TL;DR
- AYANEO has revealed specs and pricing for its first budget handheld, the Pocket AIR Mini.
- With a modest MediaTek G90T SoC, the cheapest configuration starts at just $70.
- The specs are weak, but AYANEO promises full compatibility with PS1, N64, and Dreamcast, plus some GameCube and PS2.
After weeks of teasers, AYANEO has finally given us a full look at its upcoming budget handheld, the Pocket AIR Mini. And unlike its previous “value” releases like the $239 KONKR Pocket FIT, this one comes in at well under $100.
Sporting a MediaTek G90T SoC and 2GB or 3GB of RAM, the Pocket AIR Mini is far from the company’s premium, flagship products. And the pricing reflects that.
This is AYANEO’s cheapest handheld, and one of the cheapest Android handhelds on the market.
Pricing for the 2+32GB model will have limited-time pricing of $69.99. The 3+64GB model starts at $79.99 during that period. Those figures increase to $74.99 and $84.99, respectively, for the regular early-bird period, and $89.99 and $99.99 for final retail pricing.
That’s shockingly affordable for an Android gaming handheld. The specs are limited, but the company claims it is fully compatible with PS1, N64, Dreamcast, and Sega Saturn, with limited compatibility for PS2 and GameCube titles.
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Apart from the price, the real selling point of the Pocket AIR Mini is the screen. This is a new 4:3, 4.2-inch LCD that offers perfect 4x upscaling of PS1 and N64 and perfect 2x upscaling of Dreamcast. That aspect ratio reduces letterboxing on both 3:2 systems, like the GBA, and 16:9 systems, like the PSP. It also features two inset Hall effect sticks in a symmetrical layout, which should be relatively easy to slip into a pocket.
However, the budget handheld ships with Android 11. That may limit compatibility with certain games and emulators.
It follows other cheap Android handhelds like the MANGMI Air X, which is set to launch this month at $79.99 early bird, $89.99 retail. That device has a 16:9 screen, Snapdragon 662, 4GB of RAM, and Android 14. Apart from that, other Android handhelds around this price point are years out of date at this point.
Pre-orders for the Pocket AIR Mini will begin in mid-October for international customers. You can sign up on the official page to receive a notification when pre-orders start, plus a free screen protector if you decide to order.
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