I Bought the $330 Handheld Everyone Keeps Recommending

AYN Thor Review Summary

Main Features

• Clamshell handheld with two OLED screens, aimed partly at recreating a Nintendo 3DS-style experience.
• Pocketable design with a hinge that has multiple stopping positions.
• Android-based, with support for emulators, some Switch games, and Steam games.
• The reviewed base model has a standard processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.
• At the time discussed, the lineup included a $259 Light model with a weaker processor, a $400 Pro with 12GB of RAM, and a $480 Max with 16GB of RAM. The base model is quoted as both $320 and $330 in the video. The reviewer also notes that prices had risen and memory specifications had been reduced since launch.

What the Reviewer Liked

• The two bright, clear OLED screens make dual-screen games feel spacious, especially vertically oriented titles such as Rhythm Heaven and Brain Age.
• The clamshell is easy to pocket, close, put away, and resume later. Its closed shell protects the screens from keys and other objects.
• It is much lighter and easier to hold in bed than a Steam Deck.
• The dual screens have uses beyond DS-style games: the reviewer played Hades while keeping Discord open and browsed guides or a wiki while playing Stardew Valley.
• Some demanding uses worked well: Kirby ran at a steady 30 FPS, as did the tested Hades experience.
• The Catacomb launcher gave the device a more appealing, purpose-designed interface than its standard menu.
• Once set up, the device showed potential as a compact system for playing games in their original formats.

Drawbacks and Setup Experience

• The plastic body felt cheap compared with the 3DS, and its textured surface seemed prone to grease, stains, and scratches. The reviewer noticed scratches after about two weeks.
• Getting started takes effort: emulators and games are not included, and installing emulators individually sounded tedious. A guide and Obtainium—using a supplied JSON file to manage third-party apps—made the process easier, though the reviewer still found using the browser frustrating.
• The touchscreen is capacitive, unlike the 3DS’s pressure-sensitive resistive screen. A 3DS stylus did not work; a generic capacitive stylus worked, but quick, precise movements felt less natural. The reviewer found no ideal small, sharp, unpowered stylus.
• The hinge felt wobbly. Its preferred play angle was less comfortable than the 3DS’s steeper viewing angle, and the hinge’s full-open position seemed excessive.
• Many controls and ports are on the bottom, including the power and volume buttons, charging port, and headphone jack. Charging while playing can leave the cable in the way.
• The triggers’ inward-curving edges felt uncomfortable and awkward to press.
• The price is high, particularly given the build and controls. The reviewer regretted not considering the Pro’s extra RAM after testing a demanding game.

Performance and Comparisons

• Pokémon Legends: Arceus ran at around 30 FPS in its introduction but fell to roughly 20 FPS in the open world, where the reviewer found it unenjoyable. Tweaking performance, fan, cache, and emulation settings helped somewhat but did not solve the drops. The emulator used about 7GB of RAM, nearly all the base model’s 8GB.
• Kirby ran smoothly at a steady 30 FPS, and Hades also worked well.
• Compared with the 3DS, the Thor offers modern OLED screens and broader gaming possibilities, but the reviewer preferred the 3DS’s materials, screen angle, and stylus-based touch experience. The 3DS hinge, however, felt too loose, while the Thor’s felt more secure.
• Compared with the Steam Deck, the Thor is far more pocketable and comfortable to hold, though the Deck offers substantially more performance.
• The reviewer also said the Retroid Pocket cannot reproduce the Thor’s spacious dual-screen layout and lacks the same convenient close-and-pocket experience.

Verdict

The reviewer found the AYN Thor close to ideal, but not a perfect handheld. Its pocketable clamshell design, dual OLED screens, and flexible multitasking are compelling, but cheap-feeling plastic, awkward controls and port placement, touchscreen limitations, setup friction, and inconsistent performance at the base model’s RAM level undermine its high price.

It may suit buyers who particularly value pocketability and dual screens; those prioritizing performance or polish may prefer another device or wait for a revision. No numerical review score was given.

Speaker Perspectives

• The video presents a single reviewer’s perspective; no other speakers offer separate product assessments.
• The reviewer mentions a writer’s advice to spend extra on the Pro model but ultimately buys the base version.