AYANEO Pocket DMG Review – Retro inspired Android gaming handheld with modern twists

We finally got our hands on the AYANEO Pocket DMG. Inspired by the classic GameBoy DMG but with several modern twists. We’ll explore in this AYANEO Pocket DMG review whether this premium Android gaming handheld lives up to the hype.

AYANEO Pocket DMG Review Video

AYANEO Pocket DMG Overview

Let’s get this AYANEO Pocket DMG review started with an overview of the Android gaming device. The AYANEO Pocket DMG measures 3.60 x 5.94 x 0.87 in (9.15 x 15.1 x 2.23 cm) and weighs around 278g (0.61 lbs).There’s a decent sized 3.92” OLED touchscreen display with a resolution of 1240×1080.

Below the screen are the D-Pad and gaming buttons. And below is the single clickable analogue stick, with a kind of touchpad to the right. And on the side is a RGB lit button that is used to activate the AYSPACE overlay which we will show more later.

On the left side are the Back & Home buttons, a scroll wheel that can be configured and a slide that switches between performance modes. We will show the scroll wheel a bit later as well.

On the Right side we have two more function buttons, a power button with built-in fingerprint sensor and a covered micro SD card to expand the storage.

On the bottom is a USB type C port for data and charging. You can connect it up to a USB hub and output to a TV or monitor for example.

The back features the Left and Right shoulder and trigger style buttons. The Pocket DMG design is quite nice and feels comfortable, a nice balance between your fingers resting on them for grip and using them in games.

As we mentioned it takes some inspiration from the classic Gameboy DMG. It bears some resemblance, but is not intended to be a direct copy, for example like with the Anbernic’s GameBoy SP and Advance retro handhelds.

A closer look at its controls

Let’s take a closer look at the controls as part of this AYANEO Pocket DMG review. First, there’s the scroll wheel on the left side of the Android gaming console, which can be quickly customized by holding it down for a second or two. You can set it to adjust the volume, brightness, performance, or even to quickly launch an app. While it’s a clever idea, its usefulness beyond functions like volume control feels somewhat limited. As far as I know, it can’t be used within games, though AYANEO could potentially add support for mapping it to in-game functions in the future.

Next, there’s the analog stick and touchpad. By holding the START and SELECT buttons for a few seconds, you can switch to a mouse control mode. This could be handy for tasks like web browsing, but given that the device also has a touchscreen, again its practical use may be limited.

AYANEO Pocket DMG Technical Specifications

Next in our AYANEO Pocket DMG review we will inspect the technical specifications and compare with similar gaming Android handhelds. Afterwards we will measure the battery lifespan, fan noise and temperatures.

	AYANEO POCKET DMG	AYANEO POCKET S	AYN ODIN 2 MINI PRO
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, 8 cores	Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, 8 cores	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8 cores
GPU	Qualcomm Adreno A32	Qualcomm Adreno A32	Qualcomm Adreno 740
RAM	8/12/16GB LPDDR5x	12GB or 16GB LPDDR5x	8GB, 12GB LPDDR5x
STORAGE	128GB (UFS 3.1), 256 GB, 512GB or 1TB (UFS 4.0)	128GB (UFS 3.1), 512GB or 1TB (UFS 4.0)	128GB, 256GB UFS 4.0
DISPLAY	3.92″ OLED, 1240×1080, 419PPI, 500 nits	6″ borderless IPS mirror screen, 2560×1440, 490 PPI, 400nits	5″ Mini LED 1920×1080 16:9, 440 PPI, 1100 nits
COMMUNICATIONS	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
BATTERY	6000mAh	6000mAh	5000mAh
SIZE	3.60 x 5.94 x 0.87 in (9.15 x 15.1 x 2.23 cm)	8.3 x 3.3 x 0.5 in (21.3 x 8.5 x 1.4 cm)	7.7 x 3.3 x 0.76 in (19.8 x 8.5 x 1.95 cm)
WEIGHT	278g (0.61 lbs)	350g (0.77 lbs)	320g (0.70 lbs)
BUY	HERE	HERE	HERE

The AYANEO Pocket DMG is equipped with a 6,000mAh rechargeable battery. In our tests, running Antutu on a loop in Game Performance mode at full brightness, the battery lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes. With average usage, you can expect around 5–6 hours of battery life.

We recorded a peak fan noise of 67dB in Maximum Performance mode, with an average noise level of around 61dB. In terms of temperatures, the device reached a maximum of 42°C during our testing.

AYANEO Pocket DMG System Benchmarks

As always, as part of our AYANEO Pocket DMG review, we conducted several benchmark tests to evaluate the raw performance of the AYANEO Pocket DMG and compare it with other Android handhelds.

Geekbench 5

Starting with Geekbench 5, which measures the CPU’s single and multi-core performance, the Pocket DMG achieved scores of 1,409 and 4,043, respectively. These results are close to those of the AYANEO Pocket 3, which uses the same processor. However, both models lag behind the AYN Odin 2 Mini Pro in terms of CPU performance.

Geekbench 6

On Geekbench 6, the Pocket DMG’s performance falls below that of the Pocket S, which is surprising given that both devices use the same CPU. Once again, the Odin 2 Mini Pro leads in CPU performance.

Antutu

The Antutu benchmark evaluates overall device performance, from daily tasks to 3D graphics rendering. The Pocket DMG and Odin 2 Mini produced almost identical results, while the AYANEO Pocket S outperformed both by a significant margin.

3DMark

In 3DMark testing, the AYANEO Pocket DMG unsurprisingly achieved a maximum score on the Slingshot benchmark. However, in the more demanding Wildlife Extreme benchmark, it scored 3,279, which is noticeably lower than both the Pocket S and the Odin 2 Mini Pro Android gaming devices.

Overall, the Pocket DMG delivers solid benchmark results, but they fall short of being competitive with the AYANEO Pocket S, despite using the same processor.

The AYANEO Pocket DMG OS and Software

The AYANEO Pocket DMG comes fairly bare bones in terms of software. You will find the usual Android apps including the Google Play Store, as well as some AYANEO apps. You will need to install any software such as games or emulators from the Play Store or other sources.

The AYA SPACE overlay can be brought up at any time by pressing the crystal button. It gives you access to commonly used shortcuts such as the brightness, performance and fan settings. You can also access the screen mapping here which lets you configure button actions to screen presses,  great for games that do not support controllers.

Gaming Performance

We tested our usual selection of native Android games and encountered no issues in our AYANEO Pocket DMG review. However, due to the square aspect ratio of the screen, some games designed for widescreen may display borders at the top and bottom, resulting in a non-fullscreen image.

The CPU is highly capable, allowing you to play the majority of Android games seamlessly. Additionally, the device includes an option to spoof its type, enabling compatibility with games restricted to certain phone models.

Emulation Performance

The Snapdragon G3x Gen2 processor, as seen in the AYANEO Pocket S, is excellent for emulation. It can easily handle games up to previous-generation handhelds with minimal issues. Let’s briefly explore a few more demanding emulators:

AetherSX2

Using AetherSX2, compatible PS2 games run smoothly. For more demanding titles, you can increase the upscaling and apply graphics tweaks to enhance visual quality. For example, in OutRun, you can increase the rendering resolution to 2x for better visuals.

Citra

On the Citra emulator, our go-to game, Sonic Generations, performs very well. Some games may require initial shader caching, but it’s not a game-breaking issue. You can also up the rendering resolution depending on how demanding the game is.

Vita3K

With the Vita emulator, compatible games run smoothly. For lower demanding performance titles, you can increase the rendering resolution to improve visual quality.

Yuzu

Finally, with the Yuzu emulator, performance is mixed. Lower-demanding and third-party titles are playable, but first-party titles tend to struggle. Since the emulator is no longer actively developed, the performance is imperfect, and it’s not recommended for playing a wide range of games.

Final Thoughts

The AYANEO Pocket DMG is a fascinating Android gaming console with a design that stands out, particularly its screen and controls. The display features a square aspect ratio rather than the modern widescreen format, making it especially suited for older generations of handheld gaming systems.

The controls are also tailored to classic gaming. The single analog stick works exceptionally well for systems like the Dreamcast and PSP, making these games a great fit for the device. However, it falls short for consoles like the PS2 or newer handhelds such as the PS Vita, which can rely on dual analog sticks and widescreen displays. The touchpad, in my opinion, is not an effective substitute for dedicated analog controls in these cases.

In terms of performance, the AYANEO Pocket DMG is slightly behind the AYANEO Pocket S, but in everyday use, the difference is minimal. When comparing the Pocket DMG (8GB RAM and 128GB storage) to the more premium Pocket S (12GB RAM and 128GB storage), the Pocket S stands out with its superior build quality and premium look and feel. That said, the Pocket DMG makes up for this with a more affordable price point.

The AYANEO Pocket DMG is an excellent choice if you prefer a vertical handheld design over the horizontal layout of the Pocket S. Its lower price could also be a deciding factor when choosing between these two options, especially if you’re in the market for a top-performing Android handheld.

You can learn more about and order the AYANEO Pocket DMG here.

That wraps up our AYANEO Pocket DMG review, we hope you have found it helpful. If you do have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments.