When I first saw AYN showcase the Odin 2 Mini, I scoffed at the idea. Why release a smaller Odin 2 with less battery and around the same cost? Next, I preordered it so fast that I got the $30 off coupon.
I ordered the base model as I had no issues with the base Odin 2. Also, I wanted the black, so I felt I didn’t need to upgrade to the more expensive model that has 12GB of RAM and internal storage vs 8. That is one frustrating thing about this. If you want the white model, you have to go for the pro which is $399 vs the $339 cost of the base.
What changed my opinion of this so fast? I thought about my Odin 2 and realized I never played it. It’s a little too large to be portable and with a newborn, it’s been difficult to find the time for it. I also recently dug out my Vita from storage and thought about the Odin 2 power in that form factor. I was officially intrigued. Join me as I give a short review of the device, also check out Andrew’s first impressions here.
The Feel
AYN Odin 2 Mini
The Odin 2 Mini feels great in my hands. The plastic has a nice matte texture to it. My hands wrap naturally around it and as someone who thought the Vita was okay with comfortability, the additional stacked shoulder buttons make it that much better.
I don’t have any issues reaching any of the buttons either. The black color does show fingerprints, but not as bad as I initially thought it would be. After a play session, I look around the perimeter of the device and notice very few, and the few I do notice just wipe right off.
There are two textured pads on the back of the device where my fingers rest. They don’t add too much to the device, but it is a nice touch to have on there. If you are running more demanding games, the back can get a bit hot, but it’s not unbearable. When I put the device down to download all the extra stuff Genshin Impact, this thing got really hot though. The temperature was around 85+C and not just the back hurt to touch, but also the screen. Be careful not to lay this down when downloading something large like that!
The Screen
The big selling point for this device was the new QLED screen and a lot of controversy from people who wanted an OLED instead (trust me, I get it and agree). I think the new screen looks pretty great and extremely bright. I’m playing this thing at 20%-15% brightness and it’s still too bright sometimes. Cranking it to 100% lets you easily play outside on a sunny day, though this will have your battery life take a bit of a hit.
The other thing with QLED screens is the vignetting (or vinaigrette if you’re Stubbs). I am not a person to notice things like this and I can see it when on a bright screen, but in my opinion, I didn’t notice it at all while playing. I am a fan of using Dark Mode and I didn’t run into seeing it on the menu either. If you go looking for it though, you will easily find it.
One thing about the screen I have noticed is that it is a fingerprint magnet! I had way more issues with this getting scuffed with fingerprints than I did with the black shell. This is without the screen protector that I am still waiting for… more on that later. Hopefully, that will fix some of my issues with that.
The Buttons
The buttons have that fun crystal feel of the Vita and honestly, I think they both look and feel great. On my Odin 2 I didn’t like the face buttons much, but these are great. I also love the feel of the D-Pad on this, especially after using my Steam Deck more recently.
The triggers feel nice as well. The L2/R2 are similar to the hall triggers I’ve used before. The L1/R1 are kind of small for my larger index fingers but still press very easily. Overall, I felt that my fingers rested nicely on them and it was not difficult to use either while playing.
Compared to the PS Vita 1000
The analog sticks feel very smooth. I enjoyed the sticks on the original Odin 2, but these have a nice textured feel on top of them as well. They are a little small, but I had no issues using them in the games I tried. I could see some FPS games being a little tricky though.
Performance
Just like the Odin 2, this is some of the best performance you can get currently from Android. It was playing anything I threw at it with ease from NES to GameCube at 3x and even beyond. Of course, there are certain games that won’t run because of the limitations of emulators (looking at you Dirge of Cerberus).
Honestly, I never play Android games and that’s a shame because there are some great ones out there. I decided to give that new ZZZ game everyone keeps talking about a shot and it ran this rather well, though the game isn’t for me. Also, I enjoyed Alien Isolation, Dead Cells, Stumble Guys, and more! Android gaming is great and I need to dig more into that later.
In my limited testing, I haven’t noticed any differences in performance from my Odin 2, which is a great thing. I grew up with a lot of games from the PS2 and GameCube era. It’s such a joy playing these games upscaled and also with HD texture packs. With RetroAchievements coming to Dolphin, I can’t wait to revisit these again.
I also tried streaming with XBPlay and this was pretty great as well. I was playing NBA2K24 and had mostly 60 fps with some dips down to 50 here and there. The battery went down about 11% from a 25-minute game, which was pretty nice. It wasn’t perfect, but very playable.
Battery Life
Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to intensively test the battery because of the after-mentioned newborn at the beginning of the article. I can give you my impressions of battery life while playing though. Overall, not an issue for me at all. But, if you want something a bit more substantial, check out the timestamped video above from the one and only Retro Tech Dad.
It was worrisome seeing a smaller 5000 mAh battery compared to the Odin 2’s 8000 mAh battery. However, I’m not running into any issues with this. It helps that I have been playing on a lower brightness because of how bright this screen is and how dark my house is.
A short test for you. I had the device charged at 97% and was playing Midnight Club Underground 3 on PS2 at 2.5x resolution. I had to run to do errands and turned the device on sleep mode while I was gone for 3 hours. When I returned, the battery remained at 97%.
When I got back from the store, I ran a few races on and off for the rest of the evening when I had time and it was down to 74% by the time I was ready for bed. That’s not that scientific or detailed, but 23% battery with sleep mode for an evening of gaming is completely satisfactory for me.
I had similar results from GameCube, finally playing Metal Gear Solid for GotY running at x3 resolution. I also noticed similar when running Popolocrois on PSP at x4. This device also charges fast! Using a 60-watt charger with a USB C to C cord, I got it from 47% charged to 93% in 30 minutes.
Portability
Portability is what sold me on this darn thing I was mocking on the initial release. From my limited portability use, it’s been so great. It’s the perfect size for me to slide into my sweatpants shorts (yes, feel free to judge my fashion sense), and the sleep mode is fantastic.
Back of the Device
Wait, limited portability use? You’re hardly using it the way you intended? Well, yes, unfortunately. The preorder came with a free case and screen protector, but AYN shipped those separately a few later and they’ve taken much longer and I still haven’t received them yet at the time of writing this. I even opted to not bring the Mini out of town this weekend so I didn’t have to risk damaging my new device.
I had this next to me while on the floor of my daughter’s room and in between calming her and waiting for her to sleep, I was very easily able to pick this up and play some more Midnight Club Underground 3. This is absolutely what I want and have been waiting for!
Overall
What I am Digging
+ Great portable size
+ Bright screen for outdoor play
+ Buttons feel and look great
+ Awesome performance
+ Fast charging
The Meh
– Screen vignetting (though not too bad while playing)
– Battery life if using screen at full blast brightness
– The p-AYN of preorder shipping
– Cost for a pro model and the only way to get the white
– It can get quite warm!
Can I recommend the AYN Odin 2 Mini to everyone? No, absolutely not. If you have an Odin 2 and you’re happy with it, then don’t feel the need to splurge on this new shiny device. If you don’t have an Odin 2 or any higher-end Android device or if you wish the Odin 2 was smaller, then yes I suggest it. My mind would have been blown about this a few years ago. Order your own at the button below along with Stubbs and his video too.
What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
This page may contain affiliate links, by purchasing something through a link, Retro Handhelds may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.