Last month’s Handheld of the Month was a pint-sized powerhouse for PS1 packed away in the plentiful Miyoo Mini and Miyoo Mini+ form factors. A lovely pairing, but succeeded this month with something a lot larger. That’s right. If you haven’t gathered by the thumbnail, or the title, Handheld of the Month for May came out to be the AYN Odin 2! So in this article, I think it’s time to cover what we even voted for, some of the mods you can do with it, and what my experience has been with the Odin 2 these last 6 months. So strap on in and enjoy the ride into HOTM territory.
What even is it?
ES-DE on Odin 2
If you’ve been living under a rock you might have missed the Odin 2 storming onto the scene as one of the most powerful handhelds in the market. And if you have, I’m going to be a kind benevolent writer. And simply give you a picture of the specs for the Odin 2, right here:
A 6” 1080p display powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is something I was not expecting to come out in 2023, but there it was. Powering my hopes, my dreams, and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Outside of being a powerful device that ranges anywhere from $300 to $460, you also get what I would call a pretty comfy device. Nowhere near as comfy as the AYN Loki, but the Odin 2 does well.
Compared to just about every other Android handheld I have, the Odin 2 beats it in size, comfort, and power. The only one that beats it in any of those three categories is the G Cloud, which is larger, and more comfortable. And way weaker. So a handheld that does everything you need at a shocking price? This is the one.
But what changes can you make to it?
Upgrades and Accessories
Slug Sticks
There are a number of changes that you can make to your Odin 2, as well as accessories you can add. But first up! The sticks.
The sticks on the Odin 2 are super nice and offer an incredibly smooth experience. However, for the size of the device, they are pretty small. You can check out the link here, where Nick takes you through some alternate thumbstick options for the AYN Odin 2. But I will go ahead and say right now, that I think the Slug Sticks are totally the move. They give you a much more traditional controller experience. And, with some of the games you can play on the Odin 2, that’s an absolute necessity.
Odin 2 connected to Jumpgate Dock and outputting to TV
Outside of that, the Odin 2 works with several docks, including their own Superdock 2, which allows you to connect to the TV and play your games on a larger screen. If that’s not your thing and you want to stay handheld, you can print a grip for your Odin 2 or purchase one off of Etsy, and if you want to swap out buttons you can either go to the Ayn website for new buttons, or you can grab a set from Sakura Retro Modding when they’re in stock.
If you’re looking for customizability, the Ayn Odin might not be as big as the Miyoo Minis, but it sure has some choices out there.
My Odin 2 Usage
When it comes to my usage of the Odin 2 over the past 5 months, I can summarize it in just about one sentence.
I play way too much Vampire Survivors and PS2.
Starting off with the first part of that sentence, Vampire Survivors. This game on Android is considerably more addictive than I thought it would be. I can’t do more than a full round or two on PC. I can’t do more than two or three rounds on an x86 handheld. But on the Odin 2, I was spending a few hours at a time playing this game. Admittedly that wasn’t the only Android game I put a lot of time into, it certainly was the most addictive. Other than that I was trying things out like Grid Autosport, Horizon Chase Turbo, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. I will beat VC one day.
As for PS2, I can’t really say I’ve been playing a wide variety of games, but I sure have been playing some of my favorites from when I was younger. But now scaled properly up to 1080P. Burnout 3 has been an absolute treat, though I still struggle with some slowdown after wrecks. Ratchet and Clank as a whole have been really fun, and I’m going to finish it I swear. But unfortunately, I got distracted by both Pac-Man World, as well as Gran Turismo 4. A few sets of really good PS2 games that kept my attention the most.
If you want other good PS2 games worth playing, I do have a list on the RH website as well, but if you have other recommendations I’m happy to hear them.
Final Thoughts
The Odin 2 turned out to be one of the best values in handhelds (in my opinion) when it came back out in November. And over time, it’s really maintained its top spot amongst other Android handhelds. Ayaneo Pocket Air? More powerful than that one. Ayaneo Pocket S? Don’t know where it is. Razer Edge – 21:9. Pimax Portal – Magnets, but that’s about it. G Cloud – More Powerful. The Odin 2 really beat each competitor in one way or another.
While you may argue one of those previous handhelds might have been better for you. You can’t deny that the Odin 2 was a really rounded device. And personally, it deserves to hold the spot of Handheld of the Month, for at least one month. Now we can only wait and see what we come across for June. Maybe a D007 comeback story?
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