Air

Hey all. I’ve been working on Armada, a SteamOS-like Linux distribution for ARM handhelds, built on the same foundation as Bazzite with device support borrowed from ROCKNIX. There’s now a preview release available to try. It currently includes: * ARM64 Steam * FEX for x86 game support * CachyOS Proton 11 * Gamescope / Steam game mode * SD card boot support Current device support: * AYANEO Pocket EVO: tested and working * Odin 2 Portal: tested and working * Odin 2 Mini: tested (touchscreen not working yet) * Odin 2: supported but untested This is still prototype software. There is no upgrade path yet, it boots from SD, and setup requires flashing the ROCKNIX ABL, so it is very much “use at your own risk.” The goal is to make ARM handhelds feel closer to a SteamOS-style experience, while keeping the project open and building on the great work from ROCKNIX and Bazzite. Check it out here: [https://github.com/virtudude/armada](https://github.com/virtudude/armada)

# THE FUTURE OF AYANEO REVIEWS ON MY CHANNEL Hey everyone, I have an important update regarding the channel and my coverage of AYANEO products. After much consideration, I have decided to stop reviewing AYANEO devices and will no longer be accepting review units from the company. As many of you know, I’m always the relaxed, low-key Canadian in the handheld space. I’m not interested in drama, but I do feel a deep responsibility to be transparent with you about the brands I recommend. If I wouldn't feel comfortable spending my own money on a device, I can’t justify asking you to spend yours. This decision comes down to four main pillars: **Safety, Privacy, Transparency, and Business Ethics**. **1. Hardware Safety and Quality Control**: While minor QC issues are common in this hobby, my recent experiences have crossed a line into safety concerns: * The Pocket DS: My unit began melting internally while charging. I don't mess around with battery safety, and the strong smell of burning electronics was a major red flag. * The Air Pro: My "replacement" for a defective unit was actually a dirty, used return from a previous customer that hadn't even been factory reset. For a "premium" brand, this is unacceptable, even if they sent a new unit after. This shouldn't have happened to begin with. **2. Personal Data Privacy:** During a "verification" check before sending my replacement Air Pro, I was accidentally shown another customer’s full personal information. This is a massive breach of data privacy. As a reviewer, I cannot overlook a company's inability to protect basic customer information. https://preview.redd.it/b55z1a5f21cg1.png?width=3100&format=png&auto=webp&s=f1521feaf0689bdee7321c7ad43cc3940bc6ac38 **3. Selective Transparency:** I’ve noticed a pattern where the company is becoming highly selective with their review units. They appear to be ghosting anyone—myself included—who provides honest, critical feedback. I value my integrity and your trust far more than any review unit, and I will never compromise my honesty just to maintain a relationship with a manufacturer. **4. Business Ethics:** The final straw was a very bizarre and frustrating refund experience: The Refund Delay: It took two months to receive my refund for my Pocket DS. Despite tracking showing it was delivered, the company claimed for weeks that it hadn't reached their warehouse as they had to relay ship it from the receiving point. A petty accounting error: Once the refund finally processed, they insisted I pay back $2.30 USD due to an overpayment error. After I sent it back, I received a message thanking me and explaining that if I hadn't, the staff member responsible for the error "would have her salary docked". For a "premium" brand to be this petty—and to put that kind of pressure on their staff—speaks volumes about their internal culture. https://preview.redd.it/b9vqb0xm01cg1.png?width=2590&format=png&auto=webp&s=7eaac054600c206fd779b67be42a55a0b9dae3be Moving forward- As my peers at Retro Game Corps and Retro Handhelds have noted, the industry has shifted. Companies like AYN are now proving they can deliver superior hardware, faster shipping, and better communication without the "premium tax" or the crowdfunding risks. I’m not coming from a place of malice, but from a place of genuine disappointment. My goal is to focus on hardware that is durable, safe, and backed by companies that respect their customers. I’ve cancelled my remaining pre-orders, and I’m looking forward to highlighting brands that I can truly stand behind. Thanks for sticking with me while I navigate these tougher decisions.

Dear Reddit, I am in dire need of advice, I have two sell two of my handhelds, and I can’t make up my mind 😬 Here are the candidates: GPD Win Max 2025 HX370: powerful and doubles as a laptop on a pinch, best travel option. SteamDeck OLED 1TB Limited Edition: best ergonomics, by far, beautiful screen, but underpowered. AyaNeo Pocket S: powerful Android handheld that can run Switch and Steam PC games via emulation, it is also the most portable, fits in a jacket’s pocket. Nintendo Switch 2: access to future Nintendo first-party titles. MSI Claw 8 AI+: the most powerful of the bunch, even if a HX370 or Z2 Extreme device can match its performance for some titles, XESS is miles ahead in quality, FSR is quite ugly in comparison. Which two would you sell, and why?

Hello! I'm Jipsony, the dev behind Retro Catalog. It's been so much fun being part of this community for another year, and trying so many games on our beloved SBC handhelds. This year I've worked on the website almost every day. I've really enjoyed it and when I look back at all the updates of the year, I think it was well worth the time: Size comparison tools, "Best of" lists, user reviews, game recommendation tools, user accounts, customizeable user collections, EmuReady integration, etc.. I'd like to share a few top 3 rankings based on the user collections in Retro Catalog. Please note that the collections feature was added to the site on November 1st, so these rankings reflect only the past two months: **Most Favourited**: AYN Thor, AYANEO Pocket Air Mini, Retroid Pocket G2. **Most Wishlisted**: AYN Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket G2. **Most Owned**: Miyoo Mini Plus, RG 35XX SP, Steam Deck. And here's a general recap about this year's releases: **Number of Releases**: At least 60 handhelds **Operating systems**: - Android: 31 handhelds - Linux: 23 handhelds - Windows: 12 handhelds **Form Factors**: - Horizontal (40) - Clamshell (11) - Vertical (9) **Brands with the most releases**: - Anbernic (8) - AYANEO (6) - Retroid (5) - AYN (4) **Most popular aspect ratios**: - 16:9 (25) - 4:3 (21) - 16:10 (6) - 3:2 (4) **Most popular resolutions**: - 1920 x 1080 (21) - 640 x 480 (11) - 1240 x 1080 (5) - 1280 x 960 (5) **Most popular screen sizes**: - 3.5 (10) - 7.0 (8) - 5.5 (6) - 3.92 (5) **Screen Types**: - IPS (34) - OLED (14) - LTPS (8) - LCD (4) **PSP Emulation Performance**: - 58 handhelds can play PSP decently, the cheapest being the [My Mini](https://retrocatalog.com/retro-handhelds/my-mini) at $30 - 41 handhelds have great PSP performance, the cheapest being the [Action Pi](https://retrocatalog.com/retro-handhelds/action-pi) at $60 **PlayStation 2 Emulation Performance**: - 37 handhelds can play PlayStation 2 decently, the cheapest being the [AYANEO Pocket Air Mini](https://retrocatalog.com/retro-handhelds/ayaneo-pocket-air-mini) at $70 - 33 handhelds have great PlayStation 2 performance, the cheapest being the [Retroid Pocket Classic](https://retrocatalog.com/retro-handhelds/retroid-pocket-classic) at $110 **Switch Emulation Performance**: - 27 handhelds can play Switch decently, the cheapest being the [RG-477V](https://retrocatalog.com/retro-handhelds/rg-477v) at $200 - 23 handhelds have great Switch performance, the cheapest being the [Retroid Pocket G2](https://retrocatalog.com/retro-handhelds/retroid-pocket-g2) at $210 [Link to the 2024 recap](https://www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/comments/1hpvyyc/2024_handheld_gaming_recap_stats_and_highlights/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) So which one of these handhelds was your favourite? Mine is still the Retroid Flip 2, such a great device to boot up from time to time.

This beauty arrived yesterday, and yes, I have also ordered and am waiting for a Thor. However, my God, this thing is an underrated powerhouse!! Installed Cemu and Eden, and from reviews wasn't expecting too much. But, in addition to flawless PSX, PSP, GC, DC and others, Wii U games have been handled without issue and "most" Switch game are either perfect, or have a tiny glitch that doesn't reduce playability. There's only been one switch game that was unplayable. The only disappointment, trying to emulate using game native. Only tried one game (sleeping dogs) and whilst listed as compatible it simply doesnt go beyond the screen to start a new game. That aside this is an amazing piece of kit! I'm new to these handhelds, and have a Flip v2 for portability and an Ayaneo Pocket Mini - which I'm going tho list for sale! But having lurked here for a while I've not seen much about the Pocket Max. For its price point (under £200 when I purchased) it's amazing!