AYANEO Pocket EVO Review: Too Many Hiccups

[@RetroGameCorps]

For those wondering about the frontend theme I was using in this video: it’s ES-DE’s ArtBook-Next theme with the “Outline” color scheme option. Here is my guide on how to set up ES-DE on Android-based devices: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jl7Fh6qigtyimKc

[@omriperez7866]

i dont have it and for some reason its really important for to get thgis theme im obssesed with it

[@VeganPopTart]

That theme was so clean

[@n8ofsp8ds]

I was just trying to find that in the discord. I think my name is Dan is the one that created it The new theme variant

[@Chronodox]

I was about to ask and then I saw this pin. Thanks, man!

[@jaggatjatt]

When the product has so many hiccups you forget your snack and drink

[@cassjr17]

😂😂😂

[@elmadicine]

finally, a device that says "nah man, I don't wanna do it"

[@yourtubisfilled7164]

Hey, you didn't tell us to get a snack this time. (I did anyway though!)

[@franciscobutte]

Aya Neo doesn't deserve any snacks

[@yourtubisfilled7164]

@@franciscobutte Apparently :D

[@Vitreia]

45 minutes in and I'm so hungry

[@damianabregba7476]

He doesn't want you to get fat

[@braikingboss9137]

Haha I was like ummmmmmmm..... 😊😅😂

[@SirSicCrusader]

The idea that this is pocket is pretty wild to me, the retroid pocket 5 is just about as big as I would be comfortable ticking in my trousers, and that's ignoring the stick poking out, this thing by comparison is enormous, more like the Ayaneo Backpack Evo...

[@ThootenTootinTabootin]

Same. I have the retroid pocket mini. Don't want anything bigger in my pocket

[@adinwalls]

Hehe. Pocket indeed. This thing is huge.

[@DigitalJedi898]

Too many issues for the price point of these devices Ayaneo charges top dollar for these devices, but doesn’t deliver the top dollar experience

[@wmv8996]

If you buy them 8-12 mo later when they're 20%-30% off, most of the big issues are fixed.

[@to9o363]

The audio on this is just a dealbreaker, and no matter how they update the drivers this will be worth it over an Odin 2

[@Golden_Deus]

​@wmv8996 But by then, why wait when you could get an Odin 2 Portal, RP5, or a Steam Deck now and not have to worry about a lot of the compromises the Pocket Evo has now.

[@theMeshtar]

Price vs. Value seems like a constant in Ayaneo. Hipster stuff.

[@SailorMercury6449]

Ayaneo is the apple of handheld makers, overpriced shit that looks good with horrible after purchase care

[@ryanbartlett672]

Love the rare channel that 1) tells it the way it is 2) gives the summary up front. Thanks again, Russ.

[@abysmal5422]

Bad audio is an instant dealbreaker. We dealt with it for so long but it's now a solved problem so it's just inexcusable these days.

[@euckersw]

Isn’t this always the story from AYANEO? Great hardware, but they really need to address all these hiccups that have been problems over and over again.

[@little_fluffy_clouds]

It’s not even great hardware this time round, the speakers are awful

[@soreyJr]

Ayaneo really can't afford to have issues like this with how small they are. Stuff like this turns me away from ever buying any of their products.

[@AintNobodyAtAll]

Ayaneo, to me, seems like a company that goes around saying they are expensive because they are the best. But when you ask what makes them the best, the answer is "because we say we're the best".

[@soreyJr]

​@@AintNobodyAtAllyou're 100% correct. They act the best but are far from it.

[@JuzTroublez]

Oooof scathing review Russ. Thank you so much for telling it like it is. I imagine it would be so easy to just fall in love with big beautiful devices like this and unintentionally leave out the drawbacks but hey...this is why you have the following you have.

[@cocozimme]

The portal with the grip seems to be the way to go

[@TheRetroLegionOfficial]

Got a DMG and it got cooked. Only had it a few weeks. Ayaneo had me send it back and they have had it for 2 weeks and I haven't heard a word from them.

[@x100bullets]

Oh no! I have one on the way. It fried itself?

[@TheRetroLegionOfficial]

@x100bullets Yep, The night before I was running something light weight (SNES). Did that for an hour or less. Turned it off and stuck it in its case. Next morning I got a message asking if I would show a certain android game gameplay. So I turned it on and while booting got super hot then turned off. After that if I turned it on it would get to login screen,freeze up, shut off. Every single time I turned it on. It also reset date and time settings. I messaged Ayaneo and they said they knew about the issue and to send it back. They received it on the 11th. I haven't heard anything yet.

[@TheRetroLegionOfficial]

@x100bullets When I did charge it, I used the recommended chargers. Nothing crazy.

[@x100bullets]

@@TheRetroLegionOfficial that’s such a bummer! very sorry you had that experience, and that it’s still ongoing.

[@TheRetroLegionOfficial]

@x100bullets Appreciate that. I got lucky enough to get one and show it. Ended so fast lol. Sadly I really liked the DMG. Hopefully I hear from them soon. I felt ignored by them until someone posted a vid of mine dying on the IGG for the DMG. The next day they answered me.

[@TechDweeb]

Amazing viddy! Thank you for sharing so much info about Android compatibility. I didn't know the problems ran so deep!

[@olioctane]

You didn’t mention any of these issues in your review shill

[@OliviaRosalesVlogs]

@@olioctane shows you how these type of reviewers are reviewing it for the sake of making videos, not actually taking time with it learning anything from it. just shilling the hell out of products they got sent. when it comes to review, i stop watching techdweeb and other shillers like ETA PRime and retrohandhelds, all bark no substance, plays the same things, praises the same things on different devices, shows you how little they really spent "Reviewing it" if you compare all of them videos and past videos, they dont even know some specs and it contradicts what they showing on their Broll sometimes, its all the same, just different product. Lazy. when it comes to reviewing better go with retrogamecorp, the phawx and joey retrohandheld.

[@cringedetector9819]

"this device does not a headphone jack" ????? who thought that was a good idea

[@tylerstanley1879]

Dude on their $1200 ayaneo 2s(windows handheld) the headphone jack was only the cheap 2 prong (TRR, trrs?) 3.5mm I had to buy a USB adaptor to use a mic (it does have a built in mic but it's shit)

[@Brunoxid0]

Me: "ok lunch time, what am I going to watch?" RGC: "don't worry, i gotchu"

[@x100bullets]

Excellent review sir. This was quite comprehensive and resolved several open questions for me. This is the best work I’ve seen from you yet! 👍

[@JoeyJoJoJr17]

Thank you for the critical review. It's important to see critical feedback because not every device can be great and it's important for both consumers and manufacturers to know about the shortcomings of any given product so that people design the right product and buy the right product.

[@franciscobutte]

Aya Neo devices doesn't deserve any "grab a drink and snacks" moment.

This snapdragon soc is basically an overclocked snapdragon 8 gen 2 (especially the GPU adreno that reach a very high frequency). The problem with this kind of OC models is that the energy efficiency is very bad (to really benefit from 20% extra speed, you must brun 90% more energy,) and then have by far a worst thermal release. So, the fact that Aya Neo had managed so badly thermal evacuation turnes this overclocked snapdragon to only drawbakes

[@bear532]

Regarding the uv coating, it’s actually a nice feature. I had the same idea too when I first got into this hobby. This idea comes from speed cubing (not that I’m fast at all). The best speed cubes (better rubik’s cubes) have uv coatings to increase your grip since your palms can get damp. It’s perfect for handhelds and the texture feels really nice imo.

[@meisner-effect]

man I respect you most Russ, your educational videos are the best non biased handheld reviews! Mostly your style of not trying to sell us! Respect! Your not a pusher nor a hustler, thanks bro, for those about to rock we salute you! Your inspiring a generation of youtubers.

[@thatdarnskag5043]

My personal nitpick: down-firing speakers that multiple people have said sound bad, on top to the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s a “stationary-use” handheld that is as big as this one. I have some great wired buds that I regularly use with my Switch, Vita and other handhelds, and newer options like the RP5 or the AYN Portal wouldn’t lock me out of that convenience.

[@AshKnightMusic]

There are no snacks and drinks because AYANEO will drain your wallet so you can't afford them 😂

[@kylemulkey9659]

The price of these devices is getting out of hand. The best part of the emulator handhelds from the start was that they were relatively cheap to get started. The Anbernics, while on the lower side of what they can run, can be had for like $40 bucks or so. Moving into something a little more modern is the Retroid 3+, which when new was like $150 I believe. Now the newest version of Retroid is well over 200 and the Ayaneo stuff has always been ridiculously expensive. At a price point starting at $400 you are much better served just getting a full on x86 handheld, be that a Steam Machine, ROG Ally, or whatever.

[@fredwu]

As an early backer, I can confirm the Evo is both a very good and a terrible device. Also, one more bad issue Russ didn't mention, is the screen's colour temperature. For each of the refresh rate, the colour temps are different, which means if you set your refresh rate to "Auto", you will see flickers due to the rapid shifting of colour temps. The software is also bugged that in system menus and apps, sometimes the refresh rate will dip for a split of a second for no reason, causing the perceived flicker - and it exists for both Auto refresh, and set refresh rates. This issue has been reported to Ayaneo ever since I got my unit, with no fixes thus far. For early units, the Retro Power ones are actually the best performing ones. I have a black unit, which scored ~3900 to ~3200. The sustained performance is essentially 10% lower than a 8 gen 2 unit. Overall, I also do not recommend the Evo.

[@qquack1950]

0:11 I like the star in the background

[@NeilSkaria]

Hey, I've had mine for several weeks. I think you may have made a mistake on the device spoofing. Works well for me. Please note that you need to restart the device for the changes to take effect. Also the reason to have two "home" buttons is so when you are streaming there is an Xbox button. This is useful for things like pulling up the steam deck big picture menu when streaming from my PC using Moonlight. I can't do this currently on my Odin mini 2 since the device doesn't have that button. Loved the review! The speakers are pretty bad!

[@steel5897]

Excuse me why is this thing called AYANEO POCKET? What kind of pockets do these guys have?

[@SknowingWolf]

Extra massive parachute pants apparently lmao

[@Coaja20]

0 reasons to get this over the Odin2 Portal. I am so glad that I made the right choice. 😊

[@KatDoomsong]

Although it may not have been your intent, it was nice to get affirmation of my choice to buy the O2 Portal.

[@impheris]

that's why i wait for reviews... nice video, thanks

[@redcivic1000]

Russ, this video saved me from even thinking bout the new AYANEO 3. Not that the system is bad. I can already imagine all the small software issues with a state of the art concept. I’ll spend my money for the OneXplayer F1 Pro.

[@rawdiggitydog]

I know this is never talked about, but could you please make a video discussing the warranties of these Chinese handheld makers? I read ayaneo's and they expect you to repair hardware yourself and they want you to reach out to other buyers for software issues. Ayn doesn't even have a warranty section on their website. Anyways, this is something that isn't discussed enough

[@stevenolson3977]

There are some instances of people saying that the support wanted them to ship a part and replace it themselves. I have contacted Aya support a few times for things and, yes, upon my request they have sent me parts that I have installed myself. Otherwise, they usually arrange pickup with FedEx or DHL and you have to ship it back to them for more advanced repairs, which can take 2 or 3 months. Other issues with support include their turnover of staff, which can end up in support threads losing context, misunderstandings via Google translate, support emails going to spam (thus leading to the impression that support doesn't respond). It is better than nothing, but at the same time, so frustrating to engage with. When I had to send my Pocket S in, they arranged for FedEx to pick it up from my house, but then failed to tell me the pickup window, so I had to drop it off at the FedEx store myself. I recommend *not* contacting them about software issues, even for issues with AyaSpace. The inevitable answer is to uninstall and reinstall. And obviously, don't contact them about generic Windows issues (I wouldn't contact any hardware vendor for Windows issues, tbh).

[@stevenolson3977]

And even for the Pocket Evo, to address the thermal throttling, they are sending out thermal paste kits and expect the early adopters (suckers) to apply the paste themselves. They made a decent video about doing it, but still...This was an issue that could have been so easily caught by someone just actually sitting down and using and benchmarking the device. These issues could be caught if they "field tested" the designs for a month or so before going to mass manufacturing.

[@scottyboy0321]

Unfortunately a channel like RGC wouldn't be able to do this. It would have to be someone on the scale of like GamersNexus.

[@uramfekete]

I don't see the point of such a video. If you buy something from China just think of it as if it had no warranty at all. Because that is, essentially, how it is. A few success stories are not enough to sway that. They can barely ship out a functioning product, let alone handle the logistics and returns and RMAs and whatnot. It's shocking that people still expect some form of warranty given the context.

[@stevenolson3977]

@uramfekete If anything, such a video would need to be from an influential Chinese tech outlet. The international sales for WinGPD, OneX, AyaNeo, etc are peanuts compared to their Chinese domestic sales. There is no way a western outlet could do much to make any significant changes with those companies. The CEO of AyaNeo talks a good game, and I believe that he is genuine in his desires and optimism for his products, but he is let down by logistical realities of shipping to and from China in small scales as well as overworked/undertrained support staff.

[@Isaac________]

The CRT beam simulator needs a very accurate screen calibration, specifically, screen gamma, to avoid banding. My guess is that, as indicated by the color shift at lower brightness setting, that this screen is not calibrated accurately at the factory. Unfortunately, we currently lack a lot of software and tools to do the calibration comfortably for each device. Hopefully, these will come as these advanced shaders become more popular.

[@打工人-r2e]

Ayaneo: no more review units for this guy!

[@jackalx187]

Further going to love my portal 😍

[@gregorybolivar5712]

The AYA-NEO POCKET EVO tiers should have been: Base = 12gb ram/ 256gb internal storage + MicroSD-Card Pro = 16gb ram/ 512gb internal storage + MicroSD-Card Max = 16gb or / 24gb ram / 1tb internal storage + MicroSD-Card 🤓🧐😎

[@mokisan]

Retroid please make a clamshell pocket 5! Will buy it immediately

[@karyotesnyan7265]

personally i want a 150$ mark vita-sized retroid with the same specs as rp4 pro

[@mokisan]

@karyotesnyan7265 big ups to that too

[@whendolphinsstrikeback2762]

A clamshell that’s able to fully run gamecube is my endgame. I hope Retroid could eventually make it happen!

[@bryanjs4785]

Dual screen too

[@mokisan]

@@whendolphinsstrikeback2762 ya!

[@SilverKnight16]

Stuff like this is why I ended up selling my OG Aya Neo 2021 and haven't touched them since. Their stuff always LOOKS amazing--maybe enough to justify the price point, even--but there's always little unpolished jank things mixed in that definitely make it not worth the premium they charge for their devices. Maybe one day, they'll get it right. :( Thanks for telling it like it is, Russ.

[@travismarshall3089]

Damn! Going all mosaic for the Mario Odyssey clip? I can't believe having your own Switch carts strewn around the device you're showing off wasn't enough for Nintendo to look past. Jokes aside, I'm still sticking to my AYN ODIN 2. It's a beast! Wish they'd sell swapable shells, though. It's been said before that at this stage in the game it's not so much having the power to run demanding emus as much as it's just that those emus would have needed more optimizing before they were shut down. Sure, you may be able to "brute force" compatibility if the hardware is above and beyond but the prices you'd surely pay for those future handhelds with newer SnapDragon chips...you might as well just pay for the device you're trying to emulate. Be that as it may, great upload.

[@y2kcurran]

Just ordered my Odin 2 Portal, glad I went for it over the Evo.

[@shino56]

Great review! I agree about the price making this (and all of ayaneo's products) a hard sell. The dmg also has a tgermal issue though to be honest I haven't run into anything it cant do due to lack of power. I only bought my DMG because I was able to get my 512/16 dmg for 300 bucks. If these devices ever go on sale they would be actual valuable options.

[@x100bullets]

Damn, I wish I got that deal for mine!

[@tonezilla]

Um… there’s no “grab a snack and a drink”? lol 😂😂

[@kyleimperial4373]

If only the device is worth watching

[@tonezilla]

​Yeah, agreed. It is overpriced, not supported by Call of Duty, there are better competitors available, audio is bad, just all around meh…

[@juniperpansy]

Russ explains later how the thing is a fingerprint magnet. This invoked the clean hands rule at Russ' house 😆

[@KevenLC]

man you guys are pretty annoying with that.

[@cassjr17]

Honestly this is everything I expect the Odin 3 to be but keep those big buttons the portal has

[@BuffaloWarrior7]

Yep. Glad I didn't wait and got the RP5. The joystick placement doesn't compromise the RP5 at all. Really been enjoying Pokemon Legends Arceus on it. Still like playing Gameboy Advance games on my RG405m. But the RP5 kills Gamecube titles most at 3x + wide screen. It can play Switch titles but with some compromises and limitations. You can pocket the RP5 when you're getting off the couch, cramming the stuff you need to take to bed in your pockets, and wrangling a puppy. If it was any bigger it wouldn't be pocketable like that. It's still too large to pocket for day to day stuff. But with a case that Pocket EVO is going to take up a lot more space than the smaller RP5 or 405m. Also with a 3D printed grip the RP5 is even more ergonomic. If you want to go that route. I printed one but I honestly don't bother with it most of the time. It's pretty comfortable to play as is for me. Thanks as always Russ!

[@hotchoclateguy]

I was expecting RP5 Linux showcase going by your comments on podcast. Hopefully soon

[@RetroGameCorps]

Yeah that one needs a little more time to bake!

[@MithosDagon]

After the pocket air…I said I was done with Aya Neo, good to see that I will be keeping my oath 😂

[@jeremy__hopkins]

40:31 - I was aware of most of these issues except for this one and that's after the thermal pad fix. This is concerning and I would agree, a deal breaker for potential EVO owners. Something I missed since I don't test Switch games. 44:13 - At the time of the crowdfunding campaign, EVO was the only 120+ AMOLED handheld which gave AYA NEO some leeway. Though since both the EVO and Portal are available now, it does make the EVO a difficult recommendation between the two. Streaming can still work with wired headphones with a 3.5mm/usbc splitter for power but I understand that's added complexity when it would be nice just to plug in headphones directly.

[@brycedayton4092]

Ruster Metro Game Corps back with another great video.

[@DrewDragoon]

I'm glad people are finally putting this awful company on blast, they deserve all of it

[@saizero0433]

I like how Russ added game boxes to the frame during Yuzu's demo. Emulation isn't always piracy, Nintendo!

[@nashptv]

I open KZbin app in the morning now expecting a new Russ video. Figured today was the day.

[@AllGamesNewandOld]

I like mine but I can’t really argue with your points. For me, if I get a handheld PC, I’m going to fill it just about entirely with high powered PX Games, and not so much emulators. So with this I can do some PC gaming, but still have all my other emulators in one device, without feeling like I’m taking up hard drive space that could be used for more demanding games.

[@Zenmaster911]

Thanks. I still like the device over any Odin.

[@MY.PLAYTIME]

The Razer edge here in the UK is now down to £200, I think I'd go for that going down the Andriod route.

[@SneezyPond]

For all my Ayaneo devices I usually take the sticker with the info off, use usb-c headphones, have it plugged in most of the time, have that fan running closely to max at all times and wipe it down constantly. That usually fixes all my issues with them 😅

[@piero914]

As someone who has owned various Ayaneo devices, the advice I would give is don't.

[@MrMovees87]

I’ve always been intrigued by Ayaneo’s stuff, but I’ve found their stuff to be really overpriced for my liking, so I haven’t taken the plunge on any of their products yet. I have an Odin 2 Pro I got a few months ago that’s been absolutely wonderful, so I don’t have the need or want to upgrade from it any time soon

[@TJ-un2zv]

I knew after 2mins into this video I've decided to go with the portal

[@Odinspark7033]

I had originally pre ordered this then canceled and went with the portal once I realized how crappy the sound was. With the size of this device, there really is no excuse to not have good audio AND headphone jack.

[@balance-breaker9826]

27:54 Video editing hiccups

[@kosmikme]

I got violently jumpscared

[@Kuriketto]

For a high end Android device, I'd opt for the Legion Tab Gen 3 and a good telescopic mobile controller like the G8+ or Abxylute S9, especially for the overall superior media consumption experience. It also doesn't have a headphone jack, but at least it has two USB-C ports so it can be used with an audio dongle while it's being charged.

[@makimoke]

30:13 Something tickled me with Russ talking about the "screen with beautiful colors" all the while playing Garfield Kart. Dunno why, but something's abolutely hilarious about this to me.

[@nova_9812]

Damn, Aya Neo really is the iPhone of handhelds

[@davewa109]

i get reminded of alien hominid every time i watch an RGC vid. I should try it

[@ojwales]

In my experience, one of the "home buttons" (according to your definition) acts like an Xbox button. Depending on the app you're in, it will take you home. Depends on how the app handles the xbox button. However, retroarch allows you to map it as the hotkey enable button, which is quite handy.

[@KingNox6]

might wanna do a lil blur at 40:56-41:10min mark

[@akr4s1a]

If you do make a video comparing them, I'd love to see other handhelds like the Razer Edge (my daily) if you still have it!

[@charlesvonscott5925]

SO GLAD I CHOSE THE ODIN 2 PORTAL!!

[@carlobeccarelli132]

So if I have a Logitech G Cloud it doesn't make much sense to switch to this or the Odin Portal if I use it primarily for streaming.

[@IfWeShadows]

35:21 How did you get rid of the touch screen control prompts on Diablo Immortal?

[@sickviscera]

So glad I decided on the Odin 2 portal pro instead of this

[@vickie_g]

I would've been down with this device if they'd used the 8 Gen3 - the 7 inch OLED is very tempting. The G3x Gen2 leaves it in a no mans land.

[@conza1989]

Been waiting for this video for ages, have this and an Odin 2P on order, so wanting to know which one I'll flip, at the start of the video, probably this.

[@RyanBounedara]

Ayaneo has my favorite designs, but damn their pricing is steep.

[@theMeshtar]

To save myself from the Ayaneo experience, I just fast forwarded to the summary 😅

[@TheRealAlpha2]

Yeah too expensive for a minimal gain compared to whats already around.

[@HeadzupUK]

thats me sold on the Odin 2 Portal then

[@theSeventhDruid]

You don't need 16 gb for ram for winlator/gamefusion. 12 gb was enough for me in any heavy game i tested like doom 2016, witcher 3, re 2 remake, nier automata etc.

[@brianbowcutt249]

I have an insane proposal for the seemingly lucrative gameboy/psp knock-off industry. Instead of releasing a dozen half baked products to fill every inscrutable niche, they just make like two or three that are good and unify front ends and hardware. Expecting PAYING customers to rip the thing apart and apply new thermal compound is wild, that garbage only flies in the sub $100 category and still an awful look. Imagine spending half a grand on Playstation product and getting that "support" under warranty, and this is hardly the first time AyaNeo has pulled something suspect. To say something positive, it's a staggeringly good looking thing for what it is (future e-waste probably).

[@IvanSilvestri-m4v]

I just ended to eat my snack....oh here we go again 😂

[@rodolfocastellon5154]

I just bought an Ayaneo Pocket Evo and it doesn't have any games or emulators. Could you help me with that?

[@omulamfibie]

An expensive android based handheld that can't even properly play android games? Yeah, I maintain my opinion that Ayaneo need to get their priorities straight and do better. They're charging an arm and a leg for mediocre handhelds.

[@tdata545]

This is what I was saying, unless this had a 8gen3 in it, then this is a no-go. OOH a slightly overclocked 8Gen2. Also, sorry, for emulation devices, Silly FAST Refresh rates ain't that important. VRR is, for games that run at different 60 and below clock speeds. No one is COMPETITIVE GAMING on Android or iOS exclusively. They have a PC for that, and if they want a handheld to do it on, which they wouldn't, they'd choose AMD or INTEL. So these devices make less sense.

[@RaZeLise]

Will you be reviewing the Ayaneo 3? I really like the design of Ayaneo but I do not want to buy it before any reviews

[@clyde2801]

You are on the ayaneo poop list now to be sure.

[@RedBeardRetroTech]

I think the device is great and we need to wait for better software, certainly too expensive The hardware is good👍

[@Kevinknol]

How come no one copies the steam deck button and stick placement layout?

[@colinmartin9797]

I'm surprised you were a little down on the 16:10 ratio. I've always found it to be the best all round ratio for modern and retro.

[@paulkaye1223]

Bit concerned that I wasn't advised to get a snack and drink.I was parched by the end not realising the length of the video. (Seriously..love the channel!)

[@nitind]

USB Type C headphones and headphone adapters do work.

[@colinmartin9797]

Without showing it, russ, how does the portal handle tears of the kingdom? I'm considering a bigger android handheld than my rp5 but want to wait until I get one that can handle the big switch titles.

[@D-Side-D-Side]

I ordered Gulikit halleffects for my steamdeck OLED a couple weeks ago, and had bad grinding on the left stick. So bad I opened my deck up and put the stock stick back in, so now I have 1 original and 1 halleffect stick lol. But yeah I think it’s a Gulikit issue and it’s super unfortunate

[@TheCmurley131]

ROG Ally w/ Retrobat is top tier for me, personally. I love Andrioid but I can't go back now that I've been on an actual good windows handheld.

[@timweydert3490]

The fact that these companies still don't get the controls/buttons right... Is ridiculous. That's like phone manufacturers still not having properly working touchscreens depending on the model you buy. It's your only input, it's what defines your experience. Anything else should take a backseat as long as that isn't done properly.

[@Trujones]

This is just too big for me. The RP5 is the MOST id go as in size.

[@x100bullets]

I love the size of the RP5, but my hands don’t 😢

[@Trujones]

@x100bullets yes that's the only thing. Thankfully my hands got use to it, but I have a big hands. There are grips on Etsy I've heard make a WORLD of difference.

[@JEKitchens]

That audio reminds me of phone speakers from 2008

[@RAIKON80]

I have this console. I do like it alot. Russ points are fair. But ... D-pad for me like Russ said is soft but i like it better than the odin. Ergonomics.. better that the odin. The sound i agreed, is mufled. Odin by default is better. Performance wise.. the Evo Soc is 15-20% better performing the the Gen 2. So they are not similar. For spoofing to work you need to restart the device after you choose the phone profile. Solves most game settings problems... but still some games like Grid cant be played. The problem is that Ayaneo and there manufacturing didn't do a good job designing a proper cooler for the system. And the community found themselves making the effort to discover and solve all the main problems the console has. Changing thermal pads, undervolting the soc for better performance and temps, And installing a EQ for better sound tuning. Definitely improve alot and it became good but, in this department the odin still is better. The main problem is that aya should have resolved this before shipping to their customers or at least resolved the Quality control problem in house and the software improvements via OTA... but what happened was that the community got their hands dirty and solved the majority of problems themselves. The majority of customers are nor willing the open and tweak there brand spanking new console. Its expected to be tuned to perfection out of the box.

[@samh5886]

Poor audio via speakers + taking away the 3.5mm headphone jack on such a thick device just kills this for me. This is in addition to the other hardware (poor qa, possibility of cracked shells based on their past handhelds etc，workaround to fix bad thermal design by adding extra thermal paste on thermal pad) and possible software issue (every ayaspace update for my ayaneo x86 air plus bring some small improvement but also introduce some regression and glitch). And of course the price/value. Many people lile to use "premium" as an excuse for their higher price, but there is really nothing "premium" about their device in both actual hardware and software, only possibly external designs/appearance can be labelled as premium. T