Ayaneo has unveiled the Pocket Vert, a premium vertical handheld built for retro fans, and the standout feature isn’t its metal body or high-resolution screen, but a smart hidden touchpad that quietly transforms how you control games.
Revealed during the company’s latest product showcase, the Pocket Vert sits at the top end of Ayaneo’s Android handheld lineup.
While its Game Boy-inspired silhouette caters to nostalgia, the Vert is more ambitious than a simple throwback. It’s built like a miniature flagship: a full CNC-milled metal shell, a unified glass front panel, and Ayaneo’s meticulous unmarked button layout carried over from the Pocket S series.
The display is unusually sharp for a retro-leaning device. The Vert uses a 3.5-inch LTPS panel at 1600×1440, delivering crisp pixel-perfect visuals that make classic titles and modern Android games look equally clean. At 615ppi, it’s one of the sharpest screens you’ll find on any handheld of this size.
Despite the retro inspiration, the form factor hides some quietly modern tricks. The headline addition is the dual-mode intelligent touchpad embedded beneath the glass. It can mimic a left or right analogue stick, switch to dual-stick mode or even operate like a mouse, giving a vertical handheld far more flexibility than the traditional D-pad-and-buttons setup usually allows.
For emulation, especially systems that assume two analogue sticks, it’s a clever solution without compromising the Vert’s minimalist exterior.
Build quality is a major focus, too. The Pocket Vert uses diamond-cut shoulder buttons, crystal-textured face buttons and a fully unified front glass panel that blends seamlessly with the chassis. The whole device measures 86.4mm × 143mm × 20.5mm, making it compact while still feeling premium.
Ayaneo hasn’t skimped on practical features either. There’s a 6000mAh battery, stereo speakers, active cooling and the company’s stronger software ecosystem via AYASpace and AYAHome, which support advanced button mapping, device spoofing and AI translation. Combined with its KONKR sub-brand handling the more value-driven end of the catalogue, the Vert clearly sits as the premium showcase for Ayaneo’s vertical handheld ambitions.
The Pocket Vert’s goal isn’t subtle: deliver a vertical handheld that feels as high-end as Ayaneo’s Pocket S series, but tailored for retro lovers who want something beautiful, portable and surprisingly capable. With its hidden touchpad, premium materials and unusually sharp display, it lands closer to a collectable than a casual emulator box.
Ayaneo hasn’t announced final pricing or release timing yet, but on design alone, the Pocket Vert is one of the most interesting retro handhelds of the year, and easily the company’s most refined take on the vertical form factor to date.
