AYN THOR

AYN THOR

Well my AYN Thor arrived on Saturday 1st November which I'd ordered on Thursday 29th August, quite a really lengthy wait so was it worth it? I haven't really done a great deal with it yet. Unboxed, then did the usual Android set-up, date, time, location, wi-fi etc. I was also able to order a 1TB microSD card on Saturday and have it delivered same day which I put my ROMS onto for the following consoles: Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GB, Nintendo GBC, Nintendo GBA, Sony PSP, Sony PSVita and Nintendo Switch.

I wasn't quite sure why I purchased this handheld other than I wanted to add it to my collection. Too powerful for Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS but has a dual screen which I don't want to just ignore because I'm playing Sony PSP or Sony PSVita. So where in my collection does this handheld fit? Considering how powerful this is I might even try some Switch on Eden.

I have the Anbernic RG DS on pre-order so I may do a comparison later on but until that time below is a comparison of the specifications.

	AYN Thor	Anbernic DS
CPU	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	RK3568 Quad Core
GPU	Adreno 740	ARM G52 2EE
RAM	16GB	3GB
Top Screen Size	6"	4" IPS
Top Screen Resolution	1080x1920	640x480
Bottom Screen Size	3.92"	4" IPS
Bottom Screen Resolution	1080x1240	640x470
Memory	LPDDR5x
Wi-Fi	7
Bluetooth	5.3	4.2
Battery	6000mAh	4000mAh
Operating System	Android 13	Android 14
Storage	1TB	32GB
External Storage	MicroSD	MicroSD

I purchased the white model and it looks very pleasing to the eye with a nice matt white and textured finish and thankfully it isn't prone to finger prints or smudging. It is comfortable to hold and the controls are within easy reach and the handheld isn't heavy.

A bit of a break from typing my blog to try Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS emulators to see if I can get the second screen working, possibly need to check out some set-up guides and decide on the emulators to use. Having a Nintendo DS and it automatically accessing the second screen is much different to an Android powered handheld and needing to do some set-up work just for the emulator to recognise a second screen.

So after a bit of Googling I found Joey's Retro Handhelds setup guide and how installing Obtanium first it would help with keeping on top of any updates there may be.

After watching the video and following all the emulator installation sections of the video and before setting up RetroArch I wanted to see if I could get MelonDS standalone emulator working with two screens, I must admit I was expecting it to be really difficult, but guess what, it wasn't and within minutes I was playing a Nintendo DS game on my Ayn Thor using both screens, something I would never of expected 6 months ago.

Now to go away and to tinker a little, setting up RetroArch and the Daijisho front end. The big question is would I recommend this handheld all things considered, when you take into account price per power do you get your bang for your buck? The answer is a resounding yes from me.

I'll probably come back and revisit this subject once I have RetroArch and Daijisho up and running, so possibly watch out for a part 2.

Michael