Despite a decent amount of the information already being released to the public on previous streams, AYANEO took to a new live stream to formally release the AYANEO Pocket S2.
Upgrades Over the AYANEO Pocket S1
As has been previously announced, the Pocket S2 will use the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 CPU, which includes the Adreno A33 GPU.
During the live stream, AYANEO indicated that the G3 Gen 3 will provide a 10% improvement over the Snapdragon G3x used in the previous version of the AYANEO Pocket S. However, the largest boost will come in multithreaded performance, where AYANEO is advertising a huge 30% boost in performance over the Pocket S1. The company says this is thanks to the G3 Gen3’s high-frequency cores the CPU contains.
AYANEO is also touting an improved cooling system to allow the CPU to run at a higher frequency for longer, and onboard AV1 decoding. This should mean we see a reduction of input delay for gamers streaming to the Pocket S2 from a compatible PC.
All versions of the Pocket S2 will come with a 1440p 6.3-inch widescreen panel, an upgrade from the 6-inch 1080p panel on the standard configuration of the previous model. Unfortunately, the panel looks to still only run at a maximum of 60Hz.
Improved Software Compatibility for the Previous Generation
The previous generation of AYANEO Android devices, such as the Pocket S, the Pocket DMG, and the new Pocket Ace, all use the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2. Since this chip is not widely in circulation – I’m personally not aware of it being in use outside AYANEO devices – this caused issues with Android applications and Android native gaming, since it wasn’t on many publishers’ “approved list” of high-performance chips. This meant that games like Call of Duty were not able to run with a 1080p resolution unless the AYANEO device spoofed a less powerful chip like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used in the AYN Odin 2 series.
On the stream, AYANEO claims that through working with both Qualcomm (which makes the Snapdragon chips) and game publishers, these issues are now fixed. This presumably extends to any future G3 Gen 3-powered handhelds that AYANEO might release. While these claims have obviously not been tested, if we take AYANEO at their word, this would be a huge boon for owners of the previous generation of AYANEO devices.
Additionally, AYANEO claims the Pocket S2 will be the most powerful device that is also compatible with Turnip drivers. This should significantly improve performance for compatible emulators such as PS2 and Switch options, or even Windows emulation via Winlator.
Something New: The AYANEO Pocket S2 Pro
With a “just one more thing,” which may have been inspired by the old Steve Jobs iPhone presentations, AYANEO announced the previously unmentioned AYANEO Pocket S2 Pro.
The most obvious differences between the Pro and the Standard edition seem to be the controls, with the S2 Pro looking to have a replaceable D-pad. AYANEO is touting this as a significant improvement over the controls of the Standard Edition. It looks like these may be an implementation of one of the control options available on the AYANEO 3 Windows handheld, and it may be worth keeping an eye on reviews of that device to see how these controls improve gaming.
AYANEO advertised the S2 Pro to have a bigger battery (10000mAh vs the Standard edition’s 8000mAh) and support faster charging (60W, compared to the Standard Edition’s 40W). The larger battery will require a small increase in weight, however (428g vs 440g).
While the S2 Pro will be available in the same Black, White, and Retro Power colorways of the Standard Edition, there will be an additional B.Duck colorway available.
AYANEO Pocket S2 & S2 Pro Pricing
The AYANEO Pocket S2 Standard Edition will start at $439, with the Pro starting at $559. Both these prices are for the minimum configurations if purchased through IndieGoGo using the Early Bird Prices. It is unclear whether there will be an additional cost on top of this for tariffs for US-based gamers. For full details of the available prices, please see the images below
The AYANEO Pocket S2 and Pocket S2 can currently be bought from their Indiegogo page using the button below.
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