AYN Thor: New Ayaneo Pocket DS Competitor Launches at $249

Key Takeaways

1. The AYN Thor is available for purchase, starting at $249 for the AYN Thor Lite model.
2. The Thor Lite features two 1080p AMOLED screens but uses the older Snapdragon 865 chipset and has a 6,000 mAh battery.
3. Higher-end Thor models (Base, Pro, Max) utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which offers better GPU support for emulation.
4. Prices for the Thor range from $249 to $429, with potential retail pricing reaching $459.
5. AYN Technologies offers various official accessories, available individually or in a pack for $50.

The AYN Thor is now ready for purchase after a brief teaser marketing. As discussed earlier, AYN Technologies aims to compete against Ayaneo and the Pocket DS. For background, Ayaneo began crowdfunding for the Pocket DS on August 18, starting at $399. This price includes a Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 chipset, 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, an 8,000 mAh battery, a main 7-inch OLED display, and a secondary 5-inch IPS display.

Differences in Pricing and Specs

In comparison, the AYN Thor starts at a lower price of $249 for the AYN Thor Lite, which has the same memory setup. Additionally, AYN Technologies has incorporated two 1080p AMOLED screens, measuring 6 inches and 3.92 inches diagonally. However, the battery capacity in the AYN Thor is less, coming in at 6,000 mAh. The Thor Lite is also equipped with the older Snapdragon 865, which finds it hard to perform beyond PlayStation 2 emulation in the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, currently priced at $269 on Amazon.

Performance Variants

On another note, the Thor’s Base, Pro, and Max models are powered by the more advanced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a chipset that AYN Technologies also uses in the Odin2 series. In theory, this chipset might seem to put these models at a disadvantage when compared to the Pocket DS. However, in practical terms, the two chipsets show little difference in synthetic tests. Moreover, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has better third-party GPU driver support which can provide an advantage in Nintendo Switch emulation.

Currently, the Thor is priced between $249 and $429, with the higher price point including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 16 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of UFS 4.0 storage. It’s important to note that AYN Technologies plans to set Retail Pricing that could raise the Thor’s price to $459. Additionally, the company offers a range of official accessories available for individual purchase or in an Accessories Pack for $50. For further details, see the images below and visit AYN Technologies’ website.

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