AYANEO Pocket DMG - Emulation BEAST!

[@NerdNest]

Check out my controller breakdown - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWimoI1opNWVnMU

[@roadrash2005]

I already had this ordered, when you compare it to a modded gameboy with an ever drive it’s not too expensive

[@gospelofrye6881]

Oh no the controller broke down?!

[@Guapomirei]

@@NerdNest do you have any information when it will be released? The original release date in November was cancelled, right?

[@upl0aded136]

Great review, but that price is ridiculous.

[@Omar_Little]

$700 is hilarious

[@seethruhead7119]

it's literally $340

[@xtro7355]

@@seethruhead7119 That's for the base model with 128gb storage and 8gb ram. The 1TB storage/16GB ram is $675US

[@pcbrownohio1110]

A month ago you recommended a game called Iron Meat. Thank you!!!!! I took your advice and have been loving it!!!

[@NerdNest]

That game is so damn good.

[@nathanxbond]

I would honestly still prefer my miyoo mini. You can only make these old games look and run so good and we already get it for like 60 bucks with an amazing custom OS. Oh and we get the Gameboy DMG color way at no additional cost. That ridiculous thing cost as much if not more than a PS5. Please make that make sense.

[@DeathJerrie]

I really like the Pocket DMG design wise. It is one of the most beautiful and powerful handhelds out there. If money was no issue I would get one in a heartbeat. Sadly for the price it's not very competitive.

[@willlawson6126]

I don't really think this one was brought out to be competitive what to take a huge chunk of the market.....a boutique option if you will. Kinda how SNK look at the Neo Geo AES releasing at $650 at a time when news stations across the country had Mom's crying about the fact the SNES was $200 in stead of $100 like the NES was AND the Mom's were mad it needed different games. 🤷

[@KatDoomsong]

@@willlawson6126 I feel like boutique pretty much describes Ayaneo. I love that they're willing to try different things, but in practice I can't justify the money for what they put out. I'm currently waiting on my Odin 2 Portal, and while it is also expensive, I feel like it will do exactly what I want it to do, without the interesting, but flawed experiments. (I'm looking at you trackpad.) Actually, watching Retro Game Corps reviews, I think "Interesting, but Flawed" could be their motto. Lol, Ayaneo does help me justify AYN prices though, so there's that.

[@Guapomirei]

Ordered the special edition. Cant wait to get it in my hands.

[@wingn3849]

Doesn’t pass “the can get thrown into a bag and played in public without worries.” And well, with that much power, they really needed a second stick.

[@Kumodot]

That’s cool and I love handhelds but my holy grail is the steamdeck. I just stopped collecting handhelds after it.

[@roadrash2005]

I have one too but it’s a little heavy, I can’t play on my back like I could with a game boy, and sometimes my hands fall asleep and get pins and needles from holding it.

[@cow77cow]

My perfect balance is steam deck oled and a Miyoo mini plus.

[@SteveWellsNZ]

FWIW - If you do get a macro lens, get a polarising filter as well, it'll remove screen glare entirely in many cases. Great review.

[@jonathonearl482]

Nice review. I also love how sleek this handheld is along with having two stereo speakers on the top sides just like the Analogue Pocket!

[@regis4204]

3.5 jack missing😢

[@sedasauce5030]

i see sooo much hate in the comments of like every video about this handheld but im actually hype asf to get mine. my first Snapdragon gx2 handheld. skipped odin 2 since ive been using a GPD Xp plus as my main android handheld.

[@colinmartin9797]

Its actually a range of prices, some quite reasonable. The issue is they locked the only good colorway behind yhe $700 ripoff one.

[@shirokuro73]

I'm really tempted by this device. I think it looks gorgeous! I wish the GB colours were available in the lower end versions, I can't justify nearly $700 to get that colour. I'd never need 1TB of storage since I could just put in a micro-SD card. I may get a base model, the white looks amazing too IMO. The thing is, I have soooooo many of these devices, even a couple of high end ones like the Odin 2 and the Analogue Pocket. It's like with each of them there's something that takes it down from being perfect. With the odin 2, it's bigger than I would like, and I don't like the placement of the D-Pad. With the Pocket, the controls are wobbly and don't feel solid. So, yeah, I'm talking myself into one of these, and your review is not helping my wallet LOL!

[@NerdNest]

HAHA, sorry!

[@mariomarino4205]

I like this device and design too. I also like the idea of the touchpad

[@djmorris666]

THANKS a lot for the review. As you said, a shame that they are hiding the dmg color behind the high price

[@damiengrief]

Thinking of picking up a base model white one of these. Starts at $350. Still expensive but not insane like the $675 one. I don't think it needs anything more than the base specs. 8 GB of RAM and the base storage is fine (especially since it has a microSD card slot to expand). I don't think you won't be doing Switch gaming on here with the single stick anyway. I'm a sucker for premium devices like this. It feels like with the cheaper ones, they're just temporary until the next better cheap device comes out. I also have an Analogue Pocket that I love and use when I want to use physical cartridges. It'd be nice to have a device with that level of premium feel that I can keep for years for emulation, too. Android has so many pros and cons. I wish things could be configured out of the box like the Linux OS handhelds are - even all the way up to GameCube. It's nice to be able to choose my front end, but it's sometimes harder to get things feeling as cohesive compared to the Linux experience. Unfortunately, if they went Linux on high end devices, it'd defeat the purpose since there isn't really any support for higher end systems in the Linux OSes.

[@hywel4767]

Everything that can be played and enjoyed perfectly on this can be emulated using the cores on the Analogue Pocket. Everything this can play that the Analogue Pocket cant such as GameCube, PS2 and N64 require more compatible controls than the Pocket DMG has. A large amount of the GameCube library and PS2 for that matter require analogue triggers, the Pocket DMG has digital shoulder triggers. The touchpad for C stick on GC or right analogue stick for ps2 will be such a downgrade on actually having a second stick. Not to mention the lack of buttons for the N64. You could buy an oled steam deck for GC, PS2 and tons more and still afford to buy an Analogue Pocket for the cost of the Pocket DMG. Thats absolutely bonkers

[@shino56]

Great review. I would love a video that showed how well this can be used docked. I know you need a 3rd party app to correct the aspect ratio but I am wondering about performance.

[@SlickSmooth207]

Can’t wait for mine to show. They just asked me what color bag I want.

[@JohnDoe-ef3wo]

Beautiful device. A little steep for me, but if I had a little more expendable income i wouldn't hesitate to buy this its so well done. ❤❤

[@TMoneyMKE]

Thanks for the video! I have the classic DMG on preorder and I can't wait to have it in my hands

[@zackbob6]

I understand that it is the "premium" option and won't sell the volume of cheaper devices, etc etc. But at this price, 10 out of 10 times I would just buy a handheld PC. I am definitely not the target audience for this. And that's ok.

[@NerdNest]

yeah, the thing about handheld PCs is they're so big, this is nice and small with a great screen and massive battery

[@MonoDree]

Yeah I’m normally the type not to buy devices priced in the hundreds. But when I saw this design especially with the classic dmg theme, I had to get one. It really comes down how much you like the form factor and quality. This has nailed both for me and I can’t wait to get mine.

[@RetroWolf13]

I recently bought the analogue pocket I want this baaaaaaad lol

[@jonaqwerty]

This thing is awesome, but for most of the games people will actually play on this, the price is high. Still beautiful looking system.

[@TheJoshuaJames]

At this price it's competing with the steam deck, which can run a full on desktop os, or a couple of them. This really needs something more to stand out. It would be sick if it had a cellular chip and a couple decent cameras to work as a full on cellphone, or a slide out keyboard to work as a wireless keyboard/mouse/controller combo, as well as being more useful for on the go work, as well as the ability to dual boot ubuntu/mint/windows.

[@AndIThinkThisIsIt]

Ayaneo pricing is so outrageous. Their devices look really nice but never what they’re asking for it.

[@BrandonTweed]

Great review! Can you please tell us how you can hook up headphones? I do not see a standard port, and bluetooth would have latency. USB-C maybe?

[@sedasauce5030]

I think it's just USB C

[@BrandonTweed]

@@sedasauce5030 That's what I'm thinking too, but I'd like to figure out for sure before spending a stupid amount of money.

[@MonoDree]

I don’t know what Bluetooth devices you use but I have never experienced latency with Bluetooth before. You must be more sensitive to it

[@CasualGamingCorner]

I hope mine gets shipped next week 🙏🏼

[@WaldekA-el3gu]

I just ordered pocket evo now I think about that device 😤

[@lanedj801]

400 for a premium one stick device… maybe. But 600 for one stick in an awkward shape. Now if you could take phone calls I might accept this.

[@davepriz]

Looks incredible, very likely going to buy! A little worried about those shallow face buttons though.

[@NerdNest]

They feel really good in my opinion.

[@Day100]

I want one, but 16:9 scaling to that screen is brutal for some games. Can't justify the near 200$ for a color. If the whole thing was bigger, it'd be a much better buy

[@Joeyouth000]

I got one, it’s expensive, but is ok, I just want the best out there available.

[@PInoyHenyoRito]

I can see it has LOW PWM on the oled screen, see the lines running ,.its major pass sold my ipad m4 and iphone 16 because i was low on energy for sometime and find out that its the cause reviewers should point out and test pwm

[@wtvhdentertainmentpro6064]

Sadly I really need right stick. Maybe they make a variant of this dmg handheld with it, and I will immediately buy it. Fingers crossed!

[@THADTOOBAD]

You can get a oled steam deck for the same price. Thats wild price for that

[@NerdNest]

You're correct, but I can't put the steam deck in my pocket.

[@BlankaCentral]

@@NerdNest i wouldnt want ot put a 300 dollar device in my pocket anyway. thats what r36s is for etc. 35 bucks, if it breaks it breaks. if THAT breaks u would be pissed

[@MonoDree]

For me it’s not about fitting in my pocket and more of the premium quality in the form it’s in, also the look of it. I love the vertical design, it has a nice screen and it will be my first retro android device. I have been waiting for a device like this for forever. I don’t think I’ll ever buy the steam deck. It’s too big and I have a pc.

[@BlankaCentral]

@@MonoDree i get it. theres jsut cheaper options out there that are prob just as good. even if ur rich, i still think its a waste of money. idc what it looks like

[@ChrisKliewer]

Damn...I could get a PS5 Pro for the price of one of these..

[@NerdNest]

Only for the most expensive version. There are cheaper versions.

[@ChrisKliewer]

@NerdNest true...still too expensive for me..maybe they will drop the price on them after some time

[@BlankaCentral]

@@ChrisKliewer they will cuz theres no way there gonna sell enough of these. sure some will sell but in todays ecomony. nah aint happening

[@MonoDree]

The price of the expensive one is mostly because of the 1T storage and case that comes with those two together are approximately £130 total Most 1T sd cards I see on Amazon are selling for around £100 They could actually make the outright price of this device much cheaper if the sold them without the storage lol

[@emanuellumiere]

Please use time stamps, Bill

[@johncurry9584]

Would be curious if those joysticks they make for mobile phones work on that touch pad. Obviously not perfect, but would be a nice way to adapt it to twin stick games if you wanted. Could you try that out? 😊

[@eduardodacosta4670]

Please show me a $50 device that can run all the games and platforms that this one can, with the same quality, I'll buy it right now.

[@NerdNest]

I was simplifying the arguments I knew would inevitably come. if you want to emulate up to PS2, you'll need something more powerful but not $400 powerful. More like $200. That said, this thing is premium and I can't stop playing it.

[@eduardodacosta4670]

​​@@NerdNestI agree with you (apart from the $50 comment haha), but disagree with 99% of the comments on this video. As you said, for PS2 you'd need a $200 device, and even that WILL struggle with most games, and it's nowhere near as powerful and beautifully built as the AYANEO Pocket DMG. So I think the current pre-order price of $340 is actually a steal for this, the 400+ that it'll be later is a bit of a hard sell, maybe. I ordered mine and got a 1.5TB SD on Black Friday, and that's me sorted for a portable emulation machine for a very long time, finally.

[@NerdNest]

Too many thing "I'll only play NES" why do I need something expensive? They can't figure out that there is more than one way to get something done. And different solutions are for different people.

[@eduardodacosta4670]

​@@NerdNestI actually can't wait to have a device like this to play Kingdom Hearts, Need for Speed Underground 1 and 2, Most Wanted, Carbon, God of War, the list goes on. Plus still have a whole library of older consoles too, with an absolutely beautiful OLED 4:3 screen.

[@dlaldlaldlanutsntnstn1418]

Rich people problems. I'll wait a year until someone makes the tech affordable

[@arturhirsch2908]

How did you achieve fullscreen in mega man and street fighter 3? I thought these games were in 4:3 while the ayaneo dmg approximately 8:7 screen ratio?

[@NerdNest]

I set it to full in retroarch.

[@MonoDree]

@@NerdNest that simple answer to the deep question is so funny to me. I just turned this setting, boom, fullscreen 🤷

[@zazzau]

Thanks but i will pass.

[@TamagoSarada_]

I respect his video but an FPGBC kit is cheap comapared to this and it had a FPGA Chip that will feel like real hardware gaming that his almost 500$ unit also uses.

[@nonjabiznas]

Nobody cares what you think

[@TamagoSarada_]

@@nonjabiznas you okay bro?

[@Ashierkert]

Not good at setting up android games,emulators,roms, shaders, retroarchs etc. Is there an easy way like buying a sd card that I just plug and play?

[@yetitheeduardo]

This is more powerful than any commercially available Android phone in America. That's really the only selling point for me. All that power just to make the games really freaking small. At least the ones that you want to play with that kind of power just doesn't make sense

[@cheezeebred]

There's no reason for that price point, i dont care how powerful it is. The thing is TINY. There is no justification for that price point.

[@yetitheeduardo]

@cheezeebred I assume the speakers on this have got to be great, so maybe using it as an MP3 player and a reader kind of makes sense. Of course with this processor you can emulate PC games but do you really want to see it on that screen?

[@cheezeebred]

@@yetitheeduardo That's a really expensive bluetooth speaker at that point lol. Call me arrogant but I am 100% certain NerdNest would not like this thing very much if he had to actually spend 600-800 dollars.

[@bangyokai2602]

Man.. this is the best Gameboy period.. is the price the issue.. ill still get it anyway🔥🙏

[@Stunnax757]

Really not your biggest fan.. but the intro to this video? Gotta give props where props are due, fantastic.

[@MonoDree]

Damn, what did this guy do to you?

[@shepistired]

Ayaneo is a company I would love to buy a vertical handheld from, you can tell they care about the design of their products more then other Chinese handheld companies, and I respect and value that. However. It just can't be this pricey. I could see a future where Aya could dominate this niche of vertical handhelds. But this isn't it. I will also say, on a personal note. That I buy these kinds of handhelds specifically for aesthetic over function and so I personally could do without that joystick

[@shepistired]

Especially with tariffs on the horizon...

[@nonecool]

thanks for the review, ordering one as soon as I can sell this kidney!

[@LeeleeLee290]

me too am gonna get it instead of a new switch tho I have a steam deck and ps5

[@ramakrishnamishra8179]

Thanks but we just need the appropriate power to run upto PS2 or Dreamcast on that screen.. I would rather wait for another cheaper ambernic which can do PS2 full speed

[@Roguelikes_gg]

A handheld not at the price of a console, but a prebuilt PC?!! Nahh 💀

[@Zenmaster911]

Cancelled my retroid 5 order, got this instead. Will match my Aya Neo Pocket Evo quite well. Retro Power Forever! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@WaldekA-el3gu]

I did the same 🤣

[@jakesmith5278]

Waaay overpriced. This is Odin 2's pricing. It cannot hold a candle to the new Odin 2 portal.

[@piero914]

Idk if overpriced is the right term. It has a more powerful chipset than the Odin 2. It's certainly expensive though.

[@Exit854]

It literally has a better chip than the portal.

[@MonoDree]

It’s the hardware mate, the value comes from whether the customer thinks it’s worth it. It would be overpriced if there was something else with the exact same hardware sold for cheaper. Unlike Sony or Xbox they can’t sell it at a loss since they don’t sell games

[@FirebrandChris]

Can’t for mine to arrive

[@exodous02]

Geeze, I don't even have a terabyte of games I'd want to play on a device like this, lol. Does it use a 2230 for storage? I could buy the top variant for the memory and swap the 2230 and put the 1TB in something else. Then again it isn't a SP form, I'm still using my Anbernic with the ridiculous game.

[@WhiteInk47]

I still play my rg35xx

[@JahWillBlessKwaz]

Lol this will DMG (Damage) your pocket all right.

[@knman0010]

Thing costs more than an xbox naaaah..

[@IAMLXM0]

Good video but It's a ripoff..

[@michaelandrews2784]

This pricing is in Steam Deck territory! It can't be justified...

[@MonoDree]

Hardware? It’s not cheap I’m afraid

[@tappersreviews4677]

I would maybe like to have one, but at $675 for that retro model (which I think looks best) I will pass. Plus, it’s not really that practical anyway.

[@jinstinky501]

Who doesn't want a atick near the bottom of a vertical handheld.... Anybody else notice that these guys love every handheld that comes out? You and russ and the rest aren't very discerning. Still, loving the content, its better than watching tv.

[@MonoDree]

Most devices are good and are good to use. They are just not perfect which I find they always point out despite liking them. Depends what aspects are a kill joy for you. There is this and I think they avoid the really bad ones lol

[@notmuch-of-anything8223]

Yeah couldn't disagree more, price is insane, especially for an android device. Why would anyone choose this over a cheaper 4:3 device or an Odin 2 / RP5

[@NerdNest]

Why would anyone choose an expensive fishing boat over a canoe? I don't know, but some people would. This device is for them. Not every device is for every person.

[@Sybertek]

Uhh.... no...

[@TrasherBiner]

Here I am proudly sounding my keyboard, clacking away, as you tell me about these prices. Bill, why would anyone pay that much for a retro handheld when you can play.... you can get a device who play the same games for like $50. (omg I feel singled out 1:51 omg how did you know I was going to type that?!?!?!?!)

[@march15th]

This thing will definitely do some DMG to your Pocket!

[@ced214]

That price and that thumb stick ….umm No, if I want premium I’ll play my Analogue Pocket

[@piero914]

@@ced214 lol

[@DontGiveUp_Skeleton]

I think there's glaring faults. Some you mentioned, but glossed over despite calling it premium/not overpriced.

[@MonoDree]

Would be nice if you shared those faults he missed. Don’t know why you haven’t if you want to make a good point tbh.

[@DontGiveUp_Skeleton]

@@MonoDree The fact that it's a high power device with one stick and a square ratio. It's fit only for retro games and yet it has a top end, expensive chip powering it. That's stupid and it doesn't need spelling out.

[@BlankaCentral]

if this thing cant run switch and ps3 games etc. its not worth it.

[@jsar5409]

"I don't think it's overpriced" Aint make it 30 seconds without lying lol

[@NerdNest]

Expensive doesn't mean overpriced, AyaNeo knows they aren't going to sell a lot of this device, A phone with a comparable chipset is going to cost around $800. It's premium. Just because you don't agree with me, doesn't make me a liar.

[@jsar5409]

@NerdNest I apologize for my wording, I should have done better. I just mean it's silly to say it's not overpriced as we can all plainly see it is, especially when compared to competitors of objectively better devices (steamdeck, ally etc). To say it's not overpriced just ignores that fact and is definitely dishonest if done intentionally, which I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't mean to do. That being said, it's still a new neat device for those who don't mind paying extra for the novelty of it.

[@NerdNest]

Look at the specs of this. A similarly speced phone would be about this much if not more.

[@MonoDree]

@@jsar5409yes I get where you are coming from but you are not being practical, it doesn’t matter if it’s not worth it to you. That doesn’t make it overpriced. That’s just how much the literal hardware costs to make. It would be a loss if they sold them cheaper and they would need to go slightly above to get profit on top of that. For storage alone a reliable 1T sd card on Amazon show for around £100 or $127 You can just call the device too Expensive and that is fine. Overpriced is not the right word. Oh by the way, it’s highly likely that steam sells the steam deck at a loss because the money they make back selling games on steam.

[@FlightNSurf]

hahahah. $700!!! no retro console should cost more than $200. to play illegal pirated games. lol

[@brobocop8293]

wut?

[@MonoDree]

You say that as if no one knows the games are illegally acquired. But they are old so no one gives a damn besides Nintendo.

[@95szn]

Imagine paying that much just to play games you can practically play anywhere nowadays 😂

[@Master_Tamma]

By that logic, buying ANY retro device is a waste of money, because you have a smartphone 🤓. Anything anbernic/myioo/retroid etc. has ever sold can be done with any smartphone! With streaming and any controller from a modern console connected trough BT, even the steamdeck kicks rocks🥴. It's not about power, it's about ⭐style⭐ 🌟luxury 🌟 ✨experience✨

[@MonoDree]

Personal preference. World would be boring as hell if quality built items like this didn’t exist.

[@colinmartin9797]

I was straight up ready to go order one of the more basic models, around $400 is something i'd be okay with.... Only to find out they locked the only good color option of the original DMG behind yhe highest price $700 version and leave everyone else with ugly black and horrible stain magnet white. Shame, i was seriously ready to buy one. But not at $700 and the other colors are complete dealbreakers.

[@bungalowfeuhler1541]

Was this thing made by Teenage Engineering? I’m still waiting for one that’s all gigantic like an original GameBoy. But I want it to use the additional space to enable easy repairs and upgrades. The biggest thing making a lot of us hesitate to pull the trigger on a retro handheld is the fact that new models drop weekly and they start emulating a new hardware generation annually. Even at fifty bucks, I don’t want to buy one, only to have the one with full Dolphin emulation for gloriously upscaled Wii titles, made all the more gorgeous by the tiny screens ability to hide sins. It won’t be long till these things pack the power of a Steak Deck into a pocket sized fifty dollar unit that happily cranks out PS3. Even then, we’ll be having our minds blown as some genius developer starts showing off his new PS4 emulator. “It works, but only runs at 15 fps. I’ll release it when they release the next generation of hardware. If you’re about to buy a retro handheld, hold off till next year.” I’ve been holding off till next year for a long time.

[@willlawson6126]

Not having a wider screen but being so high-end kind of throws me off.

[@silentrocco]

And cheap handheld peops have been laughing over the price of Analogue Pocket for years :D But thing suddenly is reasonable.

[@xelthos2051]

The power isn't the problem unfortunately anymore, we need better app support on the android systems. No point in buying the next more powerful android device when no one is optimizing the apps we have or developing new ones.

[@kalvin.]

It needs FPGA hardware to justify the price. It's for those who REALLY want the DMG aesthetic and like the form factor, yet it also is limited by that design for other consoles, so I feel like having actual cartridge compatibility would justify its cost relative to the likes of the Analogue Pocket.

[@MonoDree]

Is the snapdragon cpu hardware not pricey to you ? How does the hardware not justify the price. The components listed cost a lot you know. I think people need to look up the component prices to make this device and then see if it is possible to sell it cheaper and keep a good profit.

[@limenpepper]

it's absolutely overpriced

[@jacobporter419]

$300+ 🤢 What a waste of money

[@Kazui-gs]

When is the release date?

[@sandplasma]

That thing is fugly. Hard pass.

[@seasonalocean]

First!

[@hywel4767]

Its not even the fact you can buy a device for a sixth of the cost to play the same games, its the fact you could almost buy TWO steamdecks that can play the same games but with two actual analogue sticks, a bigger oled display. The device is powerful to play N64, GC and PS2 yet doesnt have anywhere near the right controls to actually play them properly. A ton of GameCube and PS2 games require analogue triggers, not digital shoulder buttons. I frequently buy stupid lavish stuff and I want this, but its such a stupid device I just cant make peace with myself as it makes absolutely no sense.

[@NerdNest]

Can't really pocket a steam deck, and I prefer less imposing bezels on my retro systems.

[@hywel4767]

I get the pocket-ability shout, but then theres far cheaper handhelds that play everything up to GameCube just as well as the Pocket DMG. And if youre buying a Pocket DMG to play GameCube games then youve got possibly the worst possible controller configuration to play them, with no analogue triggers. As for the bezels, the OLED Steam Deck has the same width bezels as the Pocket DMG but on an even bigger screen so even less noticeable. For 700 it still makes absolutely no sense sadly.

[@sebastianhurst958]

I’m gonna have to pass. My 35xxsp is fine, and so is my steam deck and odin2.

[@brobocop8293]

i think not having the DMG colors on any thing other than the most expensive model is sleezy and kind of shows the companies morals here. Has real Ubisoft vibes lol. Not a good look.

[@brobocop8293]

yeah, that's gonna be a no from me dawg.

[@Syko1985]

It is super high end high quality over powered expensive product, but is just ruined by that completely unnecessary touchpad that ruins the gameplay for almost every game that requires that right stick. disappointing