Ayn, the maker of the Odin Android handheld, is launching a line of what it calls the “most affordable” Windows handheld game consoles yet (via Liliputing). The cheapest of the bunch starts at just $299, $100 less than the 64GB Steam Deck. Ayn announced the news in a YouTube video and a series of Instagram posts, giving us a glimpse of what we can expect in looks, tech specs, and pricing. While the entry-level $299 Loki Mini comes with 64GB of storage and an Intel Alder Lake U chip, the standard Loki handheld has an AMD Ryzen 5 6600U chip with three different storage options: 64GB, 256 GB and 512 GB, each costing $499, $599, and $699, respectively. The $799 Loki Max features an upgraded AMD Ryzen 7 6800U chip and 512GB of storage. If you’re not happy with the amount of storage that comes with your device, you can upgrade after you buy it. YouTuber Taki Udon learned that each model could come with swappable storage, meaning he could have the option to increase his storage if he starts to run out of space (via Lilliputing). On the outside, it looks like the Ayn Loki inherits most of its design from the Switch-like Odin, but as Liliputing points out, it changes a colorful set of buttons in an X, A, B, Y configuration to a solid black or white. schematic with the same Y, B, A, X arrangement you’d find on an Xbox controller. There is also a USB-C port and headphone jack at the bottom of the device. Judging from another one of Ayn’s Instagram posts, it looks like Loki will release tomorrow at 9:00pm EST, and will likely be available to purchase on her website. Taki Udon also indicates that Odin owners can get access to Loki’s lineup at discounted prices, but it’s unclear how much Ayn will take off. Ayn is just a brand trying to take on Steam Deck. Another company, Aya Neo, made its first gaming laptop available on Indiegogo last year. Since then, it has come out with the Aya Neo 2 and Aya Neo Slide, which feature the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U chip and Radeon 680M iGPU that could beat the Steam Deck on paper. Aya Neo hasn’t released pricing information on these two models yet, but they likely won’t be as affordable as the entry-level Loki Mini or Steam Deck – most Aya Neo handhelds are over $1,000. That’s probably why the Aya Neo just launched the Aya Neo Air lineup, a set of lighter handhelds starting at $549 for an AMD Ryzen 5 5000U processor and 128GB of storage.
