Ayn is launching a new device dubbed the “320g” and it looks gorgeous!

The rumors are flying. Ayn started off this campaign with a teaser imagine in a poorly lit room just to get the hype train rolling. If you follow Ayn at all you know it worked. I jumped on their discord to see what Ayn fans were saying and the feed for the 320g was scrolling with assumptions faster than the ESPN Sports Ticker during March Madness.

There is a lot of speculation around the processor being used, the screen (which we now have a better idea about), the operating system and pricing. Ayn did say in their teaser that this new handheld won’t directly compete with the Ayn Odin line of devices. They made a similar claim last year prior to their launch of the Ayn Loki. No matter the specs let’s hope this launch goes more smoothly than the Ayn Loki launch which was pledged with issues. That said if the Odin 2 launch is any indication of how the launch will go then fans should be solid as it went so smoothly customers got devices early.

Let’s start with what we do know which isn’t much. We know the new handheld weighs in at 320g. I’m assuming this won’t be the actual name of the handheld at launch as Ayn likes to name their handhelds after Norse Gods but “320g” is the name dubbed by Ayn even in its down discord thread. The next thing we know is some info on the screen. They have launched an image stating: MiniLED 155%sRGB, 1,000,000:1 and 1100nits. I’m not sure you can pull off this screen in anything other than an AMOLED so I think it’s safe to assume that is the missing detail here.

After this the ever scrolling guesses on the Ayn Discord are likely better than mine. So instead of guessing I’m going to snowball out a couple ideas. It’s hard to think of this being an Android handheld as Ayn says it won’t compete with the Odin and after the Loki it’s very difficult to see Ayn trying to tackle a Windows Handheld again. If they did decide to design an Android device however I can see them using either the Dimensity 1100 or 1200 chipset putting this directly against the RP4 Pro. It’s hard to think they would do this due to their relationship with Retroid but as a premium manufacturer Ayn likely wouldn’t build a device to drop below that price tear. They could also try and tackle some of the Ayaneo’s market share but I would argue the Odin line already is targeted at that audience.

Next they could be trying to put the Loki behind them and launch another Windows handheld. This would give them the ability to go after the likes of the ROG Alley, MSI Claw, Lenovo Legion Go or a handful of other Windows devices. I would argue after the unmitigated disaster the Loki launch was unless they have Powkiddy confidence to take risks, most manufacturers in this market wouldn’t go against already well established brands we can count Windows out. The Loki however was a great device if you actually received it. Last I heard they are still filling those orders from almost 2yrs ago. So though unlikely they could give it another run.

Lastly is the Linux option. There isn’t even an argument that Valve has the market cornered with the Steam Deck but that could change soon. Linux gaming distributions are getting pretty good with some allowing direct access to the customers Steam library. There is a really good chance that the Ayn ‘320g” is not going to be a competitor of the Steam Deck but instead the soon to be released in Q2 2024 Orange Pi Neo handheld. There is a couple different CPU options with the Neo which are readily available for Ayn to take advantage of if this is the route they are going. There is the $499 AMD Ryzen 7 7840U and the $599 AMD Ryzen 7 8840U. Ayn seems to have some sort of magic when it comes to sourcing parts and may be able to pull off a more performative handheld while undercutting the Orang Pi Neo in pricing.

In conclusion I don’t expect Ayn to come out with another Android device if they don’t want to step on their own toes with the arguably already affordable Odin. A Windows handheld doesn’t feel to me likely while Ayn is still trying to fill orders for their first generation Windows device. Linux is hot right now and lot of companies are trying to figure out a way to take some market share from Valve. On the value side this has become difficult for companies to compete on price to performance when Valve sells refurbished Steam Decks for around $300. Ayn however could likely compete with the higher end OLED Steam Deck in performance, Size, weight (the Steam Deck weighs 669g) and Battery life. Ayn might just be the company to unlock a successful Linux device in a market where the biggest player is able to subsidize pricing with the sale of software.

What do you think the Ayn “320g” will be? What do you think the “320g”’s name will be once officially announced? How much do you think it will cost?

I’ll try to keep you updated as more details emerge.

GameOn