It’s happened, guys. The thing we waited for, the thing we expected to happen, and knew as an inevitability to the point where even the most minute flaws become that of an incurable disease. A mountainous drama of disgust and betrayal of un-‘hinged’ proportions: Reports of the AYN Thor‘s hinge cracking at the joint.
AYN Thor: Hingegate
Cheekily deemed “Hingegate“, we are seeing a growing collection of similarly cracked hinges at the peak of the curve on the front of the hinge, which, for you engineers out there, is the biggest stress point with the least support. This should sound familiar to enjoyers of the Retroid (Not AYN) Flip 2, where we had points of failure in a similar spot. This comes after debate sparked regarding the fact that AYN uses the same exact hinge as the RP Flip 2 because they are part of the sa-…nevermind.
via Reddit
Is the Thor set to join the greats in the Handheld Hinge Hall of Infamy like the Miyoo Flip and the RP Flips 1 & 2? Or are we simply damning the prosecuted before the jury gets out?
AYN Thor: Why Are Hinges Failing?
Hinge engineering (Hingeneering) is a pretty complex science since it involves the simple hinge mechanism and the shell it’s placed in, but basically, we have a metal/plastic hinge mechanism that sits between the shell of the screen and the shell of the console. When that piece is actuated, it puts pressure on the screen shell and the jutting piece connected to the body. Tension is caused mostly by the “in-between” phase of folding, where the screen isn’t clicked in place and is searching for that spot, and the click phase, where tension comes to a quick halt.
Think of it like riding a nice cruiser bike on a dirt road versus a mountain bike with suspension, where the ride will feel a lot worse than one with more give to it. When too much alternating tension and compression strains the joint and there’s no relief, the device will take upon itself to crack in relief. And once the crack starts, your support is compromised and could crack all the way through.
TLDR: When it comes to good hinges, we need A: An adequate amount of plastic keeping the tension and compression at bay, and B: RELIEF. An overly tight hinge will maximize the point stress put on your hinge, and inadequate plastic at stress points will ultimately break it (Cue the Miyoo Flip).
Some good examples of hinge design that follow the criteria above are the New Nintendo 3DS XL and the GBA SP. Arguably, these consoles have weaker plastic than our Retroid/AYN counterparts, but they get 2 major things right: They have uninterrupted plastic seams in their shells to maintain strength in tension by spreading stress to the rest of the shell rather than a single point, and a generous amount of wobble so that stress is more forgiving. Having dual hinges versus a single hinge shouldn’t make that large of an impact unless the hinges are on the literal edge of the device (Like the GBA SP or its doppelganger, the RG35XXSP).
The Thor, though… has a little flaw. The top shell is separated into two pieces, one for each side, and is normal, but there is a small point of plastic that takes all the strain of actuating the hinge. I’m pretty positive this is why hairline cracks are showing up here.
Oh, by the way, it’s happened to me too. This handheld hasn’t left my bedroom or living room and has been cradled like a baby since I received it. It’s not a scratch because it’s on just that portion and in the same spot as the others reported. Yikes. From a biased perspective, I really wanted to report better news, like QAQC issues or margin of error issues, but I am personally convinced this is an engineering issue. This isn’t the end of the world, and we have options IF this even affects you to begin with.
AYN Thor: What Now?
Nothing, or wait for AYN’s response. I have personally reached out and will update the article once they have spoken. In the meantime, we are all within their warranty period and entitled to either a replacement or a refund (At their discretion). If you or a loved one is experiencing Thor hinge issues, you might be entitled to financial compensation. You can make inquiries directly to AYN here or by directly emailing them at: (in**@*yn.hk). In the grand scheme, your device is probably fine, and fearmongering is a little silly, but all this is just in case
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