Ayaneo Pocket Ace: Substantial Power in a Small Portable Gaming Handheld - Specs & Pricing
Ayaneo is poised to call that into question with its latest release, the Pocket Ace. This new entrant is entering the populated field with an idea of delivering actual performance in a form factor that's incredibly easy to take with you. Let's dive into the specifics of what powers this small machine.
Substantial Power, Small Package
The first thing you'll immediately notice about the Pocket Ace is how compact it is. It's been designed to be seriously small, only 156 x 63 x 18 mm. But even though it's small, Ayaneo has squeezed in some serious kit, headlined by the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 chipset. We've seen this big mobile processor on other Ayaneo handhelds like the Pocket DMG and Pocket S, but it's a pleasure to see it deployed here in a more portable form factor.
What does all that power mean for you. Well, aside from fast LPDDR5X RAM (running at 8,533 Mbps) and fast UFS 4.0 storage (on most models), the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 should be more than well equipped to handle demanding Android games and even the proposition of emulating systems like the Nintendo Switch.
More Than Raw Specs
Ayaneo has not skimped on features beyond the processor. The Pocket Ace includes a crisp 4.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1620x1080 and 550 nits of maximum brightness. This will make your games and content pop and be very readable even on a small display.
For control of right-of-way, the addition of Hall effect joysticks and triggers will be appreciated by gamers. These function with magnets instead of physical contact, so they should be much more long-lasting and less susceptible to the dreaded "stick drift." And for motion control in cooperative games, there is a six-axis gyroscope built in.
Despite its small stature, the gadget also comes equipped with a heavy-duty cooling system to keep the performance going through long gaming periods. And powering it all is a decent 6,000 mAh battery with support for 40W fast charging.
Pricing and How to Grab One
The Ayaneo Pocket Ace already has a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Pricing varies with the configuration you're looking at:
- 8 GB RAM / 128 GB Storage (UFS 3.1): Starts around $339
- Stepping up the storage and RAM will cost around $80 with each upgrade.
- 16 GB RAM / 512 GB Storage (UFS 4.0): Around $499
- There's also a 16 GB RAM / 1 TB Storage (UFS 4.0) variant in a 'Retro Power' color that retails for around $599.
Ayaneo is set to begin shipping these units out to backers sometime next month. If you're looking for serious gaming power in a real pocket size, the Pocket Ace appears to be a good bet.
