Just shortly after the launch of the Loki handheld device, AYN is back at it again with the highly anticipated Odin2.
Which, of course, is the followup to one of the most popular handhelds of 2022: The AYN Odin.
We knew this day would come, but we didn’t expect it to come so soon. Many, including us at Retro Dodo, are wildly excited to know that an Odin2 is incoming.
But after the many delays that we saw with the release of the Loki, I wouldn’t hold your breath to see an Odin2 in your hands anytime soon.
Update July 28, 2023: Just one day after the launch of the IndieGogo campaign, AYN pulled back the curtains a bit more to give us a slightly better view of the new Odin2. So it would seem that we are going to be getting daily detail reveals.
AYN Odin2
At this point, we basically know zero about the new AYN Odin2 model. Except, of course, that it is happening.
Which is something we all anticipated since the very successful launch of the first generation Odin.
But with only one blurred image on the IndieGogo page, it is quite difficult to pick out any details about the new Odin2 handheld.
We know it’s white, it has LED rings around the joysticks, and that the dpad is on the bottom left. That’s it!
But with everything we know from hands on experience with the Odin, we can certainly think of a few things we’d like to see in the new iteration.
What We Hope To See
As incredible as the AYN Odin was, making many appearances on Retro Dodo “best” lists, there was also some room for improvement.
Early iterations of the Loki handheld seemed to be an upgraded Odin before undergoing major design changes.
So the Loki ended up becoming an entirely new SKU for AYN, leaving the door open for a second generation Odin.
With its 6 inch 1080p display, awesome buttons, fun colorways, great ergonomics, and high end emulation performance, the Odin was one of our favorite handhelds to release in 2022.
Ultimately, the community settled on a few small complaints about the Odin that they hoped to see improved in a v2…
The biggest complaint was the small analogue sticks that didn’t see to fit the otherwise incredible feel of the handheld.
A lesser complaint that was later addressed in the Loki was the ergonomics for long game play. We could certainly benefit from a bit more grip on the Odin.
And, while the battery on the Odin was not one of the worst we’ve seen, it wouldn’t hurt to see it beefed up a bit in a new model. That goes for any handheld, really.
In the Odin2, we certainly expect to see AYN use some much better analogue sticks, add a bit more ergonomic grip to the design, and make use of whatever is the absolute best performing battery option available.
Early Thoughts
One thing we do know is that AYN knows how to make an awesome handheld. So we have faith that they can deliver a great design.
We just have our concerns about their ability to deliver a handheld in a reasonable amount of time.
Companies like Anbernic and AYANEO can push out a new SKU every two months. Knowing it took AYN over a year to deliver the Loki was a big hit to their otherwise great reputation.
At this point, we are left to our own imagination with only that blurred image to go by.
But obviously, this is something we will keep our eyes out for and give our readers updates as soon as they come available.
For now, you can sign up for the email list on the Odin2 IndieGogo page to be notified when the campaign launches.
Anthony has been a video game lover ever since he can remember. He became a fulltime nomad in 2018, living throughout most of Asia. He focused his passion in retro gaming and began creating a game for the Game Boy Color while living in Nara, Japan during the 2020 pandemic. He is now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he spends most of his time gaming, going on long walks and meeting as many stray dogs as possible.
