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Update []:
Since the initial tease on Twitter/X last week, AYANEO has been gradually releasing new details about the AYANEO Pocket Micro 2 ahead of its official unveiling, which is scheduled for later this week, on Friday, June 26th.
Sadly, we still don't know exactly what the handheld will look like, but thanks to these latest teases, what we do know is that the device will feature sticks after all, with the company revealing it will ship with dual joysticks.
This is something we imagine won't be to everyone's tastes, as there are some out there who definitely prefer the stick-less design of the later Classic model, over the original Micro, but fortunately here, AYANEO seems to have at least learnt its lesson, swapping the protruding sticks of the earlier model for a pair of recessed TMR dual joysticks.
As for other clues to the final design, AYANEO has also revealed on social media that the device will feature a "split large-size shoulder button design" for more "comfortable pressing" and "more precise anti-mistouch," and will come equipped with a "upgraded full-featured USB Type-C port," "a new 3.5mm headphone jack" and "a built-in microphone." That's in addition to a 3950mAh high-density battery, which is roughly "52% larger than the previous generation," which used a 2600mAh battery.
Original Story []: AYANEO has started teasing a follow-up to the AYANEO Pocket Micro on social media, promising "enhanced ergonomics", "greater performance", "more comfortable controls", and a "longer battery life" compared to the device's predecessor (h/t: Retro Dodo).
Released in 2024, the original AYANEO Pocket Micro was an Android-based retro-inspired handheld, whose design admittedly conjured memories of the Game Boy Micro for us.
As Damien noted in his review, it was capable of running pretty much anything from the Sega Dreamcast era or earlier, but, as he discovered, really shone when it came to the Game Boy Advance, noting that the 3.5-inch IPS screen made titles like "Super Mario World, Gunstar Super Heroes and Golden Sun really sing."
As a result, we ended up calling it "one of the most compact and aesthetically appealing attempts we've seen so far when it comes to fusing Android with a retro gaming focus," awarding it an 8 out of 10 when all was said and done.
One year later, AYANEO released a revised version of the device, the AYANEO Pocket Micro Classic, removing the sticks and cutting the price to make it one of the company's cheapest handhelds at the time, but since then, the AYANEO Pocket Micro and the AYANEO Pocket Micro Classic have been discontinued, paving the way for a true successor.
The news was shared on Twitter/X via a series of teases, and sadly, it doesn't yet include any images of what the device might look like, or whether it will keep the sticks or go with the "Classic" design. What we do know, though, is that the device is being referred to as a "Gen 2 powerhouse," with AYANEO calling it "a major leap forward for retro gaming performance." Whether more power is something people really want from a successor, we'll let you decide.
In fact, we'd love to know your thoughts in the comments! What do you personally want to see from the Pocket Micro 2? And are you for sticks or against? Let us know!