Earlier this year, AYANEO announced its newest handheld gaming device called the Pocket S, and now the device is ready to launch. The Pocket S is a flagship handheld gaming device for the company running on Android. So unlike the ASUS ROG Ally, Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion GO, or MSI Claw, it’s primarily meant for mobile games. You can also use it to play games in the cloud using apps like Xbox Game Pass or GeForce NOW.
The device runs on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon G3x Gen2 chipset. So it’s more than capable of handling any Android games you can throw at it. When it was initially revealed back in February, AYANEO didn’t have any information regarding price or its exact availability. Now, the company has announced both of those things. If you’re in the market for a handheld that’s dedicated to Android games, the AYANEO Pocket S serves that purpose and then some.
The AYANEO Pocket S launch is live, shipping begins in May
If you’re new to AYANEO’s strategy of product launches, all of its devices, or at least most of them, go through crowdfunding on Indiegogo. The company has already more than met its goal. That means it’ll be shipping the Pocket S sometime next month. It is worth keeping in mind, however, that AYANEO says May 2024 is the estimated shipping time. So there is a small chance it could always be pushed out.
The device comes in both Black and White color options, and there are four models. This includes a unit with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, as well as three models featuring 16GB of RAM. One of those will come with 512GB of storage, while the other two will feature 1TB, and one of the two 1TB models will be the “Unmarked Edition” that comes with minimalist unmarked buttons.
Pricing starts at $439
Pricing varies based on the model you get but starts at a reasonable $439 if you get the early bird price. It can go all the way up to $659 though. You’ll also want to remember that these aren’t the full retail prices. The retail prices start at $589, then go up to $699, $759, and $799 for the subsequent models. While the handheld does look very nice, you might want to consider what you get for the cost.
The Pocket S won’t play PC games natively. And chances are you have a phone that could play the same Android and cloud games just as well. You can even slap on a controller like the Razer Kishi Ultra for that next-level feel. There’s also the consideration that depending on what you want, you could easily get a ROG Ally for around the same price. A Steam Deck for even less. Still, if you want a dedicated Android handheld, you probably won’t find one better than what AYANEO is offering here. If you’re interested in picking one up, you can reserve yours on the official campaign page.