Ayn Odin Handheld Review

The AYN Odin has been crowned as one of the top contenders in the handheld gaming space. Its price point makes it still accessible and the features that it offers are truly next level for retro gamers.

It’s well-designed and contains some powerful hardware under the hood. Many have drawn comparisons to the Nintendo Switch Lite aesthetically, but the Ayn Odin can do much more than just play one console’s games.

Internally, it’s equipped with what you’d expect to see inside of an Android phone or tablet, making it a pretty powerful handheld gaming device. In this Ayn Oden handheld review, we’ll be breaking down the device, its features, and whether or not you should pick one up.

What Is The Odin Handheld?

The Odin handheld is a portable gaming console that uses the Android OS and is perfect for emulating games. It has impressive specs for its price point and the build quality is top-notch.

Who is AYN?

In case you weren’t aware, AYN is the company behind the AYN Odin. The Odin originally was revealed in its Indiegogo campaign that was successfully funded by over 12,000 backers and raised roughly $4.2 million. They then went on to regularly update all of the backers as time went on, providing updated information as progress was made.

AYN Odin Lite Specs

The Lite version of the handheld has a Dimensity D1000G 2GHz CPU and ARM Mali-G57 MC5 GPU. It also comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

There’s a 6″ LCD touchscreen display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and micro HDMI port. The OS is Android 11 there is also Bluetooth 5.0 capability. You’re looking at a 5000mAh battery which charges using a USB Type-C cable.

AYN Odin Pro Specs

The AYN Odin Pro has an octa-core Snapdragon SD845 processor with four Kyro Silver cores clocked at 1.8GHz and four Kyro Gold cores clocked at 2.8GHz. There’s also an Adreno 630 GPU clocked at 787 MHz, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage included.

The screen is a 6″ LCD touchscreen display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. This device also has HDMI out, Bluetooth 5.0, runs on the Android 11 OS, contains a 6000mAh battery, and has USB Type-C charging.

Build Quality

To start, the AYN Odin has a very comfortable grip on it. It has a nice classy matte finish that doesn’t attract or show off fingerprints and in terms of weight, it’s not too heavy or too light.

Size-wise, the Ayn Odin is essentially exactly the same as the Nintendo Switch Lite. We already touched on weight a bit, but a good reference is that the Odin weighs about the same as the Switch Lite as well. Where the Odin really shines though is the design of its curved body and with its grips on the back, this device is incredibly comfortable to hold during long gaming sessions. It may not be quite as tiny as the FunKey S handheld, but its size is perfect for staying comfortable during longer gaming sessions.

It has a nice-sized 6” 1080p display which is very easy to see in any amount of light. On each side, you will notice blue LED lights that light up the sides of the handheld and underneath the analogue sticks. These sticks have R3 and L3 buttons that are nicely seated and easily accessible while playing

Matter of fact, all of the buttons on the handheld feel good to press and have nice feedback. They feel very similar to what you’d get with a PS5 or Xbox controller. There’s also a home button and start and select buttons. The D-PAD is very well done and the domed design feels quite modern and classy.

The four shoulder buttons are on the top. R2 and L2 buttons are slightly flared are stick out just a tiny bit. The one downside is that when pressed in, they don’t have that clicky feedback.

In the center of the device on the top, you’ll find the power button along with the volume button, the HDMI port, and the microSD card slot.

The back has some vents for active cooling and some extra back triggers that can be mapped and used in games as well. There are a few different color options available and different styled designs.

Emulation Quality

Now let’s get into the juicy part that a lot of readers will want to know; what’s the emulation quality like on the Ayn Odin?

First things first, the device has three performance modes that you can choose from. Depending on which mode you choose will determine the level of quality that you get when emulating your games. The mode types are standard, performance, and high performance mode and you can easily switch between them by swiping down on the screen, while playing a game, and while viewing the Android toolbar.

When emulating simpler systems like the Gameboy, NES, SNES, Game Gear, Mega Drive, and even some PS1 games, the standard mode will be all you need to result in great performance and solid framerates. Once you move on up to the more difficult systems to emulate like the Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, and the Gamecube, you’ll want to switch on over to performance mode to ensure you’re giving the device the necessary power.

For reference, this handheld was even able to emulate tons of PS2 games just fine and achieve fantastic performance across the board. It also handled Wii games, N64 games, and SEGA Saturn games like an absolute champ. The main difference between the Ayn Odin handheld and some of the cheaper options out there is that for the price, this thing is a beast and emulating most games on it is incredibly simple to do.

In terms of quality, this thing ran games nearly flawlessly.

How Much Is It?

As mentioned previously, there are three different models of the Odin handheld. There’s the Lite, Base, and Pro models and each comes at a different price point.

The Lite mode is obviously the cheapest and starts at $199. The Base model costs $239 and the Pro model is $289.

Considering how powerful this thing is, it’s incredibly affordable and honestly one of the best handheld emulators you can buy. Many retro handhelds on the market that cost similarly simply can’t handle the systems that the Odin can.

Also, be sure to check out our Analogue Pocket review for more handheld gaming goodness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the differences between Ayn Odin Pro and Odin Base?

The Pro and Base models vary a bit in terms of pricing and what they offer. The Pro has a faster processor, more RAM, and a larger battery than Basemodel. Additionally, the Pro has a built-in cooling system that helps to prevent overheating during extended gaming sessions.

Is Ayn Odin Pro worth the investment?

If you are looking for a perfect handheld to emulate just about every single retro console and system, the Pro is absolutely worth it. It should be mentioned that this beast of a handheld is running Android OS and can play Android games as well.

The simplicity that it offers for retro games is unmatched unless if you increase your price by a few hundred dollars and go pick up a Steam Deck instead. However, given the Odin’s price point, even the Pro is reasonably priced and well worth the value you’ll get out of it.

What are the specs of Ayn Odin Pro?

The Ayn Odin Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, which is one of the most powerful mobile processors on the market. It has 16GB of RAM and a 6.65-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. It also has a 6000mAh battery which has a solid battery life and lasts for up to 8 hours depending on the games you play and your emulator settings.

Can Ayn Odin Pro be used for gaming?

The Odin Pro was specifically designed to be used for gaming. It has a built-in cooling system that helps to prevent overheating during longer gaming sessions. It even has a dedicated gaming mode that is optimized for performance while playing games.