Is this really the ‘endgame handheld’?

When AYANEO dropped the Pocket S Mini earlier this year, it claimed that this was an “endgame handheld.” In other words, you wouldn’t have to buy another gaming handheld after this. That’s clearly a lofty claim, but the device seems to offer plenty of reasons to hop aboard at a glance.

There’s a 4.2-inch 4:3 LCD screen that’s a great size for retro emulation, a Snapdragon G3X Gen 2 processor that should handle most tasks with ease, and a compact design with premium materials. The device isn’t cheap, at $319 for early birds and $399 RRP. So does the device warrant the price? And does it remotely live up to these “endgame handheld” claims? I put it to the test to find out, and the results were… interesting.

Horsepower is a major consideration if you want to keep a handheld for as long as possible. It’s one thing to emulate SNES and PS1 games, but it’s another challenge entirely to run bleeding-edge PC games and PS3 emulation. Thankfully, there’s mostly good news on this front.

The Pocket S Mini ships with an active-cooled Snapdragon G3X Gen 2 chipset, accompanied by 8GB to 16GB of RAM and 128GB to 512GB of storage. There’s also a microSD card slot if you need even more space for your game collection.

Unfortunately, a look at CPU-based benchmarks and one-off GPU tests reveals that the Pocket S Mini lags well behind the AYANEO Pocket Ace and the KONKR Pocket Fit (Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 version). The former is especially noteworthy because the Mini and Ace share the same chipset. The device’s single-core result is particularly poor compared to its stablemates, achieving half the Pocket Ace’s score.

So what gives, then? Well, I stuck with the default performance and fan profiles for all the tests (balanced performance, low fan). So it’s possible that the default profiles are very conservative. This wouldn’t be a complete surprise, as the handheld ships with a 4,700mAh battery compared to the Pocket Ace’s 6,000mAh pack. There’s a chance AYANEO may have prioritized battery life out of the box. So, what about stress testing?

There’s actually great news here, as the Pocket S Mini delivered ~98 to ~99% stability in these stress tests. In fact, it beat the Pocket Ace by a significant margin while usually running cooler. The handheld also stayed within touching distance of the KONKR Pocket FIT in the Wild Life tests, which is no small feat given the KONKR handheld’s larger form factor and newer Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 chipset (we haven’t tested the Elite model, but expect that to outdo it).

I did find that the left and right sides of the device got hot during these stress tests. That’s not ideal, as this is obviously where you’ll be holding it. I also found that the fan was quiet on the low setting, but extremely loud on full blast. You’ll definitely attract attention on the bus with the latter option.

Benchmarks are one thing, but I was mostly happy with real-world performance. The Pocket S Mini handled most PS2 and GameCube games just fine at 2x resolution using the NetherSX2 and Dolphin emulators, respectively. I did notice occasional significant slowdowns and hitches in some titles, but these issues disappeared after emulator updates. Otherwise, most games generally ran well and left me some headroom for resolution scaling.

What about pushing the limits with PC, PS3, and Switch emulation? GameHub is perhaps the most popular app for playing PC titles on Android, and I was able to play games like Hades, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, BattleBlock Theater, and Tomb Raider 2013 with ease. It’s also possible to play some lightweight PS3 games, such as 1942 Joint Strike and 3D Dot Game Heroes, via RPCSX-UI Android.

Meanwhile, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also ran at playable speeds via the Eden emulator. However, all three apps experienced major issues when I tried more demanding games. That’s not a surprise, as these are bleeding-edge programs that also struggle to run many games on the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phones. Furthermore, I didn’t spend much time tweaking any settings, save for GPU drivers and renderers. In other words, there’s certainly a good chance that many games will run with configuration changes. For what it’s worth, the handheld felt very warm but never truly hot while running some of these advanced apps.

The Pocket S Mini ships with a 4,700mAh battery, and we’ve previously covered AYANEO’s saga with this battery. The company advertised the handheld with a 6,000mAh battery, but tested it with a 4,700mAh battery. Unfortunately, an apparent snafu with its supplier meant that retail units retained the 4,700mAh battery. AYANEO has offered Pocket Air Mini handhelds to affected buyers to make up for this and has also offered refunds.

So what’s the battery life like, then? Well, I thought it was merely adequate at best. Playing PS2 and GameCube titles for roughly four hours took the battery below 30%. Downloading Steam games on GameHub with the screen set to stay lit will understandably chew through the battery, as two to three hours of downloads took the battery from 70% to roughly 20%. Playing PC games via GameHub also means you’ll need to plug in relatively quickly. You can definitely eke out more hours by playing 8-bit and 16-bit titles, but that’s not great news if you’d like to play God of War or Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on a long-haul flight.

As for the Pocket S Mini’s design, it certainly lives up to its name. The handheld indeed fits into my pants pockets, but the thick form factor means you’ll need some roomy jeans pockets. Nevertheless, this Steam Deck fan is always happy to see an alternative, pocket-friendly handheld, even if it won’t fit every pocket.

Otherwise, the Pocket S Mini definitely feels like a premium device thanks to the metal frame. It’s also equipped with a glass front that extends beyond the display to the edges of the handheld itself. It all comes together to make for a handheld that doesn’t feel cheap, but I imagine the glass front isn’t ideal if you’ve got butter fingers.

The 305-gram weight does mean that even some larger foldable phones are lighter than the Pocket S Mini, though. I didn’t have any weight-related problems while actually using the device, and I do appreciate the heft. However, this was one of the first things I noticed about the handheld after first picking it up. So this might annoy people looking for a small and light handheld.

As for the 4:3 LCD screen, it’s not going to blow you away by any measure. In fact, this is probably my least favorite thing about the Pocket S Mini. The small size means it’s not uncommon to see tiny text in some emulated games, but it’s the brightness that really brings it down. The screen was more than bright enough for indoor gaming, but outdoor viewing was a disappointment. Switching to maximum brightness certainly helps, but persistent fingerprint grease means you shouldn’t play in direct sunlight. This is one of those times where sitting in the shade makes a big difference.

As for the controls, “perfectly adequate” is the best way to describe them. The analog sticks are quite small, but they get the job done. I was pretty happy with the D-pad and face buttons. However, I’m not a fan of the unified select and start button, as I’d often hit one when I meant to hit the other. Split these buttons up into separate physical keys, please. The shoulder buttons are slim, too, but they never affected my actual gameplay experience. I’m also happy to have analog triggers, but they don’t have much travel. Again, adequate for the handheld’s size.

In terms of other I/O options, you’ve also got the aforementioned microSD card slot on the right edge, USB-C, and two speakers on the bottom, an AYANEO button and shortcut button below the right analog stick, and a couple of remappable buttons around the frame. It’s a small touch, but I also appreciate AYANEO’s continued use of a fingerprint scanner/power button combo for easy unlocking.

AYANEO said the Pocket S Mini was meant to be an “endgame handheld,” and it certainly makes a strong case for being the last handheld you’ll buy for a while if you decide to pick one up. That’s largely due to great sustained performance, a full suite of controls, premium build quality, and that compact design. The $319 early bird price tag also means this undercuts the similarly equipped AYANEO Pocket Ace ($549.99 at Amazon). But there are a few hurdles that keep it from reaching true greatness.

Battery life is probably the most prominent knock against it in my book. It doesn’t have terrible endurance, but it’s definitely on the short side compared to other handhelds. Meanwhile, that 4:3 screen delivers a great aspect ratio for emulation, but outdoor gameplay can be a frustrating experience due to poor brightness. I’d also like to see separate start/select buttons and a lighter design, but these are minor quibbles compared to the aforementioned battery and screen issues.

Looking for a similar handheld but with better battery life? Then the aforementioned Pocket ACE might be for you. However, the $459 recommended price is tough to swallow compared to even the Pocket S Mini’s $399 RRP. You’re basically paying at least $60 extra for a bigger battery. The ANBERNIC RG 477M ($329.99 at Amazon) is also worth a look if you want a 4:3 handheld and want to save some cash. You miss out on a Snapdragon chip and a super-sleek design, but still get great performance and decent battery life in a pocket-friendly package.