On the earth of gaming handhelds, Ayaneo is one thing of a emerging celebrity. Regardless of handiest arriving at the scene in 2020, the logo has launched numerous Android and Home windows handhelds in the previous couple of years, together with a non-public favourite of mine, the Nintendo-inspired Turn DS. Now it is again with the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Vintage, an Android-based hand held with a phenomenal shape issue and an excellent lovelier value, and the nice folks at Ayaneo have been sort sufficient to ship me one to try.
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From the off, I’ve to mention that the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Vintage is lovely, combining nostalgic Sport Boy Advance Micro vibes with a graceful black steel design. Whilst it is a beautiful oblong construct, I by no means spotted the corners digging into my palms. It feels top rate, which is most definitely as a result of numerous the less expensive choices from our information to the very best unfashionable handhelds have plastic builds, however the steel of the Micro Vintage makes it really feel extra upmarket, which is a huge deal taking into consideration its value level.
The important thing distinction between the Micro Vintage and the unique Micro is that the Vintage does not have analog sticks. That is Ayaneo correctly committing to the nostalgia vibes, and to be fair, I am a fan. Sure, it limits what you’ll play at the software, however maximum of my favourite unfashionable video games wouldn’t have a use for analog sticks anyway, so it is no actual loss. The loss of sticks additionally makes the entrance of the hand held really feel much less congested, which is vitally foremost in video games that require precision inputs. I am having a look at you, Tetris.
In terms of controls, the Micro Vintage’s buttons are all great and clickable, together with the triggers at the height of the hand held. Admittedly, they do not really feel relatively as top quality as the remainder of the construct, particularly the A, B, X, and Y buttons, however they get the task achieved, and you have additionally were given get started and make a choice buttons on the backside of the display screen, in addition to a unique Ayaneo button that brings up your all-important settings and function main points.
No longer handiest is the Micro Vintage’s shape issue nice, however it has a phenomenal show, too. The three.5-inch IPS display screen will not be an OLED, however it nonetheless gives very vibrant colours, and the touchscreen reaction is extremely correct. There is a slight factor in that, because of the totally glass entrance, it is relatively simple to get smudges in all places the software, however it is not anything you’ll’t rectify via conserving a microfiber material handy.
I am not going to get too in-depth in regards to the Micro Vintage’s efficiency right here, however it is simply value declaring that this factor has 6GB of RAM, greater than the unique Transfer, and its MediaTek Helio G99 is masses in a position to operating even one of the most extra tough Android video games. If the rest, this factor could be quite overpowered for what you are making plans on enjoying on it, however nonetheless, it is higher to have an excessive amount of energy than no longer sufficient.
As I have discovered with different Ayaneo units, the instrument enjoy is usually a little awkward, however as soon as you have adjusted, it is beautiful simple to make use of. The Micro Vintage advantages from its Android working machine, supplied you first make an effort to make a choice the solution to pressure panorama mode within the settings. As soon as you have locked to panorama, you do not wish to concern about to any extent further tinkering out of doors of putting in your apps, which, mixed with the easy button format, makes for an excessively pleasant consumer enjoy.
Whilst Ayaneo would possibly have long past slightly overboard on efficiency, you unfortunately can not say the similar factor for the Pocket Micro Vintage’s battery. The two,600 mAh cellular within this software is succesful sufficient for a few hours of gaming, however it constantly runs out of juice faster than I am expecting. It isn’t an enormous deal, as the item fees reasonably temporarily, however if you are occurring an extended go back and forth and not using a energy financial institution, it is prone to run out of fee prior to you even get for your vacation spot.
All in all, if you are searching for a lovely little hand held that feels correctly unfashionable and extra explicit to a undeniable technology of gaming than nearly all the choices, the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Vintage is a smart possibility. That proper there may be why it is my favourite hand held of 2025 to this point, although it is value declaring that the Nintendo Transfer 2 unlock date is not too a ways away, so all that might trade prior to lengthy.
The Ayaneo Pocket Micro Vintage is to be had to reserve from the legitimate Ayaneo web page now, beginning at $179 for the 128GB model or $209 for the 256GB fashion. There also are particular version Unfashionable Gold and Unfashionable Gray variations you’ll grasp for $239, which glance simply as beautiful as the unique Magic Black colorway, if no longer extra so.
In case you are no longer bought at the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Vintage, make sure to try our guides to the very best hand held consoles and the most efficient Steam Deck choices while you are right here, with each articles together with a number of top-tier choices for gaming at the move. Or, if you are searching for one thing to play the very best cellular video games on, see our listing of the very best gaming telephones.
