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The company behind the Android-powered AYN Odin handheld game console have announced they’re working on a new model with a nearly identical design, but one key difference: the AYN Loki is a handheld gaming PC that runs Windows.
According to a brief teaser video, the Loki will be “the most affordable Windows handheld ever created,” with prices starting at $299 for an entry-level model with a 12th-gen Intel Core processor or $499 for models with AMD Ryzen 6000U chips featuring RDNA 2 graphics. Update: The AYN Loki goes up for pre-order on June 1st, and it will be available in four different versions: AYN Loki Mini, Loki Mini Pro, Loki, and Loki Max.
AYN will offer several different configurations of the Loki handheld, including an entry-level AYN Loki Mini priced as low as $299, with a choice of an Intel Celeron or Pentium processor based on 12th-gen Intel Core architecture or an AMD Mendocino processor, which is a budget chip that combines Zen 2 CPU cores with RDNA 2 graphics.
While AYN had initially teased only the Intel option, the company seems to have decided to offer an AMD Mendocino option in the days following rival handheld maker AYA’s announcement of the upcoming AYA Neo Air Plus handheld gaming PC which with an AMD Mendocino processor and $289 starting price.
Higher-priced versions of AYN’s Loki handheld will feature AMD Ryzen 6000U series chips with Zen 3+ CPU cores and higher-performance RDNA 2 integrated graphics.
| Loki Mini | Loki Mini Pro | Loki | Loki Max | |
| Display | 6 inches 1920 x 1080 pixels IPS LCD |
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| Processor |
Intel Celeron 7300 (Alder Lake U w/5 cores, 5 threads) or AMD Mendocino (Zen 2) |
Intel Pentium 8500 (Alder Lake U w/5 cores, 6 threads) or AMD Mendocino (Zen 2) |
AMD Ryzen 5 6600U Zen 3+ architecture 6 cores / 12 threads |
AMD Ryzen 7 6800U Zen 3+ architecture 8 cores / 16 threads |
| Graphics |
12th-gen Intel UHD @ 800 MHz w/48 eu or AMD RDNA 2 |
AMD Radeon 660M 6 GPU compute cores |
AMD Radeon 680M 12 GPU compute cores |
|
| RAM |
8GB LPDDR4x-4266 (Intel) LPDDR5-6400 (AMD) |
8GB / 16GB LPDDR5-6400 MHz |
16GB LPDDR5-6400 MHz |
|
| Storage | 128GB M.2 2230 PCIe NVMe SSD microSD card reader |
128GB / 256GB / 512GB M.2 2230 PCIe NVMe microSD card reader |
512GB M.2 2230 PCIe NVMe microSD card reader |
|
| Wireless | WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 |
|||
| Battery | 26.5 Wh | 40.5 Wh | 46.2 Wh | |
| Ports | USB 4.0 (Intel) or USB 3.2 (AMD) 3.5mm audio microSD card reader |
USB 4 3.5mm audio microSD card reader |
||
| Controllers | Full controller w/Xbox-style layout Hall Sensor Analog Triggers Gyroscope Rumble support |
|||
| Size & weight | 15mm thick
362 grams |
20mm thick
? |
?
? |
?
? |
| Colors | transparent black, white | black, white | black, white | black, white |
| Price | $299 | ? | $499 – $699 | $799 |
Backers of the AYN Odin crowdfunding campaign will be able to save $25 to $100 off those prices when ordering a Loki. And according to Taki Udon, the storage is user replaceable, which means that folks who order one of the lower-priced models may be able to upgrade to a larger SSD.
While the teaser video makes it look like at least some models of the AYN Loki will be the same size as the company’s Android-powered Odin handheld, YouTuber Taki Udon says that not all of the Loki models will be the same size, suggesting that the “mini” and “max” refer to more than just the pricing and specs.
That’s not to say that the new model is identical to the Odin when it comes to physical design. It looks like the Loki’s display may be a little smaller than the Android-powered Odin’s 5.98 inch, 1080p display
Another way in which the AYN Loki looks a bit different than the Odin: the company’s Android-powered Odin has action buttons with a Nintendo-style X, A, B, Y layout, while the Loki will have an Xbox-style Y, B, A, X configuration. That change makes sense for a Windows handheld, since Microsoft’s operating system includes native support for Xbox-style controllers.
Other details we can glean from the video include that the USB-C port, audio jack, and microphone all remain unchanged, as do the rest of the buttons, analog joysticks, and the D-Pad.
It’s unclear when the new AYN Loki will be available for purchase, but you can find more details about the company’s existing Android-based AYN Odin handhelds with ARM processors at the AYN website or its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.
That model is available for purchase with prices starting at $197 for an AYN Odin Lite with a MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor and Android 11 software (although that model has yet to ship), $239 for an Odin Base with a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and Android 10 software or $289 for an Odin Pro with a Snapdragon chip, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Just keep in mind that company is still working to ship units to folks who’ve previously backed the crowdfunding campaign. So you may want to check AYN’s Shipping Dashboard page or Indiegogo updates to get a sense of how long it will take for orders placed now to be delivered.
via Taki Udon, Taki Udon’s Discord server, and Ayn.Technologies (Instagram)
This article was first published May 25, 2022 and most recently updated May 30, 2022 with additional information about the processor and pricing options.
