Ayaneo has steadily built a reputation over the years for high-quality Windows-based consoles that, while pricey, offer exceptional performance in a small package. The Ayaneo Pocket Air is the company’s first attempt at building an Android console. While it might not be groundbreaking, it’s a fantastic way to enjoy thebest native Android gamesand emulated classics.
The Ayaneo Pocket Air is built with Ayaneo’s attention to detail in mind, but the software feels incomplete. While veterans of emulating retro games can work their way around the console, newcomers will be hindered by unintuitive menus and incomplete software. Nevertheless, it’s a great addition to the growing roster ofhigh-quality Android handheld consoles.
Ayaneo Pocket Air
The Ayaneo Pocket Air can handle emulated or native Android games with ease. While its software could use a few more updates to help newcomers, it is nevertheless one of the best Android gaming consoles on the market.
Price and availability
Expensive, but there are plenty of options
The Ayaneo Pocket Air was funded by an Indiegogo campaign, where the various models were available between $299 and $459. While a few consoles are still available at this price, it will eventually retail at $319 for the 6GB RAM / 128GB storage option, $429 for the 8G / 256GB option, and $519 for the 12GB / 512GG option.
The Ayaneo Pocket Air is available worldwide through the Ayaneo Store and its Indiegogo page.
Design and display
Comfortable and retro design
The Ayaneo Pocket Air uses the same chassis as the Ayaeno Air Standard, with little modification. However, we’re grateful that the company decided to stick with this design as the Ayaneo Air featured everything we want from an Android handheld gaming console.
The Pocket Air is roughly the same size as a Nintendo Switch Lite and follows a near-identical button layout. It’s also surprisingly light at 380g; thanks to this and the rounded grip, I didn’t feel any strain on my wrists or hands after long sessions. While I would have liked to see a textured grip on the rear of the console, this didn’t feel like a significant drawback while gaming.
The Switch-style layout of the Pocket Air’s buttons, joysticks, and triggers is functional, but offset joysticks and face buttons would have been an excellent touch on a premium console. As someone with large hands, even the slightest offset makes a big difference.
The Pocket Air features a few extra buttons that are handy during emulation. Two are found on the bottom left of the console’s face, which I bound to the equivalent of “Menu” or “Select” found on modern console controllers. The other two are hidden next to the LB and RB shoulder buttons. These programmable buttons help navigate the console’s menu or for mapping actions for individual games.
However, the most noticeable of these is the Aya button in the bottom right, which brings up a helpful overlay allowing you to see performance stats, tweak controller settings, and program the trigger actions found in Android’s Quick Tiles menu.
The Pocket Air adds a few touches to the console that helps it feel like a premium device. Hall-effect joysticks and triggers are always excellent to see, and the power button features a fingerprint sensor that means you may turn on and unlock the console in a single press. It’s a small but significant feature. It’s also surprisingly responsive; unlikemost Android gaming phonesI’ve used over the years, the Pocket Air never misread my fingerprint during testing.
The rear of the console features a large vent for sucking cool air in, which is then ejected from a smaller vent on the top of the device. Thanks to the rounded grips, your fingers won’t obscure the intake vent.
The bottom of the console features dual stereo speakers, a USB-C port, and a micro-SD slot. A problem I’ve encountered in other handheld consoles is the poor placement of speakers that my hands block, but thankfully, the Pocket Air’s dual stereo speakers don’t fall under my hands while holding the device.
The joysticks feature LED rings, which you can toggle through various colors and modes. While it’s an interesting touch, they seem like a holdover feature that doesn’t quite mesh with the retro aesthetic.
The Pocket Air comes in one color, white, with red and beige accents. It’s meant to inspire nostalgia for older consoles, like the Famicom. While previous Ayaneo consoles go further with this idea (notably the Air 1S), I’m thankful for the restrained style, as too much beige can look dirty. This isn’t just an aesthetic choice either; it indicates that this is a console designed to play retro games first and foremost.
The 5.5-inch 1080p OLED screen is stunning. While I would have liked to see a larger screen without a thick black border, there’s no doubt the screen offers brilliant contrast while still retaining the ability to be used in direct sunlight. It performed equally well, whether running native Android games like Genshin Impact or upscaling retro Gameboy Advance titles.
Incomplete but promising
The Ayaneo Pocket Air uses a modified version ofAndroid 12for its OS. While the changes to stock Android don’t go much beyond a custom home screen, these tweaks help the device feel more like a console than an Android phone with a controller (looking at you Razer Edge).
It’s worth stating just how significant Android is for this console. The Pocket Air can install any app or game from the Play Store, which has accumulated a variety of emulators covering a wide selection of consoles. While Google has blocked some popular emulation apps like RetroArch from the Play Store, APKs are out there. Yes, a Windows-based Ayaneo console will offermore functionality over a device running Android. Still, the advantage of Android is that you can install and play emulators and native Android games or even dip into streamed games with minimal fuss. With the user-friendly features Ayaneo has added on top of the OS, it’s easy to see the potential for this device.
You’ll interact with the Pocket Air through AyaHome, a minimalistic launcher displaying favorited apps/games in a neat row at the top of the home screen. You can also access all apps from the grid below, but once you’ve set up the console to your preferences, this is where you’ll spend most of your time.
Like any Android device, the Pocket Air is touch-screen enabled. Still, you’ll undoubtedly want to enable gesture navigation to avoid mistakes when tapping on the on-screen keyboard alongside the navbar. It’s simple to navigate to your games; while I would have liked to see more customization options on the home screen, I respect that Ayaneo prioritized gaming-related features instead of unnecessary widgets. That said, the ability to customize the app drawer wallpaper would have been a nice touch, as the bleak blue/black is a little dull.
On top of the AyaHome launcher, the Pocket Air features two more gaming-related apps. The QuickTool function is an easy way to access performance stats and tools, and the AyaSpace app offers a dedicated launcher for emulated games. Unfortunately, this app interrupted my otherwise fantastic experience with the Pocket Air.
Anyone who’s tinkered with emulating retro games should know things can get complicated quickly. The AyaSpace app is designed to be a single platform for all your emulated games, displaying box art and game information in easy-to-navigate menus. Unfortunately, unless you’re experienced with managing custom retro game libraries, you’ll likely be stumped by the app. Considering its front-and-center placement on the Pocket Air’s home screen, I’m surprised Ayaneo didn’t put more effort into making AyaSpace more accommodating to users.
If you’re new to emulating retro games, I highly recommend skipping AyaSpace in favor of launchers like RetroArch. While the AyaSpace app is entirely optional, it’s easy to see how people could immediately become frustrated shortly after turning on the console for the first time. Ayaneo has promised that a cloud game database is in the works to simplify game management, but if you’re unfamiliar, you’ll want to stick withtried-and-tested Android emulators.
But then again, the beauty of Android means that you’re able to customize the console to suit how you like to play games, whether through the AyaSpace app or individual emulator apps.
Performance and hardware
Perfect hardware for emulation
All models of the Ayaneo Pocket Air feature the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset. While this is a significant downgrade from the AMD Ryzen chips found in Ayaneo’s more expensive Windows consoles, it’s plenty for handling emulated games from the PS2 era or earlier.
While pushing handheld consoles to their limits is always fun, I focused on the retro part of the name, testing emulators for consoles like the PSP and Gameboy Advance. The Pocket Air easily handled everything I threw at it, managing a smooth 60FPS in all my favorite classic games.
Of course, this is an Android device, so you may also access games on the Play Store. After cranking the graphic settings to maximum, I tested some of themost demanding Android gamesI could dig up and managed a steady 60FPS in Genshin Impact.
If native games aren’t your thing, you can stream games through apps like Xbox Game Pass. Connectivity is the name of the game here, and I was pleased to find I could play multiple rounds of Halo Infinite without stuttering on my home Wi-Fi connection.
This connectivity is made possible thanks to the Pocket Air’s Wi-Fi 6 support, which is also handy if you’re downloading emulated games directly to the console. Thanks to the dual SIM card slots, you can also game on the go with a data connection. However, I can’t see myself buying a separate phone plan just to use this console when I don’t have a Wi-Fi connection.
The Pocket Air also offers Bluetooth 5.2 support. This is another area where Android comes in handy; I could install the Pixel Buds app toenjoy all the features of my Pixel Buds Pro, something I couldn’t do on a Windows handheld.
But if wireless headphones aren’t your style, the Pocket Air offers a 3.5mm headphone jack. A single USB-C port handles the console’s charging and data transfer.
Battery life
Ideal for long journeys
The Ayaneo Pocket Air boasts a hefty 7350mAh battery. Many variables will significantly change what you experience here, but overall, I was impressed by the console’s battery life.
Activating the Pocket Air’s Game Mode (prioritizing performance over battery life) and loading up a PSP emulator got us about three hours of playtime. On the other end of the spectrum, playing less intensive emulators with careful screen brightness management and battery-saver mode enabled should get you around five hours. Again, depending on what emulators you use, your battery life can vary significantly.
Competition
Other Android consoles offer better hardware
For all that we love about the Ayaneo Pocket Air, $320 is a lot of money for an Android console designed for retro gaming. Many retro consoles retail for half this price, and you don’t need to spend much more for better hardware. What you’re paying for in the Ayaneo Pocket Air is the premium build and software tricks, but it faces some stiff competition.
The Retroid Pocket 3+ might not be as ergonomic as the Pocket Air, but at $180, it’s significantly more affordable. The Retroid Pocket 3+ can easily handle older emulated consoles and play Android games. If you’re looking for a console to while away a couple of hours at a time with a classic Pokemon title, it’s a much better option.
On the other end of the spectrum, theRazer Edgeis a $400 Android handheld console that offers the best performance out of any console we’ve tested. It’s not as ergonomic as the Pocket Air, and the bizarre 20:9 screen ratio is frustrating, but you may’t do much better for raw performance.
Should you buy?
The Ayaneo Pocket Air is expensive, but you get what you pay for. While we have a few gripes about the software, Ayaneo has promised to include missing features in future updates.
The Pocket Air offers retro gamers a platform capable of running emulated or Android games without a hiccup, packaged alongside cleverly designed software and a chassis that is better than most consoles we’ve tested at this price point. It’s a premium device at heart, but we think the high price is justified.
If you’re willing to pay the price, you’ll find that the Ayaneo Pocket Air has everything you need to enjoy emulated, native, and streamed games. While we wish its software was a little more user-friendly, it’s easily one of the best Android platforms to play retro games on.
