The main difference between the AYANEO 3 and the AYANEO Air is power.
The AYANEO 3 plays everything up to PS3 well, while the AYANEO Air tops out at Wii U.
Other differences
- The AYANEO Air measures 224 x 89.5 x 17 - 26.7 mm and weighs 410 g; the AYANEO 3 measures 289.8 x 115 x 22.4 - 34.8 mm and weighs 690 g.
- The AYANEO Air launched at about $499 and the AYANEO 3 at about $1490.
- The AYANEO 3 has a 7.0 inch screen against 5.5 inches on the AYANEO Air.
- The AYANEO Air carries a 7,350 mAh battery, the AYANEO 3 49 mAh.
Which is better
Which fits in a pocket better?
AYANEO AirThe AYANEO Air (224 x 89.5 x 17 - 26.7 mm, 410 g). The AYANEO 3 is 289.8 x 115 x 22.4 - 34.8 mm, 690 g. Neither fits a jeans pocket; think jacket pocket or bag.
Which is better for PS2 games, the AYANEO 3 or the AYANEO Air?
TieAbout the same: 100 and 100 out of 100.
Which costs less?
AYANEO AirThe AYANEO Air, at about $499 at launch against $1490. Prices today vary by store and the used market.
Which is better for GBA games?
TieBoth run GBA at full speed and fill about the same share of the screen with even pixels: 67% of the AYANEO 3's screen at 6x, 67% of the AYANEO Air's screen at 6x.
Which has the bigger battery?
AYANEO AirThe AYANEO Air, at 7,350 mAh against 49 mAh. That is capacity only: the chips differ, and the heavier the system you play, the faster either one drains.
Side by side
| AYANEO 3 | AYANEO Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $1490 | $499 |
| Released | Apr 2025 | Aug 2022 |
| Plays well up to | PS3 | Wii U |
| Shape | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Software | Windows | Windows or Linux |
| Chip | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370 | AMD Ryzen 5 5560U |
| Memory | 16 GB | 8 GB |
| Screen | 7.0 inch OLED 16:9 | 5.5 inch OLED 16:9 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Battery | 49 mAh | 7,350 mAh |
| Weight | 690 g | 410 g |
| Size | 289.8 x 115 x 22.4 - 34.8 mm | 224 x 89.5 x 17 - 26.7 mm |
| Analog sticks | Customizable | Double, asymmetrical |
| Hall effect sticks | Yes | Yes |
| L2 and R2 | Yes, stacked | Yes, stacked |
| Analog triggers | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Video out | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
Green marks the better value where one is clearly better. Prices are launch prices.
Emulation
- AYANEO 3AYANEO Air
- Game Boy
- NES
- Genesis
- GBA
- SNES
- PS1
- DS
- N64
- Dreamcast
- PSP
- Saturn
- GameCube
- 3DS
- Wii
- PS2
- Switch
- Wii U
- PS3
100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues.
Full details
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More comparisons
Why this pair: buyers weigh these two against each other. 10 comments by 10 different people compare them in community discussions, and 3 post titles name both. Specs, emulation scores and launch prices from the retrocatalog.com handheld database.