TL;DR
- The dual-screened AYN Thor will have 6-inch and 3.92-inch AMOLED panels.
- That will likely make it slightly smaller than the New Nintendo 3DS XL.
- Pricing hasn’t been revealed, but it could be a compelling alternative to expensive second-hand 3DS models.
It’s been less than a day since AYN announced the dual-screened Thor handheld, but it’s already looking like an incredibly compelling device for Nintendo 3DS fans. Late last night, the company showed off the first key specs, and it’s great news for anyone looking to replace their aging 3DS hardware.
Several hours after announcing the console, the company revealed that it will feature a 6-inch FHD 120Hz AMOLED panel on the top, and a 3.92-inch 60Hz AMOLED panel on the bottom. That second screen is likely the same as the AYANEO Pocket DMG and Retroid Pocket Classic, and it’s widely considered one of the best panels of its size.
That said, the 8:7 aspect ratio will have some letterboxing on 3DS games and classic systems. It’s slightly smaller than the secondary screen on the New Nintendo 3DS XL, which measures 4.18-inches, but larger than one on the non-XL model, which measures 3.02-inches. In any case, the resolution is significantly higher, so it should offer a significant step up in terms of visuals.
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As for the main screen, it’s a massive improvement over the relatively puny 400 x 240 output on the 3DS. The 6-inch FHD 120Hz AMOLED panel is more than five times the resolution, although again, there will be small black bars on the sides due to the 3DS’ unique 5:3 aspect ratio. There’s also no stereoscopic 3D effect, although many users turned that off anyway.
The higher refresh rate is nice for some systems, but it will likely be lost when emulating 3DS games. AYANEO claims that refresh rates are capped at 60Hz when using both screens on its upcoming Pocket DS handheld due to Android limitations. AYN hasn’t said anything about this regarding the Thor, but it will likely have the same issue.
The AYN Thor looks just as portable as the original 3DS hardware.
While AYN hasn’t revealed the exact dimensions of the Thor, we can get a rough estimate of the size from the top screen. If the renders are correct, it should come in slightly smaller than the New Nintendo 3DS XL, which measures roughly 5.6 inches by 3.17 inches when closed. It will almost assuredly be thicker, but at least it will retain the same pocketability. Moving the speakers to the bottom and removing the camera altogether enables the much larger screen.
It’s much smaller than the AYANEO Pocket DS, which features a 7-inch panel on top and a 5-inch panel on the bottom. That’s good news for fans of the smaller size of the original 3DS model, which has exploded in price in the last few years. AYN hasn’t revealed pricing for the Thor, but if it comes in cheaper than the $400 earlybird pricing on the Pocket DS, it would be an excellent option for anyone in the market for a used 3DS.
AYN still hasn’t revealed full specs, pricing, or a release date for the Thor, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
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