AYANEO is getting into the Android gaming market with the reveal of the AYANEO Pocket Air.
Very little was revealed about the AYANEO Pocket Air but we do know the Android device is set to feature a high-quality OLED screen and comes equipped with hall effect joysticks and triggers.
It’ll also ship with AYASpace, the company’s custom operating system, which is due for a big update late this year.
One thing that did stick out during the press conference reveal is the mention of an “exclusive retro games database.” What this is exactly remains a mystery. Could this be some sort of operating system-level program to help organize your retro gaming library? Time will tell, but it’s always good to see companies acknowledge that their Android device will be used for emulation.
In terms of a release window, AYANEO is aiming for the second quarter of 2023. That’s interesting, too, as the AYANEO Slide is also due for a Q2 release, and the company said a conference will be held in February to reveal more info about that device. It’s possible, then, that we could have more info on the AYANEO Pocket Air in the coming months.
Update: You can now sign up to be notified of any new updates over on the AYANEO Pocket Air IndieGoGo page.
The reveal of the AYANEO Pocket Air comes alongside the announcement of the company’s next run of consoles, the AYANEO Air and the AYANEO Slide, the latter of which features a slide-out keyboard and will use AMD tech.
It goes without saying the Android gaming market is filled to the brim with devices. Not only will AYANEO be going head to head with the likes of Anbernic, there’s also the Logitech G Cloud, which despite its lofty price is a quality product.
That means to be in with a chance of winning over the public the AYANEO Pocket Air needs to be priced reasonably. The Logitech G Cloud is an amazing bit of tech but the price – just $50 less than a Steam Deck – instantly put people off. Android gaming devices on the whole work best when they’re affordable. Up to PS2 emulation shouldn’t be massively pricey, otherwise you may as well buy a handheld PC that can run up to PS3.
Price, as always, is sure to be the deciding factor here.
