Over the last couple of weeks, AYANEO has been consistently teasing us with close-ups and subtle shots of parts of the upcoming Pocket Micro 2 handheld, a remake and upgrade of the original Pocket Micro that many of you will know I thoroughly enjoy using.
Today marks the first time AYANEO has shown official images of the face of the device, just in time for the official announcement and reveal on the 26th of June via a livestream on AYANEO's social channels. These images show us more of the device and how the design has stayed close to the original yet enhanced with quality of life upgrades.
The face keeps the glass panel that AYANEO has featured across many of their devices, which I expected, as they were the ones that started that trend. I may add that this trend may be coming to an end after Retroid's latest Pocket Nova handheld announcement shows that they've moved away from front glass panels, per many of their communities' requests.
The buttons are also similar in both design and likely feel, which I think is a good shout as the originals buttons are great, even if the action buttons are smaller than typical handhelds. However, they've drastically changed the analogue sticks, by recessing them deep into the device and offering LED lights behind them to customise and to give it that modern look that many retro gamers enjoy. These are TMR recessed joysticks, too, so no drifting here!
It looks like it's going to keep the borderless display, alongside the menu buttons on the chin that feel nice but are often accidentally pressed when playing games vigorously. The shoulder buttons are also redesigned and now protrude around the corners of the device for extra comfort, moving away from the traditional GAME BOY Micro shoulder buttons design.
According to AYANEO's social posts, the buttons are "bigger and more precise", features "enhanced DPAD and action buttons for a better feel", and finally "split large-sized shoulder buttons". So it's clear they want this to be a far more comfortable device than the original, even if it means keeping the same, slim rectangular design.
In a couple of days, all will be revealed. The big questions are, what screen does it have, what's the pricing, are there any unique colourways, and when will it ship? Stay tuned for more, or subscribe to our free weekly newsletter so you don't miss out on this week's reveal. We'll have all the info ready for you.
