Had I not received a review unit of the new AYANEO Pocket Micro Classic, I’m not sure that I would have ever even tried one of its devices. The company makes no bones about being a premium manufacturer, and that premium comes with a cost barrier for entry that might seem daunting to those of us who have seen how much can be done in this hobby on the cheap in recent years.
All things considered, this is inarguably a premium device and an excellent gaming experience. With that being said, is it really worth up to $270 for the privilege? Well, that depends on who you are and what you’re looking to get from the Micro Classic.
So, let’s go through all the things that make this such a brilliant but often vexing retro handheld.
AYANEO Pocket Micro Classic Specs and Pricing
Image via Ayaneo
- Processor: MediaTek Helio G99
- Display: 3.5″ Borderless IPS @ 960×640 with 330PPI density
- RAM: Up To 8GB LPDDR4X @ 4266 MT/s
- Storage: Up To 256GB UFS 2.2
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5 & Bluetooth 5.2 Support
- Other: Solid Metal Outer Shell, Fingerprint Sensor
The Micro Classic comes in three offerings, as seen above. I received the Retro Gray model, and would have been quite happy with either that or the gold. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether a $30 premium is worth paying for a higher-spec model in your preferred color.
The one comment that I’ve heard continually coming back about the reveal of this device is that it’s overkill. What is 8GB of RAM going to offer you on this machine that 6GB won’t get done? The decision to offer two different SKUs is fine, but I would have liked to see the Magic Black model offered with a cheaper processor to bring down some of that sticker shock and place a more budget-friendly offering on the table. Keep the metal and the beautiful trim, and I bet buyers would line up.
In addition to being available from AYANEO directly, you can also pick up the Pocket Micro from GoGameGeek. And at the time of this review being published, you’re able to save 15% using code RH15 at checkout.
Order the AYANEO Pocket Micro ClassicPocket Classic Micro at GGG
Overview Impressions
Did you know GTA III was one of a few PS2 games that you could play with an original PSX controller?
If you’re in the market to pick up a Pocket Micro Classic, you probably know the specific type of emulation you’re looking to play. This is a Helio G99 device — just like the Pocket Micro before it — but this iteration ditches the dual analog sticks to focus solely on a classic d-pad experience.
With the processor under the hood and 8GB (6GB option available) of RAM to go with it, this thing is capable of way more than the lower-end systems it honors. Overall, my main disconnect with the device is that it has the horsepower to run games that don’t quite align with its hardware setup. It’s certainly nice to have more options, but at the end of the day, this won’t ever be a preferred experience for any higher-end systems. AYANEO attempts to solve this by turning the D-pad into an emulated stick via a button combo or touch menu selection, and it works well at what it sets out to do, but at the end of the day, it’s still a compromise.
Console Launcher running on the Micro Classic
If you know you want a high-end premium device and trim to play titles from the ’90s era and earlier, you’re golden. Anything later than that is when you’ll need to consider how much you’re willing to deviate from the game’s original experience. The content that the Pocket Micro Classic is designed to play, sings. Game Boy Advance being the obvious highlight.
I didn’t care much for the built-in launcher, but I’ve yet to find a manufacturer that beats what the community releases can achieve. I found that the newest release of Console Launcher was a great fit and felt right at home on the Micro Classic.
The review unit that I received from AYANEO, along with the unit that Stubbs reviewed, both seem to have issues with the internal fan. I can’t be sure what causes this, but I suspect it’s a software issue. I cranked the fan controls up to max and let Gran Turismo 3 run for 20 minutes.
Despite the handheld struggling to keep up in places graphically and seeing huge frame rate dips, the fan never appeared to be running. At least, not that I could hear or feel in any way via the vents on the rear of the device. On-screen performance diagnostics show it to be spinning at various levels, but that was seemingly not the case.
It’s worth noting again that this is a review unit and that software and tweaks may still be being finalized, so we can wait to see how AYANEO addresses the situation.
The Screen
Vibrant colors on the Micro Classic
The pixel density delivered on this 960×640 display makes for a stunning recreation of 8 and 16-bit systems. It’s understandable if people think that the Micro Classic should have an OLED for the cost, and I wouldn’t debate anyone who feels that way, but what AYANEO has achieved with the IPS panel in this handheld is to be commended.
Lower-end systems may have more simplistic visuals graphically, but the Micro Classic makes everything on the screen so crisp and colorful that you’ll wonder if you ever really appreciated how nice these games had the potential to look.
Stunning display, but it can get smudgy
The entire front of the Pocket Micro Classic is glass, which makes for a slick presentation and overall design, but comes with the unfortunate bonus of being a smudge magnet. Your touch inputs will leave prints on the screen, and it extends to the areas around the buttons and D-pad on the device as well. By no means a failure, but it’s something you should probably be aware of before breaking out your wallet.
At 3.5 inches, the screen on the Micro Classic could be forgiven for having some touch difficulties at times, but even with the high resolution and small text size, I never had an issue with precise touch inputs. When compared to a device like the Anbernic RG Cube, where I can never seem to get edge and corner touches to register, it’s a joy. I don’t have to fight with the device if I want to touch that cute little RetroArch logo.
Hardware Design and Controls
Clean design of the Micro Classic
One look at the design of the Micro Classic and you should have a pretty good idea of whether the unit will be for you. The system is immediately reminiscent of a classic NES controller or Game & Watch in design, with a little Game Boy Micro sprinkled on top. I find the design to be the perfect mix of old and new — it feels natural. Having grown up in that era, the form factor is imprinted on my brain as normal.
Those who are a little more acclimated to the ergonomics of modern designs might find the sharp edges of this handheld to be a bit jarring. This isn’t going to be a handheld that contours to the palms of your hands. This is old-school utilitarian design.
D-pad on the Micro Classic
The D-pad is all around solid (which it better be at this price point), if perhaps a tad shallow, as Stubbs pointed out in his video review. It’s a decent size when compared to the overall size of the device, and I can get a good feel of each directional input individually when pivoting the pad around.
If I had a gripe, it would be that I would have liked to see a slight indent at the center of the D-pad, as is seen on so many other handhelds, as well as the Classic’s NES controller inspiration. As someone with larger thumbs and hands, I did find myself having to reposition my thumb back to center every so often. This is a minor gripe, but this is also a premium device.
Face buttons on the Ayaneo Pocket Micro Classic
The face and shoulder buttons are comfortable, responsive, and quiet. When you consider the type of games that the Classic was designed around, these buttons are probably about as good as one could hope for, but that isn’t to say that all buttons on the device are perfect.
The Micro Classic features two buttons on its right side. One brings up a performance overlay, Ã la the Steam Deck, displaying real-time stats on performance. The other serves as a back button. Both of these are fine once you get used to them being there.
I need to remap these buttons
What hasn’t been fine, though, are the home and launcher buttons located on the bottom right-hand corner of the handheld. There are matching pairs on the other end of the device that are placed as START and SELECT, but the home and launcher buttons are located in an area where my brain wants them to be the start button.
So at least half a dozen times while I was testing the Micro Classic in a game, I went to hit start and backed out into the Android home screen. This is a minor annoyance, as you can just tab back to the game you were playing, but it’s annoying enough that it inserts some jank into the overall experience. AYANEO may have an option to redefine or disable these buttons in the future, but for now, you will have to rely on something like Button Mapper if you can’t stop the accidental exits.
Closing Thoughts
Ayaneo_Micro_Classic_DBZ
It’s difficult to know where to land with the Ayaneo Micro Classic. This is a handheld made for the premium buyer who wants a premium product, and it’s largely successful at delivering that vision. Having said that, it’s still difficult to get my head around why I’d need these specs for the kind of emulation that this device specializes in.
Yeah, it’s great that I can map the D-pad as an analog stick to play modern titles, but why would I want to in today’s market? I have countless other options to play those systems with different sticks of my choice.
Ayaneo touts this device as letting the user “Experience the Charm of Pure Retro Aesthetics,” and it’s hard to argue that they haven’t achieved that with the Pocket Micro Classic. Its sleek and clean design is a perfect modern update to a classic period of gaming. This company is here to service a premium consumer market, and that’s what they are doing with the Micro Classic. Maybe it’s a niche device, but at least it’s out there as an option for those who might want it.
If you can afford to drop the money asked here, and you’ve always wanted a stylish metal ode to times gone by, I’d say go for it. If the thought of paying $200 for the Micro Classic makes you scratch your head with the bevy of options out there, then I can’t blame you. Personally, I think you can spend the same amount of money and put together a small selection of handhelds that have different form factors or excel in different ways.
I had never tried an Ayaneo device prior to this one, and the reason was the high barrier to entry. Had I not had the chance to review this unit, I don’t know that I would have ever been compelled to buy one myself, but I’m certainly happy I had the chance to try the Micro Classic out.
Just because it isn’t practical to build or buy a Ferrari doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the cars or the feat of engineering that they represent. In a lot of ways, that’s how I feel about the Micro Classic. It’s out of my league, but damn, it is nice.
You can pre-order the Micro Classic directly from Ayaneo, along with from GoGameGeek where you can save an extra 15% with code RH15. Shipping is expected to begin in mid-April.
AYANEO Pocket Micro ClassicPocket Classic Micro at GGG
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