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The AYANEO Pocket DMG is a 3.92 inch 31:27 Android handheld that plays everything up to Switch well. It came out in December 2024 at $340. Inside is the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 with 8 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Switch.
- You want a 3.92 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.
AYANEO Pocket DMG videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Switch. Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2.
Scores out of 100. 100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues on this device. 80 or more plays well (green), 50 to 79 plays partly (yellow).
What owners say
“Love my Pocket DMG. Very much my end game vertical handheld.”
“I bought the pocket dmg, display or motherboard died. Contacted support but they never replied.”
“I own the Ayaneo Pocket Dmg. It's really nice and can be worth it.”
What the specs mean
Sharpest fit: Game Boy
At 7x, Game Boy fills 84% of the screen with even pixels. Filling the rest means stretching, which some people smooth with a filter.
Based on: Display math: largest whole-number scale that fits the screen
Same chip as 5 other handhelds
The Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 also powers the AYANEO Pocket EVO, AYANEO Pocket S, AYANEO Pocket S Mini, Pocket ACE and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
Big battery for its class
Only 17 of 103 Android handhelds in our database have a bigger battery than this 6,000 mAh (the middle one has 5,000 mAh).
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 103 Android handhelds
Digital triggers
The GameCube's triggers were pressure sensitive, and a few games use a light press, such as spraying while you walk in Super Mario Sunshine. Here the triggers are on or off.
Based on: Hardware fact: GameCube controller triggers are analog; this device is not listed with analog triggers
Shoulder buttons in a row
L1 and L2 sit side by side along the top edge instead of stacked. PS2 games that need L1 and L2 together mean sliding one finger between them.
Based on: Layout data (shoulder button layout)
One analog stick
PS2 and GameCube games often put the camera on a second stick. With one stick, the camera moves to buttons.
Based on: Layout data; PS2 and GameCube controllers have two sticks
DS on one screen
DS games show both screens shrunk side by side, or one big screen you swap. The touch screen stands in for the stylus.
Based on: Layout data: single screen with touch
No headphone jack
Audio goes over Bluetooth or the speakers. Bluetooth adds a delay you can notice in rhythm games.
Based on: Layout data; Bluetooth audio latency is a known limit of the standard
Android 13
Besides emulators it runs Android games and game streaming apps, from your PC or the cloud.
Based on: Operating system data
Rating
How we score: what it plays 30%, how many players own and recommend it 20%, screen 15%, price compared with handhelds that play as much 10%, controls 10%, size and weight 10%, battery size for its chip 5%.
Good
- Plays everything up to Switch well
- OLED screen with deep blacks
- Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
- Video out to a TV
- Big 6,000 mAh battery
Not so good
- Nothing stands out.
Screen fit
Screen: 3.92 inch, OLED, 31:27, 1240 x 1080.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 7x (1120 x 1008) | 84% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 5x (1200 x 800) | 72% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 4x (1024 x 896) | 69% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 3x (960 x 672) | 48% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 3x (960 x 720) | 52% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 4x (1024 x 768) | 59% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 2x (960 x 544) | 39% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1240 x 1080.
Size
91.5 x 151 x 15 - 22.3 mm, 278 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- AYANEO Pocket DMG (91.5 x 151 mm)
- iPhone 15 (71.6 x 147.6 mm)
True scale, front view. Jeans pocket = front no bigger than an iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case (160 x 82 mm).
Specs
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Kryo Prime Ultra |
| Cores | 8 |
| Clock speed | 3.36 GHz |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno A32 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR5X |
| Cooling | Yes |
| Screen | |
| Size | 3.92" |
| Type | OLED |
| Resolution | 1240 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 419 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 31:27 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Single, bottom |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes |
| L3 / R3 | Yes |
| Shoulder buttons | Side By Side |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (?) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.3) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | Yes |
| Headphone jack | No |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Vertical |
| Dimensions | 91.5 x 151 x 15 - 22.3 mm |
| Weight | 278 g |
| Battery | 6000 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Side |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Android |
| Android version | 13 |
| Custom firmware | ROCKNIX, GammaOSNext |
| PortMaster | Yes |
Questions
Can the AYANEO Pocket DMG play PS2 games?
Yes. PS2 scores 90 out of 100 on our emulation scale.
Can it play GameCube games?
Yes, GameCube scores 100 out of 100.
Is the AYANEO Pocket DMG good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 5x it fills 72% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
No. Use Bluetooth headphones or the speakers.
How big is the battery?
6,000 mAh. The middle Android handheld in our database has 5,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
Yes, it has video out.
How much does the AYANEO Pocket DMG cost?
It launched at about $340 in Dec 2024. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$340 at launch $250 and up
The newest in its line in our database, out since Dec 2024.
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.