It feels like it’s been an eternity since the AYANEO Pocket S2 was announced, but it seems we’re finally nearing a release. Earlier this week, AYANEO’s CEO hosted a live stream showing off the upcoming Android handheld, giving us a better idea of what we can expect. And after the livestream concluded, the Indiegogo campaign page launched.
The headline topic is that the Pocket S2 will be the first device to launch with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 chip. This is similar to the original Pocket S, which was the first handheld to feature the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2. From there, AYANEO ended up leaning on that chip more, as it’s also found in the Pocket DMG, Pocket EVO, and the Pocket ACE.
AYANEO Pocket S2 Specs
During the livestream, more specs and features of the AYANEO Pocket S2 were revealed:
- Display: 6.3-inch IPS, 2560 x 1440
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon G3 Gen 3
- RAM: LPDDR5X
- Storage: UFS 3.1 / UFS 4.0
- Battery: 8000mAh
- Controls: Hall Triggers, TMR Electromagnetic Joysticks, RGB Joysticks, Micro-Switch D-pad & ABXY Buttons, Anti-slip Textured Shoulder Buttons and Triggers
- Colors: Obsidian Black, IceSoul White
- Extras: 20W Peak Performance, Aluminum Alloy Curved Midframe, Fishbone Biomimetic Air Outlet, Turnip Driver Support
For many of us who love emulating on Android devices, that usually means we end up needing to tinker around with third-party drivers. AYANEO threw us a curveball as it announced that the Pocket S2 and Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 will include support for Turnip drivers “out of the box.” While we aren’t exactly sure how this will be implemented, you better believe we’re excited to find out.
For reference, Android devices ship with the necessary drivers from the company that produced the processor (i.e., Qualcomm/MediaTek). However, some emulators, such as many Switch emulators, along with RPCSX and others, offer the ability to “install” third-party drivers. In turn, these aim to provide better compatibility and can often make it so a game is actually playable, as opposed to dealing with horrible frame rates or glitches.
The way things are looking, the Pocket S2 seems to fix a lot of the complaints about its predecessor. These include things such as larger ABXY buttons, rounded edges, and a drastically improved cooling system.
Unfortunately, AYANEO has yet to share pricing and availability, but it did open a “Sign Up” page for the Indiegogo campaign. Not only that, but apparently, if there are more than 1,000 sign-ups for the AYANEO Pocket S2, the company might “give a big discount.” All you have to do is provide an email address, which will then be used to notify you when the campaign is live, along with any other updates.
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