Some members of the retro handheld community have been receiving an unexpected package from AYN. Turns out, those who bought both the AYN Thor and AYN Odin 3 from AYN have been sent branded sling bags from AYN, something that was teased during the Odin 3 IndieGoGo campaign and seems to have been mostly forgotten about by the community.
The bag is not part of the Odin 3 Accessories Pack on AYN’s website, nor does it appear to be available for separate purchase. This appears to solely be for those who placed an order for both the Thor and Odin 3 through IndieGoGo and/or AYN’s website. As someone who backed the AYN Thor on IndieGoGo, as well as the Odin 3 on IndieGoGo (subsequently moved to their website for ordering during the campaign), I happened to be a recipient of this unexpected gift from AYN.
Details
A black bag with nice nylon fabric throughout and a faux-leather finish on the front, this bag certainly has a premium look and feel for a freebie. A branded AYN tag sits proudly on the front, along the edge of a standard front zippered pocket. Opening up the bag, we have the sling strap cinched by a fabric tie sitting inside.
-
- AYN Bag Front
-
- AYN Front Zipper Pocket
-
- AYN Bag and Cinched Strap
Continuing to open up the bag, we’ve got an initial, open-spaced inner compartment, with a small pocket that houses a removable Switch card sleeve. We’ve also got a secondary inner compartment that is comprised of a removable, hard material wall that can be expanded to hold larger items with some extra padding, which is similar to the TomToc Carrying Case that it also clearly models.
-
- AYN Bag Front Inner Compartment
-
- AYN Bag Removable Switch Card Sleeve
-
- AYN Bag Expandable Secondary Inner Compartment
A small, slightly hidden velcro strap can extend to hold the secondary inner compartment and Switch game sleeve in place. Turning the bag around, we’ve got a standard inner zippered pocket on the front of the first inner compartment. On the back of the bag, we’ve got a handle where the bag can be carried by hand, or some separated upper and lower clasp points where the removable sling strap can be attached.
-
- AYN Bag Velcro Strap Over Second Inner Compartment
-
- AYN Inner Zipper Pocket
-
- AYN Back and Strap Connected
The AYN sling bag fits well across the body, with an adjustable sling strap that can be removed entirely from the device. It can comfortably be placed on the front, side, or back of the torso.
-
- AYN Bag Cross-Body
-
- AYN Bag Cross-Body
Conclusion
I’m a hug fan of cross-body bags; I have a CRKD Gear Bag which I’ve been using as my personal sling bag for a while now. I absolutely adore this bag, so I don’t know if the AYN sling bag replaces this one in my rotation, but the quality of the materials and options for storage and space are nice to see in a bag that was essentially “free”.
At a time when other companies in the retro handheld community have been facing scrutiny for their customer service practices, it’s nice to see AYN sticking to their word and sending out perks that most members of the community completely forgot about.
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.