I'll admit, for some reason, I am excited for the upcoming Pocket Micro 2 by AYANEO, a handheld that has been teased over the last week or two and will be officially revealed on 26th June. Though that's not stopping AYANEO's social team from teasing us with more images and features.
Their latest tease showcases the side of the device, indicating that the design is staying close to the original Pocket Micro in more ways than one. If you're like me, the Pocket Micro Classic was a far superior device, all thanks to the removal of the tall, annoying dual-joysticks. They just were not needed, and the community told AYANEO that so often that they were forced to create a new version without the sticks.
It came down to the majority of handheld gamers not using them; they got in the way, snagged in your pocket and because of the small display, were unnecessary for the smaller, less power-intensive emulation that gamers put it through. Nobody is emulating N64 or Dreamcast games on a 3.5" display, that not comfortable and requires more screen real estate.
Which is why I am suprised that AYANEO has teased the fact that the upcoming Pocket Micro 2 will feature recessed TMR joysticks on the upcoming device. A feature I think many will not use if they keep the "Micro" form factor and small display, which I believe they are.
If you look closer, you'll also see some new shoulder buttons that recess around the corners of the device, making them a bit more comfortable and stepping away from the design inspiration of the GAME BOY Micro which it certainly tried to replicate, subtly.
Perhaps AYANEO will make a classic version of this for those that don't want joysticks on here, which is a likely move from them to be honest. However, right now I hope that because they are recessed, it means they get out of the way and won't snag in my pocket like the older version, but only time will tell. We'll try our hardest to get this into review when it drops!
