Odin 2 Mini: Ultra Portable Handheld Gaming Redefined

AYN just put the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 into a Playstation Vita-like shell with a MiniLED panel... so is it worth buying? Lets take a look!
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:51 - Specs and Pricing
3:47 - My Pick
4:00 - Unboxing
4:38 - First Impressions
5:09 - Size
7:07 - Weight
7:47 - Build Quality
8:32 - Joysticks
11:14 - Buttons
12:47 - Button Sound Test
13:18 - Triggers
14:48 - Bumpers
16:12 - DPAD
17:30 - Ergonomics
20:08 - First Boot
20:28 - Setting it Up
20:44 - WiFi Speeds
20:55 - Finishing Setup and First Look
21:29 - Check for Issues (Vignetting)
22:09 - Brightness and Contrast Issues
23:00 - Optimizing your Device
25:32 - Boot Test
26:17 - Storage and RAM Speed Tests
27:06 - Speakers and Sound Test
28:42 - MiniLED - Worth it?
28:58 - Black Levels Test
29:15 - Local Dimming Test
30:02 - Blooming Issues
31:56 - Brightness and Contrast Issues
34:04 - Blooming Issues in Android
34:57 - Refresh Rate?
35:17 - Motion Blur Tests
35:37 - HDR and Media
35:52 - Widevine Security
35:56 - Performance Thoughts
37:23 - Temperature Issues?
39:25 - Fans and Noise
40:06 - Charging Tests
42:12 - Battery Life
42:34 - Accessories
43:17 - Travel Bag Recommendation
45:03 - Final Thoughts and Summary
▬▬ MY GEAR ▬▬
Camera: (www.po.co/glob...)
Camera Mount: (www.amazon.ca/...)
Camera Arm: (www.amazon.ca/...)
Mount Adapter (for the kit above):(www.amazon.ca/...)
Microphone: [Shure SM7B](www.amazon.ca/...)
USB Audio Interface: [Focusrite Scarlett Solo](www.amazon.ca/...)
Microphone Boom Arm: (www.amazon.ca/...)
Lights: [Amazon Link](www.amazon.ca/...)
All music was created by the talented Jim Gray of Our Ghosts. Be sure to check out his amazing work (ourghosts.band....
Please note that this video is intended for entertainment and educational purposes only.
#aynodin #handheldconsole #handheldgaming #portablegaming #retrogaming #emulation #gaming

[@KeiRetroGaming]

As I forgot to mention it in the review, the official charger cable supports a max of 20v, 3A at 60w fast charging. Not the full 100w I thought it would in the review. Sorry for the bgm in the button test as well, totally missed that in editing 😅.

[@BeaconLauncher]

I absolutely love the design of this device, I was waiting for this review

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Thanks! Enjoy the review. Keep up the great updates on Beacon!

[@thepunlive]

I enjoy your reviews Kei and appreciate all the support you offer the community. Thanks for being awesome. Well deserved to be a real part of the review community now.

[@user-zv3lj1ef7l]

This dude is the defacto channel for for gaming handhelds. The amount of details involved in the video blows everyone else out of the water. Subscribed for the excellent content

[@chocho2188]

Thanks for the great review kei. This device looks amazing!

[@KeiRetroGaming]

It's pretty nice! I'm a bit disappointed by how much bloom the panel has but it's likely not gonna bother everyone.

[@AltitrixAlt]

another great review again, i cant wait to get my hands on one

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Got a pre-order in? Which model and colour did you choose? Always interesting to see which one people went with.

[@RyeJ_86]

Awesome review. Can’t wait for my white pro to come in. Basically bought to avoid black lol. Upgrading from the OG Odin Pro, so I’m pretty excited. Absolutely love my Vita so this design appealed to me immediately.

[@user-up4rl2zl9g]

bro is the rocket jump ninja of handhelds!

[@likeabarrel]

For high-end gaming, the 12GB is necessary. Windows emulation, for example. I'd also prefer the max storage available. The base model is being cheap, the pro model is worth it for $60 more.

[@steve7814]

It seems like people are misunderstanding the benefit of the screen brightness. I dont think anyone would use this device full brightness indoors. The brightness benefit is being able to play outside say at the park.

[@Seamoorif]

Exactly. My dog loves walking to the park and just have me sit there with her. I can take the Odin 2 mini and keep myself occupied.

[@xxGSII]

its soooo true. Odin mini 2 is definitely the baby of odin OG and trim ui pro

[@KirboWurbo]

but its specs r the same as the odin 2 base/pro minus the battery ,':|

[@swamib1987]

Thanks a lot for investing soo much time to make such a quality video. So, portability - check, screen - check, heat distribution - 50/50. Hopefully it doesn’t bother us while playing and ayn does some software adjustments for the fan speed. Can’t wait to get my device. 🎉

[@KeiRetroGaming]

I think it's gonna largely depend on what you're playing. It felt warm enough to me but not hot enough to the point where I wouldn't be able to play it. I'm sure they'll fix their fan curves in a future update. Smart is good but it could be a tad more aggressive.

[@jamuraibeats]

Amazing job with the video - that was the best screen comparison I’ve seen yet! Stoked on the device, because more importantly than any specs it just looks fun to play on

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Glad the screen comparison helped. I think the design is why I keep picking it up lately, very vita-like.

[@ajv6669]

Best review out! Perfectly explaines the highs and the lows of the device. I pre-ordered the black pro. I'm guessing viewing the screen dead on is perfect but on a slight angle you see the vignetting. I can live with that. I'm on the fence about keeping my pre-order I'm very concerned about that heat. I have a Vita it's comfortable, the RP4 Pro, The Odin 2 Max, and a bunch more. Maybe I'll dump my RP4 Pro and my RG556 and keep this hopefully I won't need oven mitts😂 Thanks again for all of your hard work I know how much goes into this.

[@KeiRetroGaming]

You still see some vignetting when viewing it directly on but it's so little it doesn't bother me and I barely notice it. Bloom is actually my biggest issue with the device, but it's not an issue in games just elsewhere. You can see bloom from any angle.

[@tlaf4367]

Excellent video Very informative Thanks 👍

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Happy to help! I wanted to get as much information as possible out there.

[@Tiralful]

I think once the hype settles people will realize the mini has way to many sacrifices for it only being 15% smaller and a minied screen. Worse battery , worse color saturation, worse ergos, smaller screen, bezels look bigger due to it being smaller, thermals are higher, louder, coil whine, bloom/vignette, no rgb, ect. TBH it really doesn't fit in a normal pocket, it's still going in a bag so it isn't like you won't be carrying a bag with either. So you might as well save $40 and get the Odin 2 unless there's some crazy use case where 15% is the difference between it fitting somewhere and not or you only play outside in direct sunlight. The Odin can play in the shade it's 500 nits.

[@PlGGS]

Incredible video thanks for all the details especially about the screen

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Happy to help the community

[@Megatyler30]

Great work with this review Kei.

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Appreciate it! Thanks 👍

[@samh5886]

I have not manage to charge my Odin 2 pro at the 65w mentioned on the spec on their site, but both a 65w baseus charger and a 140w Lenovo single port charger give me ~45W. I do get only around 25w from a 100w ugreen one though.

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Interesting! I'll have to try a few other chargers and power banks to see what works best.

[@DarkKnight2037]

How comfortable is using the dpad in this form factor. I feel like PSP was comfortable given the location of the dpad given its form factor

[@SaberToothPortilla]

It looks like a nice unit, but I think they either should've stuck with a typical LCD display and dropped the price $50-100 or gone with an OLED display and maybe bumped it up a pinch if needed. I understand that the thinking was most likely brightness above everything because it's a highly portable system, i.e., you're more likely to use it in bright light, but I don't think that's so much of an issue to warrant such a high peak brightness. I could be wrong though. If it dips to ~$250 at some point, which is likely eventually, or if a similarly priced model comes along in OLED it'll get a strong consideration from me, because I'd love something in a smaller form factor that's 16:9 suitable.

[@GameTechTalk]

Great review Kei, the attention to details is just wow!

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Thanks! What do you think about the Odin 2 Mini so far?

[@GameTechTalk]

@@KeiRetroGaming Probably gonna be my most played handheld by the end of the year only bested by strapping my phone/tablet to a controller. It's not perfect but it's got a healthy amount of positives, especially once I can put "expectation vs reality" out of the way. That portability makes it very easy to keep around me at all times.

[@WinningTime328]

Keep it up Kei. Road to 100k subs on the way!

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Thank you! Reading this comment made me smile. Always nice to hear. It's been quite the journey and I'm looking forward to seeing how my channel grows over the coming years. Thank you for being a part of my wonderful community!

[@11tea82]

I bought a game controller for my Oneplus11. It will become my future gaming handheld because they are both android devices.

[@Vampirovic1]

temperature ?

[@christea-xv]

Great review, very detailed. Unfortunate about the washing out of colours, hoping it’s not a widespread issue and a one-off.

[@fillerbunnyninjashark271]

I wish the dpad was on top. Still have it on order though

[@tappersreviews4677]

Great review. Amazing attention to detail.

[@likeabarrel]

How about trying the original cable that comes with the device when testing the charging speed? 💀

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Oops totally forgot that! The original charger cable it comes with supports 60w charging, but nothing faster. Double checked it.

[@toycoma98]

Retroid has their official grips, they are detachable. Odin 2, Anbernic RG556 has them built in. I've seen many vids of people saying retroid is uncomfortable to hold when there is a grip available. Not sure about the RP4P but with my RP3+ i put the grip backwards to protect the screen and joysticks. Save the white foam cutout for when you have open the device up. Why is it called odin 2 mini when it has its own look. I think it should have its own name.

[@bri1085]

They definitely should've called it something else. But think the Odin name is for their arm devices in general

[@KeiRetroGaming]

It would make more sense to call it something different, definitely.

[@dylangirard4670]

I want one. But I have an Odin 2 pro which is making it tough to justify this.

[@epsy2988]

Great review very informative, thanks !

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Thanks for watching!

[@benabrams4071]

The pastic is supposed to be different on the production models the test units they sent out are different. this was stated in a few of the other youtubers who got the test units

[@KeiRetroGaming]

I asked about that, but this is the final retail plastic. Only my bumpers are different from what people will get.

[@kezmu2261]

I’ve heard about ghosting on the original Odin 2, is it that noticeable/bad. That’s my one gripe with picking the original over the mini. I’m not really bothered with the vignette on the mini.

[@KyleRuggles]

Great review once again!

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Thanks Kyle! Put a lot of time into making this one.

[@creaturecore13]

Have to disagree about the temperature. I use a gpd mini which gets much warmer then this and its still fine.

[@keepitshort4208]

Weird question, which is better modded switch lite, rp4 pro or odin 2 pro mini ? Maybe Linux handhelds more better, I want bit of everything like old school low end PC games. I'm more of a tinker So kinda confused, need help there are so many options.

[@KeiRetroGaming]

What's your budget for a handheld purchase?

[@keepitshort4208]

@@KeiRetroGaming $180 to $240, thats it

[@DarthTinderalla-qm9zw]

I think my dream device would be a clamshell device with psp controls, Linux compatible and able to emu anything. Steamdeck mini?

[@Suuperwuuper]

psp controls? one stick?

[@GhostLinx]

The perfect device ❤

[@belialord]

Excellent review

[@mcgrog]

Can you test thermals and power consumption while charging from low battery and pushing the device with a demanding game?

[@TheBollockz]

maybe once they come down to a reasonable price.

[@runnerup15]

cant wait to buy one if these next year when i get my bonus!

[@holopengin]

Very good overview and included exactly the comparison I wanted to see since I'm in the market for a vita-like. Just a couple notes on measurements: 5:30 you measured from the outside of the bezel, not the screen itself... 8:53 You probably know this and just recorded video that way so you could see the caliper display, but you can measure using the bottom part of your calipers instead of the head. It's for measuring depths of holes or heights of extrusions

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Oops, didn't catch that in editing. Sorry about that. You'll be pretty happy with it if you're looking for a solid vita clone. Bloom is my biggest concern with it but it's bothering me less the more I use it.

[@agamaz5650]

Any chance you could try Winlator or any Windows emulator on it?

[@belialord]

4:39 That's what she said

[@Ratersen]

Ngl personally a bit sad that it doesn't have the fancy stick and side rgb lights like the Odin 2 has lol

[@richarda2906]

If this was $250 then it would be an easy decision. It feels like the premium feature, the mini LED, has turned out to be its Achilles heel. They should have just gone regular LCD. Hopefully Retroid will fill the gap.

[@cheeeeezewizzz]

That's a weird take. I don't GIVE AF About the tiny bit of vignetting. Give me that 1000 nits brightness baby! Odin 2 is worthless 2nd tier garbage compared to this

[@dokferr]

​@@cheeeeezewizzzPot kettle black

[@frostedfiresmods2059]

Is the pro worth it for a device like this? I tend to play Wii games on my devices

[@KeiRetroGaming]

The base would be more than enough for Wii.

[@agamaz5650]

This device is like a girl you like, you keep talking to her even though her face is not an oled

[@valg.3152]

Thank you for the review. Much appreciated! I cant wait to get mine 🤍

[@GAz0Line]

Can you please play mobile cod on this device Already preordered the white model

[@HappyRattata]

Wait it has rgb lights?!

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Nope

[@chrishong800]

I guess you might need an official AYN charger for fasting charging - I've heard that AYN has banned third-party fast chargers

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Hmm that's odd... I tried with their official 100w charger that came with my Loki but it gave me the same charging speed.

[@Omar_Little]

Still prefer the retroid pocket 4 pro. If i was getting anything bigger id just go for the full size odin 2. This mini is already too big for pocketing.

[@OJAYSAN]

Yeah he didn’t bother comparing thickness for these 4 pro for this reason

[@gagemontalvo8731]

It’s almost the same size though. Not completely pocketable compared to any gameboy system and you’re getting enough power to run 95% of games at full speed..for size, ergonomics, and power I say Odin 2 mini takes it

[@OJAYSAN]

@@gagemontalvo8731 ?? lol. You better hope at nearly double the price the mini is better. Also fairly thicker mind you. 95% of what games? Stop making claims not based on facts. The fact is, switch emu is not optimized and stalled with the recent events.

[@gagemontalvo8731]

@@OJAYSAN it’s the same as the Odin 2 just mini..stop being rude. Either way a lot of people are gunna buy it regardless and love it so you have a good day sir 🫡

[@KeiRetroGaming]

It's nice we have so many devices to choose from in this community. Both the RP4 Pro and Odin 2 Mini are fantastic pocketable devices. The only thing I find about the 4 pro is the triggers catching on my pocket but I do think it's a good handheld too and both are very portable either way.

[@lionvscow]

Vita design best design

[@gumiho.c]

the thumbnail looks a bit weird, like you can't see the size or the design of the device at all, it's all covered by text

[@KeiRetroGaming]

I'll fix it when I get a chance. Thanks, I completely agree.

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Just fixed it, thanks again.

[@gumiho.c]

@@KeiRetroGaming np, the new one looks great!

[@Scott7789x]

There is a such thing as "too thorough." Did you lick the device? Can you lick it?

[@OJAYSAN]

hmm feels a bit biased since you are getting a free unit. The cost of the mini is ~40% more than the 4 pro. So nearly double the cost. Feels like you barely glossed over this fact compared to the time spent for other sections in your video. I also find your point about ergonomics with the dpad interesting. I would think it’d be hard to play for a long session with using the dpad in this configuration especially given the size.

[@samh5886]

~40% more cost but double the cpu and around 3 times the GPU capability though. And he did mention the price would not be justifiable spending for a android device for everyone.

[@OJAYSAN]

@@samh5886 okay and? Read my comment again. I said he glossed over it not that he didn’t say it.

[@Renvaar1989]

What was the fishing game in the opening?

[@EdisonLaw9811]

If I am not wrong. It's a Dreamcast game. I remembered seeing it at my local game store when I was young.

[@dokferr]

Sega marine fishing - Dreamcast / Naomi

[@Renvaar1989]

Thanks guys

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Sega Marine Fishing, it's a classic. Definitely try it if you haven't, even if you don't generally like fishing games.

[@zZiL341yRj736]

The design is sleek, but everything else is a meh! I went Odin 2 instead. The thumbstick getting in the way of the X and A button is a NO GO!

[@mattmiller4866]

I’m bummed it’s a little more expensive than I’d hoped for, but I find myself needing more power while playing some of games on my rp4p. So at the end of the day I don’t mind paying a premium for essentially exactly what I’m looking for.

[@cheeeeezewizzz]

You can always buy it 6 months later

[@mattmiller4866]

@@cheeeeezewizzz too late lol

[@agamaz5650]

Ayyyyy

[@Jxlxl]

The design is waaaay too similar to the vita the bumpers and the back of the device are straight up the exact same, also the whole shape, they might get a lawsuit rip

[@rsorry]

Yeah I wish they would have used a basic ips screen and shave off $100 😂

[@agamaz5650]

Such a shame they didnt use oled....

[@KeiRetroGaming]

Yeah, I think the panel is it's biggest flaw. OLED or AMOLED would've been perfect.

[@likeabarrel]

I literally don't see any blooming in the KZbin test.

[@KeiRetroGaming]

It's probably tough to see depending on which screen you watch it on. Very tough to capture on film too.

[@wingn3849]

$250. Then Maybe.

[@XxPARTYBEARxX]

If only there is an option to choose IPS Odin 2 Mini. Big brother "Odin 2" is still the best deal

[@thenewme79]

That bezel is atrocious.

[@mutkaheki]

I'm definitely skipping this one, the Vita is uncomfortable to me.

[@chucknorris8704]

That screen is so unnecessary

[@lionvscow]

Yeah, I think having a screen is a bad idea too. Visual experiences are boring.

[@Drivenby]

I prefer my devices with no screen as well . iPod nano ftw!!!

[@cheeeeezewizzz]

Yeah it would be better with no screen at all. Who wants to play games on a screen in a taxi or on a metro ride or near big windows in airports? Just give me buttons and let me imagine the game.

[@geggyboy1269]

​@@lionvscow 😂

[@dokferr]

Agreed. It should have used an oled screen.