AYANEO Pocket Micro Review: A Gorgeous Little Gaming Powerhouse

Great things come in small packages.

The AYANEO Pocket Micro is one of the company’s latest releases, recently announced alongside the Pocket DMG. While the DMG is a vertical handheld that pays homage to the original Game Boy, the Micro is AYANEO’s sleek, modern take on the Game Boy Micro.

I’ve had the opportunity to spend the past two weeks testing it out, and these are my thoughts on the device, from unboxing to gaming performance, and everything in between.

What’s in the box?

The premium AYANEO experience always starts with their packaging. The Pocket Micro comes in a sleek black box with a glossy image of the device front and center.

Inside, you’ll find the handheld along with a USB-C charging cable, as well as the user manuals and other paperwork.

As always, everything is nicely organized inside the box, with individual compartments, smaller boxes and sleeves for the different items.

Specs & Pricing

The AYANEO Pocket Micro is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 processor and features a borderless IPS display with 4 times the resolution of the original GBA. Here’s a rundown of all the specs:

Screen:	3.5-inch borderless IPS, 960×640, 3:2 ratio, 400 nits, 330PPI
CPU:	MediaTek Helio G99
RAM:	6GB, 8GB
Storage:	128GB, 256GB
Battery:	2600mAh
Ports:	1 USB Type-C, 1 MicroSD Card slot
Connectivity:	Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2
Biometric:	Integrated fingerprint recognition
Other features:	Hall sensing joysticks, vibration motor, gyroscope
Operating System:	Android 13
Size:	6.14 x 2.4 x 0.7in / 156 x 63 x 18mm
Weight:	8.2oz / 233g

The device is currently available through Indiegogo in a few different colors and configurations. AYANEO sent me the black model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for this review.

Magic Black or Soul Red:

• 6GB of RAM + 128GB of storage: $189 (early bird) / $219 (retail)
• 8GB of RAM + 256GB of storage: $219 (early bird) / $249 (retail)

Retro Gray (Limited Edition):

• 8GB of RAM + 256GB of storage: $249 (early bird) / $279 (retail)

It’s definitely a little pricier than some retro handhelds out there, but worth it if you’re after premium quality and performance.

Design & Build Quality

Design is something that AYANEO clearly cares about, and they absolutely nailed it with this one. As I mentioned earlier, the Pocket Micro is their modern interpretation of Nintendo’s classic Game Boy Micro, featuring an all-glass front with a bezel-less display that looks super sleek.

It’s a very compact device too, only slightly larger than an NES controller and about the same size as an iPhone 16 Pro.

The frame is made of aluminum, which gives it a premium feel, while the backplate is made of plastic, bringing its total weight to around 230g. It’s a really well-made product that feels solid and sturdy when you hold it.

The controls are well thought out too. On the front, you’ve got:

• A fantastic D-pad
• Two small but satisfying analog sticks
• Responsive ABXY buttons that feel great

The analogue sticks use hall sensors, so stick drift won’t be an issue at all. They’re a bit smaller than the ones on the Switch Joy-Cons, and while I kind of wish they were bigger, I get why AYANEO kept them this size. But even though they’re tiny, they protrude a bit and can snag when sliding the handheld into your pocket. They can sometimes get in the way when you’re playing D-pad centric games too. This doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s something I did notice while playing certain games.

At the top, the L2 and R2 triggers are raised slightly higher than L1 and R1, making them easy to identify by touch. These buttons are nice and clicky, but just like other devices with a similar inline layout, they can be a bit awkward to use sometimes.

In the center, between the shoulder buttons, we’ve got an exhaust vent to keep things cool, a tiny LED charging indicator, the power button with a built-in fingerprint sensor, and a volume rocker right next to it.

Looking at the sides of the handheld, the MicroSD card slot is positioned on the left and on the right side we have a large button with three dots on it, as well as a smaller one labeled “RC.”

By default, these buttons are mapped as Android “home” and “back” buttons, but maybe in a future update we’ll get the option to configure our own custom shortcuts for these buttons in AYASpace.

On the bottom left along the frame of the device, you’ll find the start and select buttons, and on the right side, two AYANEO buttons.

The larger button with an AYANEO logo serves two functions. If you hold it for a few seconds it launches AYASpace, the company’s proprietary launcher. If you just tap it instead, it brings up a side panel that allows you to check out some stats like current FPS and CPU temperature, or quickly adjust settings like the joystick sensitivity, fan speed and screen brightness.

You can also toggle between different power profiles here, from battery saving for those easy-to-run retro games, to max performance for more demanding systems and Android gaming.

The smaller button positioned next to the AYA button seems to work just like another Android “home” button, but maybe this will also configurable in future software updates.

Wrapping things up with a look at the bottom of the handheld, we can see two small grills for the stereo speakers and the USB-C charging port.

You might have noticed that there’s no headphone jack here, something that will be disappointing for some users, but you can still connect a wireless headphone via Bluetooth. And speaking of audio, the downward-firing speakers deliver some pretty decent sound despite their small size.

The IPS display is one of the highlights of this device. It’s got a 960×640 resolution and high pixel density (330 PPI), making it perfect for retro gaming. The 3:2 aspect ratio enables perfect 4x integer scaling for Game Boy Advance games and looks just as crisp with a bunch of other retro systems. No matter what game you throw at it, this screen makes every pixel pop.

The borderless aspect makes gaming on the Pocket Micro feel more immersive too, and helps give the device its sharp, modern look. The only downside of this display is that given its small 3.5 inch size, it isn’t ideal for navigating the Android OS and setting things up initially. Particularly when you have to type usernames and passwords on a tiny on-screen keyboard. But once you’re all set up, you don’t have to worry about it too much.

In terms of ergonomics, it’s clear that AYANEO prioritized aesthetics over anything else with this design. But despite its boxy, rectangular shape, the Pocket Micro feels surprisingly comfortable to hold, mainly thanks to the smooth, rounded edges around the device.

Emulation Performance

The Pocket Micro really shines when it comes to emulation, and the initial setup on Android is a lot easier these days. I like using EmulationStation as my custom front-end, which is something I’ve been using for years on Windows and Raspberry Pi systems.

It was finally ported to Android earlier this year, and it’s definitely the best way to manage all your different systems and games. It isn’t a free app, but it’s totally worth it. You can get the APK through their Patreon page for just $5.50. And although Patreon technically works as a subscription service, you can cancel the paid membership immediately after downloading the app, as the EmulationStation team will continue distributing future updates via email to all previous subscribers.

Once EmulationStation is installed, you’re still gonna have to download some individual emulators and transfer all your ROMs to the device (or a MicroSD card) before you can start playing. If you need a hand setting things up, TechDweeb has a super quick, no fluff tutorial on his YouTube channel to help you get started.

You can also just use AYANEO’s pre-installed front-end, AYASpace. It’s not perfect, but it’s come a long way over the years. That said, it still has its quirks and doesn’t quite match the smooth experience you’d get with something like EmulationStation. I just wish AYANEO’s software was as great as their hardware, but they still have a long way to go on that front.

In terms of performance, it’s no surprise that the Pocket Micro can easily handle 8 and 16-bit consoles, with everything running extremely well across systems like NES, SNES and Sega Genesis. But Game Boy Advance is the system that feels like the sweet spot for this thing. The display’s 3:2 ratio and perfect 4x scaling, makes all GBA games look stunningly crisp and vibrant, and they all run great, with no hiccups at all.

You’ll also have no issues running systems like PlayStation, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn and N64, and even PSP and 3DS games run at 2x resolution with great performance.

Beyond that, some GameCube titles are also playable at native resolution, and PS2 is where we start to push the hardware to its limits, with only a few titles running well at 1x resolution.

In terms of battery life, if you’re running older titles on the “saving” performance mode, you’ll be able to get up to 6 hours of gameplay, but more power-hungry games running at max performance will bring that down to about 2 or 3 hours.

Android Gaming

The Pocket Micro was primarily designed for emulation, so if you’re planning on getting this handheld for Android gaming, you’ll just have to manage your expectations. It will have no problem running titles like Minecraft, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, Stardew Valley, and a number of other native Android titles, but don’t expect it to run something super demanding like Genshin Impact.

Accessory: Leather Storage Case

Along with the device itself, AYANEO also sent me this premium leather storage case, and I wanted to include it in the review because I think it looks amazing. It fits the Pocket Micro perfectly and the interior has a soft fabric lining that protects it from scratches. The top flap is magnetic, so there are no buttons or clasps, making the overall design super clean.

Since they’re not currently selling any accessories individually through Indiegogo or their website, I have no idea how much this case will cost. But it’s definitely a high quality accessory I’d consider buying, depending on the price.

Pros & Cons

Let’s start wrapping things up with a look at the positives and negatives of the AYANEO Pocket Micro:

Pros

• Beautiful design and excellent build quality
• Stunning display with vibrant colors
• Surprisingly comfortable to hold
• Great emulation performance up to Gamecube
• Compact and pocket-friendly

Cons

• Analog sticks can sometimes get in the way
• AYASpace still needs some improvements
• No headphone jack

Verdict

While some companies tend to release a new retro handheld every other week, with a “fast food” approach, AYANEO opts to give consumers a “fine dining” experience instead, and the AYANEO Pocket Micro is a perfect example of that.

If you’re budget-conscious and just after a cheap device to play some retro games, this probably isn’t the one for you. But if you want something premium that nails style, portability and emulation performance, the AYANEO Pocket Micro is a dream come true.

---

This post contains affiliate links to partner brands. We earn a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase. There is no extra cost to you, so it’s just a nice way to help support the site. The product featured in this article was provided by the manufacturer for review purposes, however, the opinions expressed are entirely our own.