Hi, some updates since releasing the video: - The reason the ABXY were swapped in the GamePass app was due to the fact that I had mapped the M2 button to the top-left corner as my "Xbox" button. When using the key mapper the controls somehow automatically swap the ABXY to the Odin/Nintendo format. Works great after removing that keymap, and so in that sense Xbox remote play AND cloud gaming are excellent on this device. - When using the key mapper for look controls like in COD Mobile, if you change the right analog stick to "Adjust view mode" and reduce the sensitivity to around 20% it works fine.
i was wondering about the triggers on the PS streaming, could this be a problem because of the odin settings option? you left it on "both" maybe if it was "analogue", it would work with at least one of the apps? just a thought, i don't use ps streaming myself.
@@IcoKirov yeah I tested all of the various trigger settings in the Odin settings, unfortunately none of them fix the issue. Some downright break the trigger inputs altogether. I think it just has to do with the apps and how they register that double-click trigger on the PS5 controller.
Hopefully you don’t have to wait long but there have been a ton of new orders since first shipment. They have had like 4k new orders in the since first units
@@darkasian755 is it really that long of a wait? In that case, I hope it arrives at the beginning of summer so I can take it out if I end up traveling anywhere!
I am not a gamer at all but I stumbled upon your account accidentally. And I want to give you high praise for your delivery it is crisp and very informative. However, after listening to you, I may put my feet into the gamer world.
I don't think you'll be disappointed. Don't be afraid to try different genres of games. I thought I didn't like RPG's and only like first person shooters. But I tried games like Skyrim, loved it instantly. Then later my nephew let me borrow a copy of Bloodborne. Another style of games that I fell into love with. And just watching them I would've probably said I wouldn't have liked them
@@terancerainerjr5789 You buy what you want, I just suggested to you that phone if you want it for the specs, the CPU it's from 2018 and the new 8 gen 1 CPU it's more than three times better, so it's not the best, but with that CPU you still can play everything you want (other than ps2 and some GameCube games)
@@Dennis-8095 I'm 11 and I just want to play an old game that I really loved when I was a child it's fairly odd parents breaking the rules (also mortal Kombat Shaolin monks) :)
I'm pumped for how far these devices are coming. And thanks for the bits about how bright and dim the screen can get, and how well it handles fast-forwarding on some older systems. 😎
Oh man, amazing review! It took me several hours to make my review, which was 5x shorter than yours, so I can only imagine the work that went into yours. Keep 'em coming... can't wait for your next videos!
Excellent, just excellent. And Im just talking about the review here. 👍 Little things like comparing the 4x3 play window size between the Odin, RGB Max, RG552 is just great, we can better see the screen size between each in 4x3 view. Things like that in your videos are very welcomed and appreciated. Oh, very nice device too😁..look forward to your Lite version review as well.
Just wanted to say that you have really been crushing it Russ. All of these videos have really helped me gain perspective of the space and you honestly made things very accessible. That you for taking the hours of your time to put out quality content. Keep up the good work.
Between the Odin for the high end (and Steam Deck or the like for higher end), and the Retroid Pocket 2+ for the low end, we are in a great time for handheld emulation.
This might finally be the machine that ticks all the boxes for me. I think I might wait for the Steam Deck to come out before I make a final decision but this one is definitely at the top of my wish list now. Thanks for always being so in-depth with your reviews, your hard work certainly doesn't go unnoticed ☺️
I’m just an occasional gamer and the Vita still works well for me, but I’ll be first in line if Sony comes out with another. Is there anything on the market that’s like an upgraded Vita? Would that be the Switch Oled?
Hail to the king of reviews!! Russ , as always, you did an impressive job here. I've been using your reviews and other materials as a corner stone for any decision in relation to retro gaming handhelds (including my relatives and friends as an extension of the reach of your videos)... Thx a lot for your time and imputs... Cheers from São Paulo, Brazil.
I was fairly optimistic about this device already, but it exceeded any expectations I had. Very impressive, definitely makes me excited to see what the future of these sorts of devices will be like.
@@dmaskell92 those are not as bad as you think they are also they are easily replaceable. Even hull joysticks can drift as gullikit's swich replacement hull sticks have started to horribly drift for some users.
@@shlokshah5379 You misunderstand, these analogs are faulty and I'm quite familiar. They use graphite sensors and wear indefinitely no matter your play style. I've replaced the analogs on my Joycons twice since I've owned my Switch. I'm not hard on them either, I have a PS3 controller I've used for years (before I even owned my Switch) with little maintenance. Unless they are physically damaged from abuse, a few drops of mineral oil fixes all drift issues in a full size analog. NX analogs need a redesign full stop, but Nintendo makes $80 from everyone not tech savvy enough to replace them.
@@dmaskell92 You can just call nintendo for them to replace it. Nothing to do with being tech savy. Still I agree the design is bad Also, every joystic will suffer from drift or other problem. They are mechanical after all.
@@alexandrebelair4360 Last I heard Nintendo stopped repairing joycons because of covid. Still, I doubt they will honor that warranty after I've done the repair twice already. Replacements are kind of out of the question since I have a limited-edition console.
I've had mine for nearly two weeks now and I think about it all the time. I bought a 512gb SD card and both that and the Odin's hard drive are basically full now. I feel excited whenever I turn it on knowing there's so much I've wanted to play portably for years now and in this way - a great portable system. I'm convinced it has a place and the Steam Deck won't just blow it out of the water, I know I will prefer this device for PS2, Wii/Gamecube and lower because of its design, weight and feel. Ever since I got back into handhelds again which brought me to this channel, this is the best thing I've bought and it'll keep me busy forever.
If you could go back and buy 1 tb card would you. 1tb on Amazon isn't that crazy expensive. I'm still waiting on my odin so I'm thinking either 512 of 1 tb for sd card
1tb sd card here waiting on my pro. My pc steam rpgs and W11 will take up 1/2 of it at least, 1/4 for emulation. We'll see how much of the rest gets filled with GC and PS2 games. I've got cd binders full of PS2 rpgs I bought and never played. Can't wait.
@@pandabearmadness6263 Honestly I think 512gb is enough unless you want like every game ever on one SD card. I have way too much choice and I could easily swap games out if that was a problem, which it isn't. You also have the 100~gb on the Odin left too. But make sure you convert any bin/cue games to chd format, you'll save a ton of space.
*This is my first retro gaming/emulation device, I just discovered these things a few weeks ago then was able to pick one up on eBay soon after that. It's been a blast and has really gotten be back into gaming again!*
In some ways I envy you for starting with such as awesome device. I have a huge collection of retro handhelds (about 1/3 the size of Russ's), and some of them were pretty expensive. I think I have about $200 in the PiBoy DMG for example, and I only use it for Gameboy color. So that wasn't the most economical purchase.
The point of my post was that I would have been better off if this device had been available and I had gotten it instead, not to brag about having things.
Sometimes I wonder if it's worth skipping all the lower level stuff and just go straight to the bigger models. On the non-portable side, I went from Rasberry Pi's to various Android Boxes, but when finally dropped some decent money on a small Ryzen based machine, it made all previous cheaper options feel like a waste of time.
Depends on what you want to play. If you mainly play from PS1 downwards when it comes to emulation, then you can handle everything with just an hacked PS Vita. That handheld is perfection once jailbroken
@@TheDorianTube Valve seems pretty confident :) If you have realistic expectations it will be great I think. They have done a amazing job with the index headset, and their software for it seems to be well thought out and optimized. We'll be seeing some hands on with it soon, but considering they seem to have been very bold in the people they've sent it too (LTT, Gamers Nexus, The phawx, and Gaming on Linux) be (all people who will do extensive testing on it and teardowns) I would say they seem confident about it :)
I can see some people being disappointed because it's not doing 60 fps 4k but this is a small form factor handheld gaming PC at the lowest teir for 400 dollars. That was never going to be a thing. And some games won't work because if Linux compatible. But a lot will (I've checked and the majority of the ones I want to play will). But again as long as you keep your expectations in check I expect it to be a very nice device
Man, I'm so tempted with this. I've been toying with jailbreaking my vita but that's purely to play retro games. This has a better battery life and is up to date so still supported.
Man, I would 100 percent be buying one if the Steam Deck wasn't coming out. But in this price range, this is incredible! All my childhood I dreamed of playing GameCube games portable!
What an amazingly comprehensive video, Russ, I am so appreciative and impressed. You and Taki are quickly becoming the ONLY TWO resources I even go to anymore given my limited time to “attempt” to keep up on this rapidly moving emulation handheld scene. Bravo to you both! 👏 🙌 ✊
It’s ok most of the handheld emulation devices aren’t all worth it But the ayn Odin is truly a special standout even with the one x pro, aya neo, and steam deck out now. And the ayn odin is much better bargain than all of those lol
Thanks Russ! I’ve been waiting for the first device to play a good number of PS2 games before I jumped into the retro handheld market. I think this is going to be my first purchase. As always thanks for all of your in-depth insights!
Really great review - at this point I'm just waiting to see which fits my needs better between this and the Steam Deck. Portable with a docking option is a must for me, and I think these devices have finally now reached the proper balance of cost/function to be worthwhile over, say, a laptop.
@@ancientflames not much better performance tho. Dont underestimate the odin as its single core is higher than the one on the deck. The deck wins in gpu though.
If you hadn’t made this review or your getting started series I am confident I wouldn’t have bought the Odin. I’m good with computers and tech, but the setup is still a bit daunting. Your videos make it seamless and super fun to set up. Thanks so much for all the awesome work you do, being able to play my favorite childhood retro games on a handheld device is something I’ve always dreamed of and the blast of nostalgia that hits me still when I boot this thing up is irreplaceable.
I doubt you will ever see this or even care n that's ok. I just wanted to say I'm a sub n big fan. You do a amazing job of being informative and also neutral which I admire. So even though I'm on disability from a terminal illness I love learning and I cud never afford any of these. I love that you review all price levels so I can at least recommend things to people. Again ty your one of my favorite UA-camrs man! P.s. nice ink ✌️
Been a fan of the channel for a while now and finally in a position to afford an Odin, so going back to check out your review video. It's actually so unusual not hearing that awesome intro tune, the appearance of a beardless Russ and the absence of that amazing Hawaiian place! What hasn't changed however, is the high in-depth level of product information, breakdown of pros and cons and overall excellent product review. Best in the business.
I appreciate all the content out there on the odin but this is review I've been waiting for. You have great content I'm super excited waiting for my odin to come
You are so good at what you do. I feel like you'd have so much more subs if you reviewed more mainstream things like laptops or phones. You should consider reviewing other things because you're super talented at this.
eagerly awaiting my AYN Odin to come in. It looks like a fun handheld to play with, and I've heard a lot of good things I can't wait to see both these videos
I use a Snapdragon 888 phone to emulate Wind waker for GameCube, I get slowdown on 720p before the device even starts to thermal throttle. If the Odin had a SD 888 and an OLED panel I'd be willing to pay $100 more for it, i think it would be perfect.
I was waiting for your review and you did not disappoint 🙏 (And bravo for coming to the end of this, hope you give yourself a few days !) I will wait for news about the button mod, because yeah the order of the ABXY buttons is my only real criticism honestly 😅
For the analog screen mapper issue have you tried, the other settings for it like skill directional mode or movement mode. you can access it when you're setting up the analog joystick on the screen mapping software.
the daijishou frontend is very good. it allows you to see the apps and the individual retro games all in one package, it has different menus and also themes. it is also quite minimalistic and it fits all of my needs. best frontend in my opinion
Glad we got a review from you finally! And I can't wait to see what else you cover on this thing. I am patiently waiting for mine to come in. I'm very nitpicky about controls, so I'm happy you noted how they feel. I would like to note that I have heard there is an option to change your input from ODIN to XBOX in the options somewhere. That may resolve some of the issues you were having with streaming Xbox, maybe even PS5.
Great review, and of the other Odin reviews I've seen, this is the most informational and entertaining. I sure wish someone would review a base or (especially) lite model though. Every single review is for the pro and we have no idea what the differences in specs translate to in the real world. I'd like to get a lite if it's not significantly hobbled, but I have no idea if there's something the pro does exclusively that I'd personally miss. Going to any message board just has everyone saying "just get the pro, bro" but I'd still like some information on what that extra $90 gets me (or probably more by the time anyone reviews a lite and the devices go to full retail) and whether or not that extra is anything I'd care about. As always, thanks for the stellar reviews and especially the guides. You've done a great job at making the emulation handheld scene more accessible and fun.
Ive watched probably a dozen reviews of the Odin Pro but Ive been waiting for yours specifically! I trust your judgement more than any other retro gaming channel. How long did it take yours to arrive from purchase?
For the LEDs, Taki mentioned in his video AYN is considering offering RGB Upgrade Kits for the LEDs. Would be cool if it actually happens. Also for the Back button, I saw in the Odin Subreddit that someone managed to map Back to the Home button. They mapped it so that one press was Back and then two or three tapping was the home. I wish I saved the post, but that seems promising. I wonder if we could get some slightly taller analog sticks or maybe just some caps to allow the analog sticks to be a bit more precise.
If we can get root on this, we can use those buttons on the back to be the back buttons or use them in combination for macros. I can't wait till mine arrives.
Awesome video sir, I have been following you from back when you were first getting starting and I am glad I have stuck around for the long haul, whenever a new retro handheld drops I look for your videos first hands down.
I know excatly how you feel. I has the same idea when I got the AYA NEO. Like you I continued. Beside you bring so much to the community so keep at it. Awesome share bro.
Solid review. This seems like an amazing device for the price, for those that are starting out on retro gaming and portable devices. You really can't beat the price for the value it brings and it seems like a solid build with tons of options and features. Definitely impressed that this is their first device. Me personally, I think I'm still going to get the steam deck. I have a psp, vita, 2dsxl, and an Android phone with USB-C joystick for things like Dreamcast. I'm really all set in terms of retro gaming that I personally am interested in. I don't really see myself playing ps2 games on a 6" screen, as most games that I want to play had lots of reading, which is pretty difficult with a screen size that small. I also have tons and tons of games on steam, and I can dock the deck and use it as a PC. I know it costs more, but I'll get tons more use out of steam deck than this. Anyway, solid review as usual. Totally worth it for lots of reasons, for sure.
first device? there's been a few versions of the Odin out, I personally am a stickler for the indiegogo only PS1 color scheme version. (I paid an extra 50 bucks to bump up the battery)
right? I got the PocketGo 1 in June 2019 and thought that was pretty neat. I mostly played GBA and a few SNES games on the bus to work. Now I have the RG351p to do PS1 and some N64 on top of everything the PocketGo could do. I have a pre-order for the Steam Deck, but I still really want the Odin. If for no other reason than it's a bit smaller, and probably better battery life. I'm only guessing because the Steam Deck is a notebook chip set, so it's not gonna compete with a SD845 on efficiency. either way, it's a great time to be into this hobby :)
excellent review, this must've taken so much time to record and edit. The hardware is impressive but this thing looks like a nightmare having to set everything up for each game.
Amazing review. Tons of work clearly went into this and I appreciate every second. Honestly, I have been looking for a handheld PC/Emulation option for many years and this one was at the top of my radar for a long time. I bought a Steam Deck a few weeks ago, but I still wondered if maybe I could downsize to this at some point. Extremely helpful with tons of information. I think I know the answer to this already, but will you be doing a review of the ASUS ROG Ally? That's the other handheld device that I might sell my Steam Deck for depending on a few key factors(remote play, ease of use and customizability being chief among them).
The thing with these devies is that they are so powerful that playng PS1 and older games on them feels like an overkill and waste of power and since they have widescreren you also get black bars so for 90s and older systems I'd still recommend something like Anbernic and Retroid Pocket 2 though those handhelds could still struggle with N64
I’m debating on whether I should get this ASAP or wait till the steamdeck comes out and see how well emulation is on that. Although to be honest I’d mainly just use the steam deck for just my steam games.
Given the significantly larger size of the Steam Deck, I opted for the Odin. If you don't mind the larger size, and want to play more demanding PC games, the Steam Deck is your best bet. If you are using it primarily for emulation, the Odin probably a wiser choice.
I have an Odin on hand and I can say I absolutely LOVE it. The battery life is insane. Got a steam deck on order and I'm not expecting much from battery compared to my odin TBH lol
Never buy first gen hardware. Especially stuff that comes out of China that you'll have to ship back to them. I did that ONCE with an Ibasso DX50 and for something the size of an ipod, shipping it back to china to have fixed was expensive as fuck.
The steam deck will cost more, likely be less modable/user friendly unless you know a lot about linux, weighs a ton more, will run hotter, and frankly outside of more modern pc games (by more modern I mean like 5-10 year old games) probably won't out perform the Odin either. I was confused why anyone wanted a steamdeck when they announced it, with things like this I am even more confused what kind of mental gymnastics people need to think the Steamdeck is a good buy.
Always great, interesting and well made videos from you. I would recommend you to buy a plastic caliper so that the risk of scratching your devices is reduced to zero :)
Loving my Odin Pro and Daijisho setup. Really makes it all feel like a premium handheld console with its own interface on when you have Daijisho setup as the home screen. having my handheld emulators on PC just dont hit the same way as it does on a handheld. So glad I got this.
Nobody else has the issue with buttons on gamepass. One review even specifically called out how the B was acting as an A. Weird it didn’t work for you…
It really is. Everyone is so hyped for it, and I'm sure it'll perform. But it's so damn big I don't think I'd like it. It's certainly not portable. And even moving around the house with it seems like a chore.
Yeah I think the hype for it and the price seems to overshadow how massive it is, and realistically its not really a portable console, and more like a handheld gaming laptop
Off to a great start. I personally can't justify spending that amount of money on something that can't do PS2 or Gamecube, but I'll be curious to see if they update this in a year with a faster SoC.
Just as an update, I bought a Lite after getting my Retroid Pocket 2+ and getting the retro itch again, haha. I'm not counting on Gamecube or PS2, but since I'll probably be waiting until the end of the year for a chance at a Steam Deck, this will handle the rest (and the size is far more in line with what I'm looking for)
I'm one of those people that was waiting for a device that could do GameCube for a reasonable price. I also wanted something that could do Dreamcast as well. As soon as I saw it could that I ordered the Pro bundle.
I back the Odin pro a few days ago and decided to upgrade my memory later after looking at the performance. I had to PayPal AYN the upgrade price but it was worth it.
Yep, I added a pinned comment addressing this -- it didn't click with me how to adjust the different mapping profiles in the tool itself, so I was "setting" them wrong. I figured it out thanks to feedback like yours!
Excellent review Russ as always. A few standout points like start and select button placements, joystick range, height issues, buttons actuation length, etc gave me a few pauses. Not something I normally see others covered. Overall nice device, will definitely wait awhile and see. Looking forward to other videos to come.
Great video! Thanks for breaking this down! All the questions i wanted answered in one spot! Def informed me enough to make a decision! gonna grab me a odin pro!
I just want handheld Gamecube and PS2 mostly, and some N64, maybe Wii with classic control support (but I don't think I'll enjoy using the Wii remote on a handheld, I've played Wii on my Wii U gamepad, and besides it being awesome it had a built in sensor bar, I wasn't sold on it), everything else I can play elsewhere (handheld). So basically, this is the best choice right now, and it will play most games better than original hardware? Does gyro work for Wii racing games like Excite Truck? I'm thinking of Eternal Darkness, Timesplitters 3, Resident Evil, Wind Waker, Luigi's Mansion, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, Hitman 2, Freedom Fighters, Project Zero (Fatal Frame), The Thing, The Punisher, MGS3, Burnout 3, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark,... You know, the stuff that made those the best years of gaming ever.
Awesome video. Got mine yesterday (ordered it late February), and I'm super impressed so far. Pretty effortless with Xbox Cloud Gaming and PS5 Remote Play, and using the various standalone emulators has been pretty easy as well (some minor issues aside). The easy part of it because I followed your setup guide. Thanks. :D
@@miguelelgueta5830 Doesn’t get hot. No stick drift, as far as I can tell. Only issue is that the analogue sticks are quite small, so it’s hard to be precise. Also I’d prefer if they weren’t asymmetrically placed. I prefer the Sony stick placement to the Xbox one, but that’s just personal opinion.
Hi, some updates since releasing the video:
- The reason the ABXY were swapped in the GamePass app was due to the fact that I had mapped the M2 button to the top-left corner as my "Xbox" button. When using the key mapper the controls somehow automatically swap the ABXY to the Odin/Nintendo format. Works great after removing that keymap, and so in that sense Xbox remote play AND cloud gaming are excellent on this device.
- When using the key mapper for look controls like in COD Mobile, if you change the right analog stick to "Adjust view mode" and reduce the sensitivity to around 20% it works fine.
Thank you very much for the correction! Gamepass would be my #1 use for this (well, the lite version) so it's very valuable information!
I was going to mention about the view mode. Glad you found that to be helpful.
Russ can you do a video with your top 20 list of games per system 🙏
Thank you.
i was wondering about the triggers on the PS streaming, could this be a problem because of the odin settings option? you left it on "both" maybe if it was "analogue", it would work with at least one of the apps?
just a thought, i don't use ps streaming myself.
@@IcoKirov yeah I tested all of the various trigger settings in the Odin settings, unfortunately none of them fix the issue. Some downright break the trigger inputs altogether. I think it just has to do with the apps and how they register that double-click trigger on the PS5 controller.
Dude! I have watched so many reviews but I have been patiently waiting for this review by you. Only then will I buy an Odin!
Hopefully you don’t have to wait long but there have been a ton of new orders since first shipment. They have had like 4k new orders in the since first units
Well now you have to wait til summer to get it :)
@@darkasian755 is it really that long of a wait? In that case, I hope it arrives at the beginning of summer so I can take it out if I end up traveling anywhere!
@@darkasian755 Where did you get that information from? I couldn't find anything myself.
Same here 😉
Russ you are the gold standard on Handheld gaming! Thank you for your detailed in depth reviews!
Him for the hardware and eta prime or taki udon for software.
I agree with both of you. Russ, ETA prime and Taki are must watch videos for me
I am not a gamer at all but I stumbled upon your account accidentally. And I want to give you high praise for your delivery it is crisp and very informative. However, after listening to you, I may put my feet into the gamer world.
I don't think you'll be disappointed. Don't be afraid to try different genres of games. I thought I didn't like RPG's and only like first person shooters. But I tried games like Skyrim, loved it instantly. Then later my nephew let me borrow a copy of Bloodborne. Another style of games that I fell into love with. And just watching them I would've probably said I wouldn't have liked them
My Odin Pro has been blowing my mind with how good it is. I'm playing Silent Hill 2 on a handheld with no slowdown. I'm thrilled with this handheld!
I want to get an odin for my birthday
You can get a Poco f1 with the same specs for 150$:)
@@Dennis-8095 oh... I still want the odin
@@terancerainerjr5789 You buy what you want, I just suggested to you that phone if you want it for the specs, the CPU it's from 2018 and the new 8 gen 1 CPU it's more than three times better, so it's not the best, but with that CPU you still can play everything you want (other than ps2 and some GameCube games)
@@Dennis-8095 I'm 11 and I just want to play an old game that I really loved when I was a child
it's fairly odd parents breaking the rules
(also mortal Kombat Shaolin monks)
:)
I'm pumped for how far these devices are coming. And thanks for the bits about how bright and dim the screen can get, and how well it handles fast-forwarding on some older systems. 😎
yeah these arent coming to other people.
Sadly these things are way too expensive.
My phone is more powerful, I could just buy a casecontroller for it and it would be better than this device.
Oh man, amazing review! It took me several hours to make my review, which was 5x shorter than yours, so I can only imagine the work that went into yours. Keep 'em coming... can't wait for your next videos!
Thanks buddy, I'm happy to find that the device lived up to its hype. Yeah it was a lot of work getting this together, but I enjoy the process!
@@RetroGameCorps It's funny too, because I feel like we're just getting started!
Excellent, just excellent.
And Im just talking about the review here. 👍
Little things like comparing the 4x3 play window size between the Odin, RGB Max, RG552 is just great, we can better see the screen size between each in 4x3 view.
Things like that in your videos are very welcomed and appreciated.
Oh, very nice device too😁..look forward to your Lite version review as well.
Just wanted to say that you have really been crushing it Russ. All of these videos have really helped me gain perspective of the space and you honestly made things very accessible. That you for taking the hours of your time to put out quality content. Keep up the good work.
I hope these manufacturers are sending you review devices. Your videos really are what I base my purchases on.
It’s about half and half. I purchased the device in this video, but others I get for review. Thanks for watching!
Yeah, you get enough exposure for these companies to be justified in sending you review units.
Between the Odin for the high end (and Steam Deck or the like for higher end), and the Retroid Pocket 2+ for the low end, we are in a great time for handheld emulation.
I agree, it's been an exciting year so far.
This might finally be the machine that ticks all the boxes for me. I think I might wait for the Steam Deck to come out before I make a final decision but this one is definitely at the top of my wish list now. Thanks for always being so in-depth with your reviews, your hard work certainly doesn't go unnoticed ☺️
Just askin does this and nintendo swtich ply pc game?
@@pcmoba3738 it only plays stuff that works on Android.
@@tanmaypanadi1414 awhh dang it though can ply pc game just wanna bought tdy tq
Checks ✅******
I’m just an occasional gamer and the Vita still works well for me, but I’ll be first in line if Sony comes out with another. Is there anything on the market that’s like an upgraded Vita? Would that be the Switch Oled?
YAHHOOO! Can’t wait to have mine in hands! God damn it your skin is looking smooth man, time is treating you well
Hail to the king of reviews!! Russ , as always, you did an impressive job here. I've been using your reviews and other materials as a corner stone for any decision in relation to retro gaming handhelds (including my relatives and friends as an extension of the reach of your videos)... Thx a lot for your time and imputs... Cheers from São Paulo, Brazil.
I was fairly optimistic about this device already, but it exceeded any expectations I had. Very impressive, definitely makes me excited to see what the future of these sorts of devices will be like.
Curious to see how it holds up over time and the long-term impressions. Glad to hear it's as good as it sounds!
Seems like it uses the NX analog sticks, so if I had to assume, it doesn't hold up well.
@@dmaskell92 those are not as bad as you think they are also they are easily replaceable. Even hull joysticks can drift as gullikit's swich replacement hull sticks have started to horribly drift for some users.
@@shlokshah5379 You misunderstand, these analogs are faulty and I'm quite familiar. They use graphite sensors and wear indefinitely no matter your play style.
I've replaced the analogs on my Joycons twice since I've owned my Switch. I'm not hard on them either, I have a PS3 controller I've used for years (before I even owned my Switch) with little maintenance.
Unless they are physically damaged from abuse, a few drops of mineral oil fixes all drift issues in a full size analog.
NX analogs need a redesign full stop, but Nintendo makes $80 from everyone not tech savvy enough to replace them.
@@dmaskell92 You can just call nintendo for them to replace it. Nothing to do with being tech savy.
Still I agree the design is bad
Also, every joystic will suffer from drift or other problem. They are mechanical after all.
@@alexandrebelair4360 Last I heard Nintendo stopped repairing joycons because of covid.
Still, I doubt they will honor that warranty after I've done the repair twice already.
Replacements are kind of out of the question since I have a limited-edition console.
This video is lengthy and i love how you reviewed every details... SATISFACTION!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
I've had mine for nearly two weeks now and I think about it all the time. I bought a 512gb SD card and both that and the Odin's hard drive are basically full now. I feel excited whenever I turn it on knowing there's so much I've wanted to play portably for years now and in this way - a great portable system. I'm convinced it has a place and the Steam Deck won't just blow it out of the water, I know I will prefer this device for PS2, Wii/Gamecube and lower because of its design, weight and feel. Ever since I got back into handhelds again which brought me to this channel, this is the best thing I've bought and it'll keep me busy forever.
If you could go back and buy 1 tb card would you. 1tb on Amazon isn't that crazy expensive. I'm still waiting on my odin so I'm thinking either 512 of 1 tb for sd card
1tb sd card here waiting on my pro. My pc steam rpgs and W11 will take up 1/2 of it at least, 1/4 for emulation. We'll see how much of the rest gets filled with GC and PS2 games. I've got cd binders full of PS2 rpgs I bought and never played. Can't wait.
@@pandabearmadness6263 Honestly I think 512gb is enough unless you want like every game ever on one SD card. I have way too much choice and I could easily swap games out if that was a problem, which it isn't. You also have the 100~gb on the Odin left too. But make sure you convert any bin/cue games to chd format, you'll save a ton of space.
@@alex-roe thanks guys
Great review! Finally someone covers the emulated screen size and aspect ratio for retro platforms.
*This is my first retro gaming/emulation device, I just discovered these things a few weeks ago then was able to pick one up on eBay soon after that. It's been a blast and has really gotten be back into gaming again!*
In some ways I envy you for starting with such as awesome device. I have a huge collection of retro handhelds (about 1/3 the size of Russ's), and some of them were pretty expensive. I think I have about $200 in the PiBoy DMG for example, and I only use it for Gameboy color. So that wasn't the most economical purchase.
@@ramrodbldm9876 I care, if only just to contradict you.
The point of my post was that I would have been better off if this device had been available and I had gotten it instead, not to brag about having things.
Also, I actually don't care whether you care.
@@ramrodbldm9876 have you tried light boxes for SAD? Might help you ditch those negative vibes. Just tryin' to help
Hi Russ. I really appreciate your comparison between screen sizes! great review!
Sometimes I wonder if it's worth skipping all the lower level stuff and just go straight to the bigger models. On the non-portable side, I went from Rasberry Pi's to various Android Boxes, but when finally dropped some decent money on a small Ryzen based machine, it made all previous cheaper options feel like a waste of time.
Oh yeah definitely. Basically my thinking process behind just picking up a steam deck
Depends on what you want to play. If you mainly play from PS1 downwards when it comes to emulation, then you can handle everything with just an hacked PS Vita. That handheld is perfection once jailbroken
@@wickersticks If the Steam Deck turns out to be a great product, I'm set with all my emulation/gaming needs. I really hope it's going to be good.
@@TheDorianTube Valve seems pretty confident :)
If you have realistic expectations it will be great I think. They have done a amazing job with the index headset, and their software for it seems to be well thought out and optimized. We'll be seeing some hands on with it soon, but considering they seem to have been very bold in the people they've sent it too (LTT, Gamers Nexus, The phawx, and Gaming on Linux) be (all people who will do extensive testing on it and teardowns) I would say they seem confident about it :)
I can see some people being disappointed because it's not doing 60 fps 4k but this is a small form factor handheld gaming PC at the lowest teir for 400 dollars. That was never going to be a thing. And some games won't work because if Linux compatible. But a lot will (I've checked and the majority of the ones I want to play will). But again as long as you keep your expectations in check I expect it to be a very nice device
Yes cant wait for other parts of reviews! You always have the best detailed review
The next revision and performance boost might be what gets me to buy one of these. It's so close to being what i want
Man, I'm so tempted with this. I've been toying with jailbreaking my vita but that's purely to play retro games. This has a better battery life and is up to date so still supported.
Man, I would 100 percent be buying one if the Steam Deck wasn't coming out. But in this price range, this is incredible! All my childhood I dreamed of playing GameCube games portable!
i thought the same and then thought 'fuck it. get both' lol
Your phone can't already do that?
What an amazingly comprehensive video, Russ, I am so appreciative and impressed. You and Taki are quickly becoming the ONLY TWO resources I even go to anymore given my limited time to “attempt” to keep up on this rapidly moving emulation handheld scene. Bravo to you both! 👏 🙌 ✊
It’s ok most of the handheld emulation devices aren’t all worth it
But the ayn Odin is truly a special standout even with the one x pro, aya neo, and steam deck out now. And the ayn odin is much better bargain than all of those lol
Oh my god. MGS2!
Great review! Liked and subscribed. Looking forward to seeing your gameplay videos.
Thanks Russ! I’ve been waiting for the first device to play a good number of PS2 games before I jumped into the retro handheld market. I think this is going to be my first purchase. As always thanks for all of your in-depth insights!
Did you get it? Is it good for PS2 emulation?
Really great review - at this point I'm just waiting to see which fits my needs better between this and the Steam Deck. Portable with a docking option is a must for me, and I think these devices have finally now reached the proper balance of cost/function to be worthwhile over, say, a laptop.
Steam deck has a lot of advantages of price doesn't matter.
1: it's a PC too
2: steam library
3: better support by far
4: much better performance
@@ancientflames not much better performance tho. Dont underestimate the odin as its single core is higher than the one on the deck. The deck wins in gpu though.
If you hadn’t made this review or your getting started series I am confident I wouldn’t have bought the Odin. I’m good with computers and tech, but the setup is still a bit daunting. Your videos make it seamless and super fun to set up. Thanks so much for all the awesome work you do, being able to play my favorite childhood retro games on a handheld device is something I’ve always dreamed of and the blast of nostalgia that hits me still when I boot this thing up is irreplaceable.
I doubt you will ever see this or even care n that's ok. I just wanted to say I'm a sub n big fan. You do a amazing job of being informative and also neutral which I admire. So even though I'm on disability from a terminal illness I love learning and I cud never afford any of these. I love that you review all price levels so I can at least recommend things to people. Again ty your one of my favorite UA-camrs man! P.s. nice ink ✌️
Been a fan of the channel for a while now and finally in a position to afford an Odin, so going back to check out your review video.
It's actually so unusual not hearing that awesome intro tune, the appearance of a beardless Russ and the absence of that amazing Hawaiian place!
What hasn't changed however, is the high in-depth level of product information, breakdown of pros and cons and overall excellent product review. Best in the business.
Great review !!! Your reviews are the best out there. Looking forward to more gameplay videos. Thank you Russ !!
I appreciate all the content out there on the odin but this is review I've been waiting for. You have great content I'm super excited waiting for my odin to come
You are so good at what you do. I feel like you'd have so much more subs if you reviewed more mainstream things like laptops or phones. You should consider reviewing other things because you're super talented at this.
eagerly awaiting my AYN Odin to come in.
It looks like a fun handheld to play with, and I've heard a lot of good things
I can't wait to see both these videos
Where did u order it from?
I use a Snapdragon 888 phone to emulate Wind waker for GameCube, I get slowdown on 720p before the device even starts to thermal throttle. If the Odin had a SD 888 and an OLED panel I'd be willing to pay $100 more for it, i think it would be perfect.
$100? Lol
I was waiting for your review and you did not disappoint 🙏 (And bravo for coming to the end of this, hope you give yourself a few days !)
I will wait for news about the button mod, because yeah the order of the ABXY buttons is my only real criticism honestly 😅
For the analog screen mapper issue have you tried, the other settings for it like skill directional mode or movement mode. you can access it when you're setting up the analog joystick on the screen mapping software.
With those can you get the right stick to behave as if the game had native support?
My Odin Pro w/ Dock came in a few days ago. Haven't had time to open the box yet. Looking forward to checking it out. Nice video!!
the daijishou frontend is very good. it allows you to see the apps and the individual retro games all in one package, it has different menus and also themes. it is also quite minimalistic and it fits all of my needs. best frontend in my opinion
Great review; so excited for the set up guides as I wait for mine to come in the mail!
Waiting for my Odin Lite. Or Steam Deck. Whichever ships first, I'll be happy either way.
Glad we got a review from you finally! And I can't wait to see what else you cover on this thing. I am patiently waiting for mine to come in.
I'm very nitpicky about controls, so I'm happy you noted how they feel.
I would like to note that I have heard there is an option to change your input from ODIN to XBOX in the options somewhere. That may resolve some of the issues you were having with streaming Xbox, maybe even PS5.
Your reviews are the best out there, especially because I trust you are unbiased!!!
Just purchased one!
Great review, and of the other Odin reviews I've seen, this is the most informational and entertaining. I sure wish someone would review a base or (especially) lite model though. Every single review is for the pro and we have no idea what the differences in specs translate to in the real world. I'd like to get a lite if it's not significantly hobbled, but I have no idea if there's something the pro does exclusively that I'd personally miss. Going to any message board just has everyone saying "just get the pro, bro" but I'd still like some information on what that extra $90 gets me (or probably more by the time anyone reviews a lite and the devices go to full retail) and whether or not that extra is anything I'd care about. As always, thanks for the stellar reviews and especially the guides. You've done a great job at making the emulation handheld scene more accessible and fun.
I don't think the lite has shipped yet.
@@BGRecon bummer
Great Video. Looking forward to your starting guide Part!
Ive watched probably a dozen reviews of the Odin Pro but Ive been waiting for yours specifically! I trust your judgement more than any other retro gaming channel. How long did it take yours to arrive from purchase?
Great review! I was waiting for it for these past 10 days or more. Looking forward to the next 2 on Odin.
For the LEDs, Taki mentioned in his video AYN is considering offering RGB Upgrade Kits for the LEDs. Would be cool if it actually happens. Also for the Back button, I saw in the Odin Subreddit that someone managed to map Back to the Home button. They mapped it so that one press was Back and then two or three tapping was the home. I wish I saved the post, but that seems promising. I wonder if we could get some slightly taller analog sticks or maybe just some caps to allow the analog sticks to be a bit more precise.
If we can get root on this, we can use those buttons on the back to be the back buttons or use them in combination for macros.
I can't wait till mine arrives.
Awesome video sir, I have been following you from back when you were first getting starting and I am glad I have stuck around for the long haul, whenever a new retro handheld drops I look for your videos first hands down.
Keep up the amazing work, Russ. You're (by far) the best reviewer I've watched. Amazing content from an outstanding person.
I know excatly how you feel. I has the same idea when I got the AYA NEO. Like you I continued. Beside you bring so much to the community so keep at it. Awesome share bro.
Solid review.
This seems like an amazing device for the price, for those that are starting out on retro gaming and portable devices. You really can't beat the price for the value it brings and it seems like a solid build with tons of options and features. Definitely impressed that this is their first device.
Me personally, I think I'm still going to get the steam deck. I have a psp, vita, 2dsxl, and an Android phone with USB-C joystick for things like Dreamcast. I'm really all set in terms of retro gaming that I personally am interested in. I don't really see myself playing ps2 games on a 6" screen, as most games that I want to play had lots of reading, which is pretty difficult with a screen size that small.
I also have tons and tons of games on steam, and I can dock the deck and use it as a PC. I know it costs more, but I'll get tons more use out of steam deck than this.
Anyway, solid review as usual. Totally worth it for lots of reasons, for sure.
first device? there's been a few versions of the Odin out, I personally am a stickler for the indiegogo only PS1 color scheme version. (I paid an extra 50 bucks to bump up the battery)
The ayn odin can also be docked and its dock also has legacy ports
Again. Another great Review! Thanks for your hard work!
Damnit... I'm still learning to love my RP2+, now I'm wanting more again...
It’s crazy how far handheld emulators have come just in the span of like a year or two.
right? I got the PocketGo 1 in June 2019 and thought that was pretty neat. I mostly played GBA and a few SNES games on the bus to work.
Now I have the RG351p to do PS1 and some N64 on top of everything the PocketGo could do.
I have a pre-order for the Steam Deck, but I still really want the Odin. If for no other reason than it's a bit smaller, and probably better battery life. I'm only guessing because the Steam Deck is a notebook chip set, so it's not gonna compete with a SD845 on efficiency.
either way, it's a great time to be into this hobby :)
Oh, shit, I absolutely love your 3/4 sleeve. Probably just haven't paid enough attention to your previous videos, but never realized you had that.
Thanks for showing N64 No Mercy! I’ve been looking to play this and a few dream PS2 games on the go. Great video.
excellent review, this must've taken so much time to record and edit. The hardware is impressive but this thing looks like a nightmare having to set everything up for each game.
Amazing review. Tons of work clearly went into this and I appreciate every second. Honestly, I have been looking for a handheld PC/Emulation option for many years and this one was at the top of my radar for a long time. I bought a Steam Deck a few weeks ago, but I still wondered if maybe I could downsize to this at some point. Extremely helpful with tons of information.
I think I know the answer to this already, but will you be doing a review of the ASUS ROG Ally? That's the other handheld device that I might sell my Steam Deck for depending on a few key factors(remote play, ease of use and customizability being chief among them).
The thing with these devies is that they are so powerful that playng PS1 and older games on them feels like an overkill and waste of power and since they have widescreren you also get black bars so for 90s and older systems I'd still recommend something like Anbernic and Retroid Pocket 2 though those handhelds could still struggle with N64
Right, a cheaper device is better suited for retro games only. This is a bit of both retro and modern gaming.
Great review, and thank you for always adding chapters.
I’m debating on whether I should get this ASAP or wait till the steamdeck comes out and see how well emulation is on that.
Although to be honest I’d mainly just use the steam deck for just my steam games.
Given the significantly larger size of the Steam Deck, I opted for the Odin. If you don't mind the larger size, and want to play more demanding PC games, the Steam Deck is your best bet. If you are using it primarily for emulation, the Odin probably a wiser choice.
I'm waiting for the steam deck 😅 if only because of a larger install size will make resources easier for me to find
I have an Odin on hand and I can say I absolutely LOVE it. The battery life is insane. Got a steam deck on order and I'm not expecting much from battery compared to my odin TBH lol
Never buy first gen hardware. Especially stuff that comes out of China that you'll have to ship back to them. I did that ONCE with an Ibasso DX50 and for something the size of an ipod, shipping it back to china to have fixed was expensive as fuck.
The steam deck will cost more, likely be less modable/user friendly unless you know a lot about linux, weighs a ton more, will run hotter, and frankly outside of more modern pc games (by more modern I mean like 5-10 year old games) probably won't out perform the Odin either. I was confused why anyone wanted a steamdeck when they announced it, with things like this I am even more confused what kind of mental gymnastics people need to think the Steamdeck is a good buy.
Always great, interesting and well made videos from you. I would recommend you to buy a plastic caliper so that the risk of scratching your devices is reduced to zero :)
I asked myself if I wanted to buy this portable console , and my mind replied “yeah man, you wanna do it”.
Loving my Odin Pro and Daijisho setup.
Really makes it all feel like a premium handheld console with its own interface on when you have Daijisho setup as the home screen. having my handheld emulators on PC just dont hit the same way as it does on a handheld. So glad I got this.
If someone can just come up with a software solution for managing gamepads so the dock is useful, it will be the perfect device.
Very awesome review. Thank you very much! Love and blessings from Ontario Canada!
Nobody else has the issue with buttons on gamepass. One review even specifically called out how the B was acting as an A. Weird it didn’t work for you…
Been waiting all week for this! 🤩
The Steam Deck is stupidly oversized isn't it.
It really is. Everyone is so hyped for it, and I'm sure it'll perform. But it's so damn big I don't think I'd like it. It's certainly not portable. And even moving around the house with it seems like a chore.
Yeah I think the hype for it and the price seems to overshadow how massive it is, and realistically its not really a portable console, and more like a handheld gaming laptop
Thank you so much for showing espn 2k5! I can’t ever find emulation examples of madden/2k for harder to run systems
Amazing stuff. Can't wait for the Lite review I think it won't be much slower for most emulation.
Ive watched quite a few reviews on this but this is the most thorogh. Fantastic review
Off to a great start. I personally can't justify spending that amount of money on something that can't do PS2 or Gamecube, but I'll be curious to see if they update this in a year with a faster SoC.
Just as an update, I bought a Lite after getting my Retroid Pocket 2+ and getting the retro itch again, haha. I'm not counting on Gamecube or PS2, but since I'll probably be waiting until the end of the year for a chance at a Steam Deck, this will handle the rest (and the size is far more in line with what I'm looking for)
Russ, thank you for your amazing work as usual. You are my main channel when it comes to retro gaming !
I'm one of those people that was waiting for a device that could do GameCube for a reasonable price. I also wanted something that could do Dreamcast as well. As soon as I saw it could that I ordered the Pro bundle.
I back the Odin pro a few days ago and decided to upgrade my memory later after looking at the performance. I had to PayPal AYN the upgrade price but it was worth it.
The screen mapping tool can change the way a thumbstick is registered unlike any other mapping software I used yet.
Yep, I added a pinned comment addressing this -- it didn't click with me how to adjust the different mapping profiles in the tool itself, so I was "setting" them wrong. I figured it out thanks to feedback like yours!
Awesome, thorough review. I didnt even know these were a thing outside of switch and steam deck. Subbed.
Excellent review Russ as always. A few standout points like start and select button placements, joystick range, height issues, buttons actuation length, etc gave me a few pauses. Not something I normally see others covered. Overall nice device, will definitely wait awhile and see. Looking forward to other videos to come.
I know how long video editing takes, ans this video is absolutely amazing. The payoff was worth it, great video and I've subbed too!
You are producing awesome videos. I've subscribed for a while and your progression is amazing.
Thanks Colin, I appreciate that!
Great video and detail as always 👍🏻
Great video! Thanks for breaking this down! All the questions i wanted answered in one spot! Def informed me enough to make a decision! gonna grab me a odin pro!
I finally got the shipping notification on mine this morning. I can’t wait to crack it open and start playing some games.
I just want handheld Gamecube and PS2 mostly, and some N64, maybe Wii with classic control support (but I don't think I'll enjoy using the Wii remote on a handheld, I've played Wii on my Wii U gamepad, and besides it being awesome it had a built in sensor bar, I wasn't sold on it), everything else I can play elsewhere (handheld). So basically, this is the best choice right now, and it will play most games better than original hardware? Does gyro work for Wii racing games like Excite Truck?
I'm thinking of Eternal Darkness, Timesplitters 3, Resident Evil, Wind Waker, Luigi's Mansion, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, Hitman 2, Freedom Fighters, Project Zero (Fatal Frame), The Thing, The Punisher, MGS3, Burnout 3, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark,... You know, the stuff that made those the best years of gaming ever.
Am I the only one who watches these videos in the background with work/school?
No, I am with you there 😅
However, usually with school or art
Petition: Can you do a full setup guide for Android Phones?
Awesome video as usual!
I’ve been patiently waiting for mine for a while now!
Great review! Glad to see a few Metal Gear games being featured as well - that's the main reason I'd get one of these things. Keep up the good work!
Been waiting for this video :) .. time to kick back with a beer and relax
Well worth the wait!
I feel that this is the most honest review I’ve seen yet, so keep the content coming
Awesome video. Got mine yesterday (ordered it late February), and I'm super impressed so far. Pretty effortless with Xbox Cloud Gaming and PS5 Remote Play, and using the various standalone emulators has been pretty easy as well (some minor issues aside). The easy part of it because I followed your setup guide. Thanks. :D
after some months of use how would you define the device in hardware terms? does get hot? are the sticks drifting or.somethin?
cherrs
@@miguelelgueta5830 Doesn’t get hot. No stick drift, as far as I can tell. Only issue is that the analogue sticks are quite small, so it’s hard to be precise. Also I’d prefer if they weren’t asymmetrically placed. I prefer the Sony stick placement to the Xbox one, but that’s just personal opinion.
The review I’ve been waiting for, and it doesn’t disappoint. Thanks Russ 👍
This was the most thorough review of anything ive ever seen lol. Thanks Youve def earned the subscription.
The accent lights are such a nice touch