games play like a dream, even with very heavy shaders. Revisiting a few of my favourite retro titles with the CRT-Royale shader is an unbelievable expertise, even with the black bars on the perimeters. PS2 with widescreen hacks additionally ran at 3X decision with out breaking a sweat.

In terms of extra trendy stuff, it nonetheless will get the job carried out. I used to be really shocked how properly Nintendo Swap emulation labored on this machine. Practically each sport was playable, together with some titles that don’t work on the earlier technology of {powerful} handhelds. It’s nonetheless not excellent and video games nonetheless play higher on authentic {hardware}, however that is the primary time that I wouldn’t thoughts enjoying via a whole Swap sport on non-Swap {hardware}.

For these sorts of emulators, all of it actually comes right down to drivers. When the Snapdragon G3 Gen 2 debuted on the Pocket EVO and DMG, it was a significant challenge, even with Android video games. Now, it’s a complete non-issue. You’ll be able to spoof different units in settings, however I doubt you’ll ever have to.

AYANEO introduced that it’s working intently with Qualcomm on drivers beginning with this launch, and it actually reveals right here. The corporate additionally despatched check units (together with the Pocket S2) to the builders behind the Nintendo Swap emulator Eden, which could clarify why it really works so properly proper out of the field.

I’ll additionally word that this chipset is nice for sport streaming, with WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 supported. Nonetheless, the smaller sticks on the Pocket S2 made it a bit of uncomfortable to play trendy PC video games, so I wouldn’t essentially advocate it for that. There are cheaper units with bigger sticks that carry out each bit as properly.

One other huge promoting level for the Pocket S2 is battery life. The usual mannequin comes with a large 8,000mAh battery, whereas the Professional mannequin ups that to 10,000mAh. That was sufficient for properly over 5 hours of intense gaming, or greater than a dozen in lighter retro titles.

Charging can also be speedy, leaping from 20% to 90% in about 75 minutes. The 60W max charging speeds I examined are unique to the Professional mannequin, nevertheless, with the usual maxing out at 40W. Even so, you gained’t have to spend a lot time tethered to a charger with the Pocket S2.

Whereas I used to be very impressed all through my testing interval with this machine, the occasions of the previous week have made it significantly tougher to advocate. Don’t get me fallacious, it’s a unbelievable machine and you’ll most likely like it in the event you determine to purchase it, however the premium price ticket is hard to abdomen, particularly when AYANEO itself is releasing compelling alternate options.

The usual model of the AYANEO Pocket S2 comes with 8-12GB of RAM and 128-256GB of inner storage. The Professional mannequin bumps that as much as 16GB of RAM and 512GB-1TB of storage, plus a bigger battery and a swappable D-pad. Personally, I believe the bottom tier of the Professional mannequin is the very best worth, because you’ll have the ability to play the whole lot on the highest high quality. That stated, it’s going to run you $559 throughout the crowdfunding marketing campaign, and $619 retail. That’s properly into Home windows handheld territory when it comes to pricing.

The issue is that until you completely want the utmost quantity of energy, there are many units that value loads much less or have extra fascinating designs. Simply this week AYANEO introduced the dual-screened Pocket DS, which has the earlier G3 Gen 2 however pairs it with a large 7-inch 165Hz OLED panel and a 5-inch LCD panel on the underside. That makes it a particularly distinctive handheld, and though full pricing hasn’t been revealed, we already understand it’s going to be cheaper than the Pocket 2S.

It additionally introduced a sub-brand known as KONKR, and its first machine, the Pocket FIT, appears to be like like a stable different to the Pocket S2. It has a 6-inch 144Hz LCD show, and it’s powered by the the identical G3 Gen 3 because the Pocket S2. Which means you will get the identical unbelievable efficiency for what is going to certainly over 100 {dollars} much less, though there can be different tradeoffs in construct high quality.

Neither of these merchandise have launched but, so that you gained’t have the ability to get your palms on them till fall or winter. We additionally don’t have all the particulars but, so there could also be downsides that make the Pocket S2 look extra engaging in hindsight.

Outdoors of AYANEO’s choices, you’ve bought dependable units just like the AYN Odin 2 Portal ($329 at Producer website). You’re buying and selling the additional energy of the newer chipset for a 120Hz AMOLED show, albeit at 1080p as an alternative of 1440p. That machine has been obtainable for greater than six months now, so you could find it for $200 lower than the Pocket S2.

That stated, in the event you do need energy, the AYANEO Pocket S2 is probably the most {powerful} Android gaming handheld you will get proper now. This machine is on the absolute bleeding fringe of efficiency, and in the event you can’t look ahead to different units to catch up, your finest guess is to purchase one earlier than the crowdfunding marketing campaign ends in mid-August.