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!)
Does it have a HDMI port to connect to a TV? Since it’s Android, I suppose pairing a new controller would be easy, so stuff you emulate from home consoles can be played with 2-4 people
No HDMI port but does support video over its USB c connector and full support for multiple controllers. Most handhelds that start around probably $150 and are android based will most likely have this functionality as well.
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!
You don’t need that same software. The principle is still the same though, you’re loading ROMs of games on there. The 3DS console method simplifies it because they created their own freeshop, but with this, you’re going to load the ROMs yourself.
Go and look at my post history on Lemmy. I’m more than established on here, as I am on Mastodon. I’m not a ad, this wasn’t a paid review. They sent me the device and had no idea what I’d write about it. If it was terrible, I’d have said so. That’s…how this works. In the case of the AYN Thor, it’s just genuinely a VERY good handheld. I stand by what I’ve written. You would too, if you got one.
I loathe that you don’t know me, didn’t check my history with Lemmy, and just called me a paid shill. Fucking shitty.
As to reviewing this handheld and liking it. Its like if you got sent a Steam Deck, and gave it a good review…would you consider that an ad? A product which holds up to scrutiny?
My findings seem to be pretty in-line with others who have reviewed the device.
tbf, I kinda can’t blame anyone for being critical of a review of a niche product. We live in a capitalistic influencer hellscape. We are post authenticity. Everything is a grift, everything is a hustle, everyone is a paid sponsor. Modern subversive advertising has made everyone suspicious of anyone who boasts a company or product.
I feel like in the 2000s before the monetization of the internet became the norm, people were more able to share their art and writing in forums. There were entire sites dedicated to grassroots art-sharing without any profit motive.
Yes, grifters exist, but we’re all so cynical these days, not just at the corporations, but everyone. I miss people just sharing things with each other without any suspicion that dark money is involved.
I looked at the blog and it looks like a mere $182 changed hands for the month, and I assume most or all of it goes to Gardiner Bryant and not the OP. Is that comparable Instagram “influencers” hawking Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop in a paid sponsorship deal? Maybe this is just a person who was excited enough about a new console that they decided to write about it, and honestly, good for them.
I assume most or all of it goes to Gardiner Bryant and not the OP.
I make no money from Gardiner’s site, or any other way I’ve done these articles. They’re just because I love to write and because I love the gaming scene. Thanks for realizing that!
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.
I’m so happy we’re finally getting a handheld that’s genuinely portable! I watched a disassembly video and really appreciate that the battery isn’t glued down, too. And have you all seen gameplay videos? Ocarina of Time 3D at 7x native resolution looks about as close to those Unreal 5 Zelda tech demos as we’ll likely ever get.
I skipped the Nintendo Switch line, but I’d eventually pick the Thor up to replace my 3DS. (If I don’t hold out for an Ayn Freya 😅 .)
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”
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!
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?
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!
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
I’m considering getting one in a few years once I chew through the 3DS library, and want an upgrade for bus drives. The dual screen might still be useful for browsing guides online and such.
I also never touched the Wii U so there should be some duals screen goodies there to play.
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Does it have a HDMI port to connect to a TV? Since it’s Android, I suppose pairing a new controller would be easy, so stuff you emulate from home consoles can be played with 2-4 people
Some Android support video out over USBC so it’s not a stretch
No HDMI port but does support video over its USB c connector and full support for multiple controllers. Most handhelds that start around probably $150 and are android based will most likely have this functionality as well.
That looks so good. Imagine if people started making games for it. That would be a true ds spiritual successor
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!
Does it have a 3D display?
No, Nintendo is the only one who managed that! This is just straight AMOLED
That’s not true, there are other companies making glasses free 3D displays. For me, no 3D is a deal breaker for a device like this
I mean… The 3D idea was pretty cool, and it worked surprisingly well, but I realistically never used it other that for fun occasionally.
I’ve just hacked and started reusing my old 3DS and it’s great fun! Can download most games abs cool hacks/mods to modify them.
Is this able to hook up with the same software as 3DS so I could do the same on it?
You don’t need that same software. The principle is still the same though, you’re loading ROMs of games on there. The 3DS console method simplifies it because they created their own freeshop, but with this, you’re going to load the ROMs yourself.
This is an ad.
For fuck’s sake.
Go and look at my post history on Lemmy. I’m more than established on here, as I am on Mastodon. I’m not a ad, this wasn’t a paid review. They sent me the device and had no idea what I’d write about it. If it was terrible, I’d have said so. That’s…how this works. In the case of the AYN Thor, it’s just genuinely a VERY good handheld. I stand by what I’ve written. You would too, if you got one.
I loathe that you don’t know me, didn’t check my history with Lemmy, and just called me a paid shill. Fucking shitty.
As to reviewing this handheld and liking it. Its like if you got sent a Steam Deck, and gave it a good review…would you consider that an ad? A product which holds up to scrutiny? My findings seem to be pretty in-line with others who have reviewed the device.
Ugh.
Yes, also ad for your blog.
This is not ‘my’ blog. Its my friend’s: Gardiner Bryant. I contribute there because I love gaming and I love writing.
Should we start removing all links from this community, do you think? Because sharing links to sites (by your own ‘logic’) are just ads. Right?
tbf, I kinda can’t blame anyone for being critical of a review of a niche product. We live in a capitalistic influencer hellscape. We are post authenticity. Everything is a grift, everything is a hustle, everyone is a paid sponsor. Modern subversive advertising has made everyone suspicious of anyone who boasts a company or product.
I would consider them giving you the device for free to be putting their finger on the scale at the very least.
I feel like in the 2000s before the monetization of the internet became the norm, people were more able to share their art and writing in forums. There were entire sites dedicated to grassroots art-sharing without any profit motive.
Yes, grifters exist, but we’re all so cynical these days, not just at the corporations, but everyone. I miss people just sharing things with each other without any suspicion that dark money is involved.
I looked at the blog and it looks like a mere $182 changed hands for the month, and I assume most or all of it goes to Gardiner Bryant and not the OP. Is that comparable Instagram “influencers” hawking Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop in a paid sponsorship deal? Maybe this is just a person who was excited enough about a new console that they decided to write about it, and honestly, good for them.
I make no money from Gardiner’s site, or any other way I’ve done these articles. They’re just because I love to write and because I love the gaming scene. Thanks for realizing that!
half this community is “${game} released on steam!”, these are just as much ads as this post is
What is the game UI you’re running in the top picture?
Or is it a different retroarch theme?
Daijishō is the launcher up top!
I want this
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.
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. The tech wasn’t there yet.
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.
For sure you’d need to get grips immediately for it to resemble a controller.
Wow this device looks amazing, love the form factor, and the wider top screen makes it so much better and more versatile
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.
It does, yes! I’m running all my ROMs from a Samsung SD card on there.
Hol up, DS is now old enough to be considered retro‽
Why does my back hurt so much? Unrelated I’m sure.
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
Better lie down for this fact: 3DS is considered retro.
2011 is not retro, dammit!
14 years ago, man.
Edit: I fogor how to count
Was N64 retro in 2010?
Bruh. The GameCube was practically retro in 2010
Who said that?
Yeah. I mean Crysis had been out for 3 years already. N64 graphics seemed ancient at that point.
Yes. I very much remember it being uncontroversial to call the N64 retro in 2010.
I’m so happy we’re finally getting a handheld that’s genuinely portable! I watched a disassembly video and really appreciate that the battery isn’t glued down, too. And have you all seen gameplay videos? Ocarina of Time 3D at 7x native resolution looks about as close to those Unreal 5 Zelda tech demos as we’ll likely ever get.
I skipped the Nintendo Switch line, but I’d eventually pick the Thor up to replace my 3DS. (If I don’t hold out for an Ayn Freya 😅 .)
The next DS we wanted but never got. Seems cool!
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…
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”
The next Eden update focuses a lot on the snapdragon elite series, without even using turnip drivers.
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!
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?
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!
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
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
I’m considering getting one in a few years once I chew through the 3DS library, and want an upgrade for bus drives. The dual screen might still be useful for browsing guides online and such.
I also never touched the Wii U so there should be some duals screen goodies there to play.