this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2025
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462
My AYN Thor (infosec.pub)
submitted 2 weeks ago by PerfectDark@lemmy.world to c/games@lemmy.world
80 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

AYN recently got in touch with me, asking if I'd like to review the AYN Thor in an article, and...naturally I said 'yes'. I've been super excited, seeing that there's a new boom in DS retro handhelds, hoping that this might mean a viable alternative to the older genuine Nintendo hardware.

I'll just give you a tldr here:

For me, this really is the alternative. There are some caveats, but they're so few, and those it does have really don't affect me much. This can handle all the consoles I need, I've been enjoying Wind Waker HD, MGS 2, Mario Odyssey and so many DS and 3DS games (Metroid: Samus Returns has been a blast!)

If you'd like to read my full review, the link is here. Plenty of pics in there too. I chose the white model, since it was the closest look to my DSi (my fav of Nintendo's handhelds!)

Regardless, this is a handheld I recommend if you can afford the higher price point!

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[–] Hasherm0n@lemmy.world 48 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Hol up, DS is now old enough to be considered retro‽

Why does my back hurt so much? Unrelated I'm sure.

[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 47 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Better lie down for this fact: 3DS is considered retro.

[–] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

2011 is not retro, dammit!

[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

14 years ago, man.

Edit: I fogor how to count

[–] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Was N64 retro in 2010?

[–] Colalextrast@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Bruh. The GameCube was practically retro in 2010

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[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 4 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah. I mean Crysis had been out for 3 years already. N64 graphics seemed ancient at that point.

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[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 weeks ago

The original DS released almost 21 years ago. Because of that, the patent is now in the public domain, hence why products like this can be sold now

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 42 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Damn it can play Mario Odyssey?? I am a little surprised it can emulate Switch games, but damn that's cool.

I understand why it's Android but that also feels so limiting in a way...

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 37 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Yes! It depends on which Switch games, of course Switch emulation is a slippery slope of diving into drivers, settings and builds. But a lot of games run well!!

Even more surprising was WiiU (since that emulator is quite recent on the scene!), and PS3! WipEout HD: Fury was fun to play!

Little edit: I've actually got an article on Eden emulator coming up soon, I interviewed two of the devs, and I'm writing things up now. So if you're interested in the 'main' Switch emulator being built and maintained, then keep an eye out for when I post it! You can just bookmark my author link here and when it's up, it'll appear there

[–] Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

the bigger wall with switch emulation on android is that mobile companies are terrible at writing gpu drivers when compared to conventional desktop/laptop graphics vendors. its why for example the older snapdragon gen 2/3 outperform their newer snapdragon elite counterparts in emulation.

theres significantly more setup time on mobile because some of the jank doesnt "just work"

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The Snapdragon 865 is the undisputed winner of all for the Switch, even now after so much time has passed. Time will change that, and the community is what drives changes, but it's definitely a unique scene!

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If the SD865 is the undisputed champ does that mean that the Lite version is actually the best for Switch Emulation since that's the one that ships with SD865?

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

While it's outdated, its the divers that make it the better option for Switch emulation! But, with time will come drivers which make the newer upgrades work as well, like 8gen2. Right now, it's the community support that keeps the 865 being the most stable and the one I'd recommend the most (with Turnip) for Switch emu!

But as for everything else? It's a weigh up for what is most important to you!

[–] DaMummy@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

The next Eden update focuses a lot on the snapdragon elite series, without even using turnip drivers.

[–] carotte@lemmy.blahaj.zone 32 points 2 weeks ago

often I think to myself "damn, i should buy one of these dual screen handhelds to emulate 3DS games!"

…and then i remember that i have a 3DS lol

[–] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 31 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Review Sample? You're an influencer now :P

[–] nupo@quokk.au 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Can they send me one to review too?

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 35 points 2 weeks ago

I think it's the history of my posts. I've been interviewing developers from programs and projects for a couple of years now. From Heroic to Lutris to EmuDeck, RetroDECK, Junk Store to things like RomM and Minigalaxy. These and articles on the scene...I don't know, I guess it's just because I've established my voice as one in this gaming scene.

It's not as loud as some, but it certainly was nice to have some validation that a company wanted me to review their product!

[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That looks so good. Imagine if people started making games for it. That would be a true ds spiritual successor

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

3DS emulation still has a long way to go (the emulators themselves) since Citra got taken down. But some are making great progress, Azahar is a nice project to keep an eye on. Like I mentioned in the article...it can only get better!

As to original games being made after the systems shut down, I'd love to see that too! Now we're seeing these retro handheld manufacturers pivot to dual screen systems like the AYANEO Pocket DS, AYN Thor and the Anbernic DS, there's definitely a community and plenty of consoles to play them on!

[–] OozingPositron@feddit.cl 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Does it have an SD card slot?

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, it does! I'm running all my ROMs via a 512GB Samsung card.

[–] OozingPositron@feddit.cl 3 points 2 weeks ago

Awesome! They don't mention it anywhere, in a device like this it's a selling point considering you can buy the cheapest one and still get good storage.

[–] BurgerBaron@piefed.social 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I don't miss the crab claw pain trying to play with anything in the DS form factor and that d-pad placement looks rancid.

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[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Super super cool. I don't have a need for this since I have a nice modded 3ds lite, but the youtube on one screen and gaming on the other is absolutely sick. The screen size and color depth looks great too.

Does it have an SD card slot? I didn't see it on their site but I assume so.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

It does, yes! I'm running all my ROMs from a Samsung SD card on there.

[–] HorreC@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I didnt read your article (I did goto their page on the device) but I was wondering to anyone that did, did they disclose what type of sticks they use. For this price if its not hall effect and we get drift (even tho I am sure they would give us better access to the sticks and we could map a custom dead zone to fix it) I would be upset.

[–] HorreC@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

never mind I just saw in the buying text (not the specs area) 'hall sticks'. Sorry for being a dolt.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago

Glad you found the info!

For a handy stats sheet, this was included too:

[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Does it have a 3D display?

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[–] BJ_and_the_bear@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I wish it (or something similar) had a cellular modem for calls/sms. I would love to replace my phone with something like this, even if it’s a bit large

[–] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

...That's an N-Gage.

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[–] Bane_Killgrind@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 weeks ago

Relegate all the telephony stuff to a smartwatch/earbuds pair and that would be great.

[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

SBC gaming and Emulator handhelds have rekindles my zest for gaming. Mainstream consoles are dull and uninspired monetization machines while PCs are overrun with GPU fetishists and Steam cultists.

[–] Die4Ever@retrolemmy.com 4 points 2 weeks ago

Wow this device looks amazing, love the form factor, and the wider top screen makes it so much better and more versatile

[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Looks great. I might be interested in something like that. In your article you mention it's running Android, so I immediately started wondering... how will this and similar devices be impacted by the upcoming 'sideloading' restrictions? And honestly, any potential future changes to Android's policies.

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[–] moonluna@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This looks really cool. This is what the DS should have been when it came out. Or at the very least the 3DS. I'm about to check this out.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Not sure the DS could have had a screen like the top one at that time, at least not without making it cost like $1,500

[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Neat! Can it run WiiU games as well?

[–] DaMummy@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yes, but the WiiU emu on android isn't that great, and you'd be better off using a switch emu, as the best wiiu games were ported to switch anyway.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Exactly this!

CEMU on Android is still very new to the scene, so some things work and some don't. I'd consider it just an added bonus (like Wind Waker!) when things work!

[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Wait, it runs Android? One one hand ewww, on the other ooo F-droid store!

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