AYN Thor Review

Summary

The AYN Thor is AYN’s first dual-screen handheld, channeling the nostalgia of the Nintendo 3DS while embracing modern Android flexibility. It’s bold, ambitious, and surprisingly refined. The Thor impresses with its multitasking capability, vibrant display, and premium feel — but it’s not without flaws. Its chunky body pushes the limits of pocketability, and while AYN nailed the concept, a few hardware quirks and Android oddities hold it back from perfection(for now).

Design & Fit

Let’s start with the physical side of things. The Thor is large—no getting around it. It does fit in a pocket, but it definitely bulges. Compared to the Retroid Pocket Mini, it feels roughly 50% thicker. Sitting down with it in tighter pants will make you very aware of its presence 😂.

The overall shape is smooth on each side, which is actually a huge win. I don’t have to worry about my analog sticks catching or snagging when sliding it in or out of my pocket. That’s a major quality-of-life improvement. Pressing down hard on the corners to test for flex didn’t cause any immediate cracking, so at least the glass panel feels solid. It’s also noticeably sturdier than it looks in pictures.

For anyone wondering about accessories, the TPU shell is 100% worth it. The fit is about 98% perfect—the top section lines up beautifully, while the bottom is just a touch loose below the return button. But it’s barely visible once installed. It adds a nice grippy texture, reduces the screen gap, and gives a slight lip around the edges that should help protect the full-glass front from side impacts. If you have a white or rainbow Thor, it looks great; on black or purple, it might look a little odd, but functionally it’s a great buy.

Hinge & Durability

The hinge surprised me in the best way possible. It’s extremely easy to open with one finger but still has a reassuring snap that keeps it from flopping around. It’s nowhere near as stiff as some early clamshells, but that’s probably a good thing for long-term reliability.

The snap points are tight and clicky. When open, the left side feels rock solid with zero play; the right side has maybe 1 mm of vertical wiggle but no side-to-side movement. When closed, I can force a bit of side movement, but only with both hands and intentional effort. It’s not something you’ll notice during normal use. Unless you’re tossing it around like a stress ball, the hinge isn’t going anywhere 🤣.

Controls & Usability

AYN did a great job with the buttons and layout. The analog sticks feel nice and smooth, and thankfully the shell design prevents them from catching on pockets. The overall spacing feels comfortable, though the height of the unit can make it a little awkward for extended play if you have smaller hands. The touchscreen integration across both panels feels surprisingly good for an Android device.

The multitasking element of the dual screens is awesome. I can move files on one display while watching a video on the other—it genuinely feels like two devices glued together in a good way. It’s an incredible setup for productivity and emulation management alike.

Gaming Performance

My review unit is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, paired with 16 GB of RAM and a massive 1 TB of UFS storage. This setup absolutely flies. I’ve thrown just about everything at it — from retro systems to modern emulators — and the Thor hasn’t skipped a beat.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers fantastic performance across the board. It handles everything from classic consoles through Nintendo Switch emulation with ease and can even push into light PC gaming territory — think indie hits like Hades II and Silksong. While it’s not a gaming-PC replacement, it’s shockingly capable for what it is, especially when you remember this is a handheld Android device. I've been playing with GameHub lite and A Short Hike and The Last Campfire have been fantastic to play between my desktop and on the go with the Thor.

As a specific test, I ran Pokémon Platinum in the lowest power mode, with battery-saving enabled, and still achieved a locked 60 FPS at 5× resolution scaling. My Retroid Pocket Mini with a Snapdragon 865 struggled to do this even on the highest performance mode — it would get decently warm and occasionally stutter. The Thor, meanwhile, stays cool, consistent, and efficient even under extended emulation loads.(except game Hub that thing runs like a darn power virus 😂)

Software support is still developing for a few newer emulators, but the Thor’s combination of raw power, cooling, and efficiency makes it one of the best Android handhelds available for performance-per-watt gaming.

Screen, Speakers & Image Retention

Both screens are stunning: crisp, bright, and color-rich. The Thor’s panel quality is excellent, easily one of AYN’s best yet. Typing on the bottom keyboard feels natural; on the top, not so much — an ergonomic trade-off of the dual-screen layout.

Audio is where things dip. The speakers get loud — seriously loud — but the default EQ tuning is rough 🥴. Out of the box, it sounds like an old radio; a quick EQ tweak transforms it into something respectable. After adjustment, I’d rank them above the Legion Go but below the Ally X. In other words: usable, but not audiophile-grade. (light years ahead of 3DS speakers)

Minor Image Retention Issue

I’ve noticed a small case of temporary image retention on my Thor’s display. To be clear — this isn’t OLED burn-in. They’re two entirely different things. Image retention is temporary ghosting that fades within a few minutes; burn-in is permanent damage. What I’m seeing here is very mild and only visible in specific conditions.

In a pitch-black room with brightness turned way down, switching from high-contrast menus can sometimes leave faint after-images on gray backgrounds. It fades quickly and doesn’t affect normal gameplay or typical use. Several users have confused this with burn-in, but it looks identical to the mild image retention my old LG V20 had — temporary and harmless. Unless you’re hunting for it at very low brightness, it’s practically invisible, but I can consistently force it to happen, and so I need to mention it. Take this with a grain of salt

Android UI Experience

Android performance is solid, though not without quirks. The biggest oddity is how the OS treats each display. Interacting with a text box will bring up a keyboard on whichever screen you’re focused on, which sounds fine until you realize that typing on the top screen is just… weird. It works, but ergonomically, it’s not ideal. Typing on the bottom screen feels much more natural.

YouTube on the top display has some jank too—swiping from the side forcibly rotates it into portrait like a phone. I can force landscape mode, but that disables the swipe gesture to go back. YouTube on the bottom display, however, works perfectly. It’s clear AYN and Android still have some work to do with dual-screen app handling, but it’s already much better than I expected for an early implementation.

I’ve heard AYN is working on a fix to make the keyboard always pop up on the bottom display. That’s something I’m really looking forward to. Once they iron that out, the Thor’s dual-screen experience could easily become one of the best multitasking handheld setups available.

Portability & Daily Use

This thing has officially replaced my RP Mini as the gadget I carry everywhere. I genuinely love it — it’s my daily driver. Whether I’m at work, waiting in line at the store, or lounging in the HotTub, the Thor goes with me. It’s bigger than most handhelds, sure, but the comfort, power, and multitasking make it worth it.

It’s not the most pocketable device, but it’s durable, reliable, and looks awesome. The rounded edges and TPU shell make it easy to grip and carry. I’ve used it in all kinds of environments — including rough factory conditions — and it’s still holding up like a champ.

Software Updates & Bugs

AYN has done well supporting its devices post-launch, and I’m optimistic the Thor will continue getting OTA updates. Here’s what I’d personally love to see next:

Features & Improvements I’d Love to See

• Updated EQ profile — the hardware can clearly do better.
• Ability to dock and close the lid without forcing the system to sleep.

Bugs I’ve Found So Far

• If the device is asleep, closed, and you plug it in, it forcibly wakes the device.
• If the device is asleep, charging, with the lid closed, and you unplug it, it also wakes up automatically.

Minor stuff, but definitely worth fixing in a future patch.

Considerations for a “Thor 2” (Target: 2027)

From most to least important based on my daily-driver usage.

1. Hinge refinement
   Either a The current 3DS-style but with 3DS angle. The current 2nd click angke isnt quite as wide as the 3DS or a laptop-style smooth hinge with zero clicks.
2. Modern storage expansion
   Add a user-accessible 2230 NVMe SSD slot or support microSD Express for high bandwidth without a teardown.
3. Next-gen SoC options
   Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / G3 / SD 8 Elite—whichever yields the best sustained performance-per-watt for emulation and indie PC titles.
4. Integrated stylus
   Dockable and rechargeable—perfect for DS/3DS-era inputs, note-taking, and precise UI taps.
5. Built-in camera
   DSi/3DS-style functionality (a Sony IMX335 or similar sensor) for titles/emulators that use camera input; no need for flagship imaging.
6. Top-shell skirt
   A subtle perimeter “skirt” around the upper clamshell to fill the gap when closed, reducing dust ingress and improving pocket confidence.
7. Slightly slimmer profile
   Keep the dual-screen identity, but shave thickness just enough to improve pocketability.
8. Optional LTE
   An LTE SKU for on-the-go updates, cloud saves, storefront access, and light streaming without tethering.

Other Thoughts

• Screen sizes & resolution: already in a great place.
• Battery runtime: on par with expectations for this class.
• Ergonomics: I prefer a DS-like device over a “controller-with-screen.” Those wanting more grip can use the add-on—keep portability first.

Final Thoughts

The AYN Thor isn’t perfect — but I absolutely love it. It’s powerful, unique, and genuinely fun to use. The dual-screen concept is executed beautifully, and even with some Android quirks, it’s an amazing piece of tech. This thing has heart, personality, and polish in all the right places.

After a week of daily use, I can confidently say: this is one of my favorite handhelds ever. It’s not just a gaming device — it’s a companion. It goes everywhere with me, handles everything I throw at it, and makes me smile every time I flip it open. If AYN refines a few small things in the sequel, the Thor 2 could easily become the gold standard for Android clamshell handhelds.