2025 truly is the year of Android gaming handhelds, with Ayn the latest brand to show its hand in the space. The new Ayn Thor is a clamshell device that looks like what you might get if the 3DS and SNES had a baby, with similar analog sticks and buttons to the Nintendo handheld and a colorway that matches the 90s home console. Despite an August reveal, Ayn has only just shared the Thor's specs, color choices, and more in the lead-up to its October release.
Over on Ayn's official site, you can preorder the Thor handheld right now in four configurations:
Lite: Snapdragon 865, 8GB Memory + 128 GB Storage - $249
Base: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB Memory + 128 GB Storage - $299
Pro: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 12GB Memory + 256GB Storage - $349
Max: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 16GB Memory + 1TB Storage - $429
Already, the Ayn Thor looks tempting, but that's only amplified when you look at the full sheet of specs for the Base, Pro, and Max models:
- Adreno 740 GPU
- Main 6-inch 1920 x 1080 120Hz AMOLED touch screen
- Secondary 3.92-inch AMOLED bottom touch Screen
- 6000 mAh battery
- Hall sticks
- Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
- Android 13
It's an impressive spec sheet, which should make all the available models capable of running the best Android games at a high frame rate, thanks to the 120Hz display and 8 Gen 2 chip, as well as the best retro games. When it comes to the Ayn Thor Lite, some specs differ, with a slightly less impressive Snapdragon CPU and GPU chip, slower memory, and Wi-Fi 6. But you're still getting a great all-in-one device that won't be a slouch.
Over the last few months, many brands in the gaming handheld space have revealed their own takes on the Nintendo DS design form factor, packed with modern technology. From the Pocket DS to the MagicX, there are plenty to choose from. But the Ayn Thor could win out in the nostalgia factor due to it being strikingly similar to the New Nintendo 3DS, released back in October 2014.
Combined with its impressive specs and great displays, the Ayn Thor could be an easy addition to our best retro handhelds list once it's available worldwide in October. Still, we'll have to wait to get our hands on one to put it through its paces.
In the meantime, check out our guides to the best gaming phones and the best gaming tablets if you're looking for something with much more power. Or, if you're looking for something new to play, see our guides to the best Switch games and the best mobile games.