Key Takeaways
1. The Ayaneo Pocket S2 passed a 100-hour stress test without overheating or performance issues.
2. It demonstrated solid gaming performance, especially in emulation, though improvements over previous models were minor.
3. The new G3 Gen 3 chipset significantly enhanced compatibility with games and emulators, reducing the need for spoofing.
4. While graphics performance showed a 20% improvement, it raised questions about the necessity of upgrading from earlier models.
5. Build quality remained high after extensive use, although minor wear was noted on certain parts like the triggers and analog sticks.
Ayaneo Pocket S2 recently underwent a rigorous 100-hour stress evaluation conducted by Russ from Retro Game Corps. To everyone’s surprise, it did not overheat, throttle, or break down.
Performance in Gaming
Throughout the testing phase, the Ayaneo Pocket S2 demonstrated impressive performance in real-world gaming scenarios. Even though its improvement over previous Ayaneo models like the Pocket Evo and Pocket S wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, it still performed well. For instance, God of War: Chains of Olympus ran smoothly at 6x resolution through PSP emulation for more than 8 hours on eco mode. Similarly, Metal Gear Solid 3 maintained a steady performance at 3.5x upscaled resolution for 5.5 hours using PS2 emulation in balanced mode.
Handling More Demanding Games
The handheld also managed more challenging platforms effectively. Nintendo Switch emulation via the Eden emulator yielded good results, with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze operating in docked mode at 1080p resolution for nearly 5 hours. Even when playing Windows games through Winlator, it performed admirably, as Prince of Persia (2008) averaged 57 FPS at 720p high settings for 4.5 hours.
Despite these achievements, Russ pointed out that there are significant caveats. Geekbench 6 scores for the new Pocket S2 compared to the earlier Pocket Evo revealed only slight variances, with single-core performance—essential for emulation—remaining “almost identical.”
Upgrading Considerations
Although 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme tests indicated about a 20% improvement in graphics, Russ concluded it wasn’t a “huge leap” and raised doubts about whether the enhancements warranted an upgrade from prior Ayaneo models, especially considering the high price tag. He observed that “the bigger upgrade here relates more to hardware enhancements like the analog sticks and D-pad” instead of sheer computational ability.
For fans of retro gaming, the Pocket S2 excelled in key areas. Donkey Kong Country on SNES managed over 11 hours of gameplay with heavy CRT Royale shaders, highlighting impressive battery performance. However, the real advancement for the Ayaneo Pocket S2 was its compatibility. The original Pocket S featured a Snapdragon G3X Gen 2, which wasn’t widely supported, leading to significant issues with Android games and emulators. Users often had to spoof their devices just to get them to work.
Now, the new G3 Gen 3 chipset has largely resolved these compatibility issues. Russ mentioned that while the device still has spoofing capabilities for rare situations, he “did not have to use that at all” during his three weeks of testing. He noted, “most of these games have just worked perfectly out of the box with maximum settings.” The only significant exception was Diablo Immortal, which limited settings to high instead of ultra, but Russ chose to accept this limitation rather than risk account bans through spoofing.
Minor Compatibility Issues
Despite the improvements, testing did reveal some minor compatibility issues typical of early emulation stages. There were occasional frame drops during cutscenes in Super Mario Sunshine and visual glitches in newer titles like Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D Remake, which seem linked to emulator development rather than the hardware itself.
From a thermal perspective, the results appeared impressive. With the fan setting on “High” rather than “Max,” the device rarely surpassed a surface temperature of 45°C, while internal temperatures remained below 75°C even during Nintendo Switch emulation. Russ noted no instances of thermal throttling, and CPU/GPU frequency logs verified consistent performance throughout the testing period.
Build Quality Observations
Interestingly, the materials used for the hall effect sticks, face buttons, and the replaceable D-pad did not show wear after 100 hours of use. The aluminum body remained intact with no heat discoloration or warping, and the LCD screen, despite being limited to 60Hz, stayed responsive and color-accurate even after prolonged use in high-brightness mode.
However, some subtle signs of wear and tear were observed. The soft plastic casing around the triggers started to show minor scuffs, and some users might notice a slight squeak on the right analog stick if they frequently change the caps with third-party options. Be sure to check out the full Ayaneo Pocket S2 review video linked below for a comprehensive analysis.
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