What you need to know

• The AYANEO Pocket S2 will be officially announced on March 17 during GDC 2025.
• This is the successor to the AYANEO Pocket S, which debuted in late 2023 before being released in June 2024.
• Specific details are scarce, but we do know that AYANEO is again partnering with Qualcomm for the chip.

If you’re in the market for a new flagship Android gaming handheld, you won’t have to wait long. Earlier today, it was confirmed that the AYANEO Pocket S2 will make its debut on March 17 at the Game Developers Conference (GDC). This comes almost a year after the original Pocket S was released, which was the first device to launch with the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2.

In the announcement post, AYANEO explains that it’s “once again partnering with Qualcomm,” but doesn’t reveal anything else. Towards the end of the post, AYANEO tipped everyone off to a new chip, stating the S2 “will make its global debut alongside Qualcomm’s newest gaming platform.”

AYANEO Pocket S2: The New Flagship Android Handheld is Coming Soon – YouTube

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There hasn’t been much in the way of rumors for the AYANEO Pocket S2, which frankly comes as a bit of a surprise. It’s only been six months since the AYANEO Pocket EVO was released, which is powered by the same Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 as the Pocket S. However, besides the internals, the Pocket EVO is a completely different device with its OLED 165Hz display and ergonomic design.

That being said, we aren’t exactly sure what to expect from the Pocket S2. I wouldn’t be surprised if AYANEO kept things simple, and didn’t alter the overall design very much to keep it in line with the Pocket S. However, I’m also hoping to see a screen with at least a 120Hz refresh rate, even if AYANEO sticks with an LCD display as opposed to moving to OLED.

Another big question is just how much will the AYANEO Pocket S2 be priced at. AYANEO largely stands alone when it comes to flagship and premium Android gaming handhelds. Pricing for the Pocket S starts at $589, while the Pocket EVO is currently $529 for the base model. Even the recently announced Pocket Micro Classic, a stick-less version of the Pocket Micro, can be currently pre-ordered for $179.

On the bright side, AYANEO traditionally offers a bit of a discount during the pre-order phase that usually takes place on Indiegogo. The only difference has been the Pocket Micro Classic which can only be pre-ordered directly.

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait much longer for AYANEO to spill the details about the Pocket S2. GDC 2025 kicks off on Monday, March 17, meaning we only have to wait a couple of days before everything is revealed.

What you need to know

• AYANEO has officially announced the Pocket Micro Classic.
• This Android gaming handheld is essentially the same as the Pocket Micro, minus the joysticks.
• Pricing for the Micro Classic starts at $179, and shipping is expected to start in the “middle of April.”

Last year was a banner year for AYANEO, as the company released an onslaught of both Windows and Android handhelds. On the Android side, the Pocket DMG and Pocket Micro were easily two of the most intriguing handhelds that we’ve seen in recent memory.

And now, the Pocket Micro Classic gets even closer to imitating one of Nintendo’s classics. Basically, everything about the Pocket Micro and the Micro Classic is identical. This includes the Aluminum chassis, 3.5-inch IPS borderless display, and MediaTek Helio G99 SoC.

Classic Joystick-Free Design, Pure Experience: AYANEO Pocket MICRO Classic Officially Announced – YouTube

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In case it wasn’t obvious, the only key difference is that AYANEO ditched the dual joysticks from the Micro with its latest handheld. In doing so, it also appears to have moved the D-pad and ABXY buttons down slightly to help fill up some of the space.

With this change, the Pocket Micro Classic looks like the perfect modern successor to the original Game Boy Micro. This is especially true of the “Retro Gold” color, which features a gold front paired with a red CNC aluminum shell.

As for performance, well, it’ll be identical to the “regular” Pocket Micro. The Helio G99 is paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of expandable storage. Meanwhile, the 3.5-inch display, with its 960 x 480 resolution, offers perfect 4X upscaling for Game Boy Advance games.

Obviously, the Helio G99 is capable of playing games from systems that are far more powerful than the GBA. So what does that mean if you end up wanting to play PS1 games but don’t have a joystick? AYANEO claims you’ll be able to switch between the D-pad and left joystick mode by long-pressing the ST and = buttons found on the front bottom lip.

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This isn’t entirely unheard of, as there are plenty of retro handhelds that offer similar implementations. However, it will be interesting to see if AYANEO also makes this available from the AYASpace Menu in case you forget the button combination.

Currently, there are three colors to choose from, across two different RAM and storage configurations. Pricing for the 6GB model with 128GB of storage starts at $179. If you want 8GB of RAM and double the storage, you’re looking at either $209 for the Magic Black color, or $239 for both the Retro Gray and Retro Gold colors. You can pre-order one starting today and AYANEO is expected to begin shipping its latest handheld sometime in the “middle of April.”