Loki

A 6.0 inch 16:9 Windows handheld that plays everything up to Wii U well.

Loki

Some links on this page are affiliate links.

The Loki is a 6.0 inch 16:9 Windows handheld that plays everything up to Wii U well, made by AYN. It came out in June 2023 at $490. Inside is the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U with 8 GB of RAM.

Who it's for

Buy it if

  • You want to play everything up to Wii U.
  • You want a 6.0 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.

Skip it if

  • You want something light: it weighs 568 g.
  • You only play up to PS1: handhelds under $60 do that.

Loki videos

Cheap Handheld Consoles to Play PS3: AYN Loki, OneXPlayer, AOKZOE A1 & ANBERNICBy Play&Screen on YouTube, 4:06

What it plays

Plays up to: Wii U. Chip: AMD Ryzen 5 6600U.

  1. Game Boy100
  2. NES100
  3. Genesis100
  4. GBA100
  5. SNES100
  6. PS1100
  7. DS100
  8. N64100
  9. Dreamcast100
  10. PSP100
  11. Saturn85
  12. GameCube100
  13. 3DS100
  14. Wii100
  15. PS2100
  16. Switch83
  17. Wii U80
  18. PS350

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 the specs mean

16:9 screen

PSP and Switch games fill it. 4:3 home consoles show bars at the sides, and Game Boy games look small.

Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system

Sharpest fit: GBA

At 6x, GBA fills 67% 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

Small battery for its class

Only 2 of 59 Windows handhelds in our database have a smaller battery than this 40.5 mAh (the middle one has 65 mAh). The heavier the system you run, the sooner it runs out.

Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 59 Windows handhelds

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

Rating

6.9 RETROPULSE score out of 10

  • Plays99
  • Players love it31
  • Screen71
  • Value90
  • Controls100
  • Portability20
  • Battery22

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 Wii U well
  • Hall effect sticks, so no stick drift
  • Video out to a TV
  • Analog triggers

Not so good

  • Heavy at 568 g
  • High-end price
  • Small 40.5 mAh battery

Screen fit

Screen: 6.0 inch, IPS, 16:9, 1920 x 1080.

SystemOriginalSharpest scaleScreen filled
Game Boy160 x 1447x (1120 x 1008)54%
GBA240 x 1606x (1440 x 960)67%
NES and SNES256 x 2244x (1024 x 896)44%
Genesis320 x 2244x (1280 x 896)55%
PS1 and N64320 x 2404x (1280 x 960)59%
DS, one screen256 x 1925x (1280 x 960)59%
PSP480 x 2723x (1440 x 816)57%

Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1920 x 1080.

Size

248 x 98 x 20 - 23.7 mm, 568 g. Too big for a jeans pocket

  • Loki (248 x 98 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
ChipAMD Ryzen 5 6600U
CPUAMD Zen 3+
Cores6
Clock speed2.9 GHz - 4.5 GHz
GPUAMD Radeon 660M
RAM8 GB LPDDR5
CoolingYes
Screen
Size6.0"
TypeIPS
Resolution1920 x 1080
Refresh rate60 Hz
Pixel density367 ppi
Aspect ratio16:9
Touch screenYes
Dual screenNo
Controls
D-padCross, Lower placement
Analog sticksYes
Stick layoutDouble, asymetrical
Hall effect sticksYes
L3 / R3Yes
Shoulder buttonsStacked
Analog triggersYes
RumbleYes
GyroscopeYes
Connectivity
Storage256 GB
SD cardYes
Wi-FiYes (6e)
BluetoothYes (5.2)
USB-CYes
Video outYes
Headphone jackYes
Build
Form factorHorizontal
Dimensions248 x 98 x 20 - 23.7 mm
Weight568 g
Battery40.5 Wh
ShellPlastic
SpeakersFront
Software
Operating systemWindows, Linux
Windows version11

Questions

Can the Loki play PS2 games?

Yes. PS2 scores 100 out of 100 on our emulation scale.

Is the Loki good for GBA?

GBA runs at full speed. At 6x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.

Does it have a headphone jack?

Yes.

How big is the battery?

40.5 mAh. The middle Windows handheld in our database has 65 mAh.

Can it connect to a TV?

Yes, it has video out.

How much does the Loki cost?

It launched at about $490 in Jun 2023. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.

Price and newer models

$490 at launch $250 and up

Newer in the same line: the Loki Mini Pro (Sep 2023). Compare before you buy this one new.

Compared with

Similar handhelds

Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.