AYN Odin 2 Mini Review: Vita Who?

I laughed at the concept when I saw AYN display the Odin 2 Mini. Why not release a smaller, less expensive Odin 2 with a smaller battery? I placed my preorder so quickly that I received the $30 off voucher.

I ordered the base model since I had no problems with the base Odin 2. Additionally, I preferred the black, so I didn't think I needed to upgrade to the more costly model with 12GB of RAM and internal storage instead of 8. One annoying aspect of this is that if you want the white model, you must get the pro model, which costs $399, rather than the standard model, which costs $339.

Why did I quickly change my mind about this? I remembered that I had never played my Odin 2. Finding the time for it has been challenging with a newborn, and it's too big to be portable. I also considered the Odin 2 power in that form factor when I recently pulled my Vita out of storage. Officially, I was interested. Watch my review of the device briefly and read Andrew's initial thoughts here.

The Feel

The Odin 2 Mini feels excellent in my hands. The plastic has a nice matte texture. My hands wrap naturally around it, and as someone who thought the Vita was okay with comfortability, the additional stacked shoulder buttons make it that much better.

I also have no trouble getting to any of the buttons. Fingerprints are visible in the black hue, although not as much as anticipated. When I look around the gadget after a play session, I see very few, and the ones I see disappear.

My fingertips are supported by two textured pads on the device's rear. Although they don't significantly enhance the gadget, having them there is a pleasant touch. The back may get hot when playing more taxing games, but it won't be intolerable. However, this device became hot when I put it down to download all the extra Genshin Impact content. It was over 85 degrees Celsius, and the screen was painful to touch in addition to the back. When downloading anything that big, take care not to put this down!

The Screen

The new QLED screen was the device's main selling point, and there was a lot of controversy from people who wanted an OLED instead (trust me, I understand and agree). The new screen looks tremendous and bright; sometimes, I'm playing this thing at 20% to 15% brightness, and it's still too bright. Cranking it to 100% brightness allows you to play outside on a sunny day, but it will take a little longer on your battery.

Vignetting (or vinaigrette, if you're Stubbs) is another issue with QLED screens. I'm not one to notice things like this, and I can see it when the screen is bright, but I didn't notice it at all while I was playing. I like using Dark Mode, so I didn't see it on the menu either, but if you look for it, you can find it easily.

The screen is a fingerprint magnet, one feature I've noticed! Compared to the black shell, I had many more problems collecting fingerprints on it. This does not include the screen protector I have yet to receive. Later, I will discuss that. That may resolve some of my problems.

The Buttons

They look and feel amazing, and the buttons have that fun crystal feel of the Vita. I didn't like the face buttons on my Odin 2, but these are great, and I adore how the D-Pad feels on this, especially after using my Steam Deck more recently.

The triggers also have a pleasant feel. The hall triggers I've previously used are comparable to the L2/R2. The L1/R1 are negligible for my larger index fingers, but they push effortlessly. My fingers fit them well, and using them while playing wasn't too harsh.

The analog sticks have a charming feel. Although I liked the sticks in the first Odin 2, these also have a pleasant tactile feel. Despite their slight size, I had no trouble using them in my attempted games. However, I imagine some first-person shooter games being challenging.

Performance

Similar to Odin 2, this is among the most excellent Android performances. From NES to GameCube at 3x and much higher, it effortlessly played everything I put at it. Naturally, some games are incompatible with emulators due to their constraints (Dire of Cerberus, for example).

I have never played Android games, which is unfortunate because some excellent ones are available. Although the game isn't for me, I decided to give that new ZZZ game that everyone is talking about a try, and it worked very well. I also liked Stumble Guys, Dead Cells, Alien Isolation, and more! Android gaming is fantastic, and I should research it later.

It's fantastic that, in my scant testing, I haven't observed any performance issues compared to my Odin 2. Growing up, I played a lot of PS2 and GameCube games. Playing these games with HD texture packs and upscaled graphics is a blast. I'm eager to review these again now that Retro Achievements will be available on Dolphin.

I also tried using XBPlay for streaming, and it worked well. While playing NBA2K24, I primarily had 60 frames per second, with occasional drops to 50. After playing for 25 minutes, the battery dropped by about 11%, which was rather pleasant. Although it wasn't flawless, it was pretty playable.

Battery Life

Unfortunately, because of the infant mentioned at the beginning of the article, I haven't had a chance to thoroughly test the battery. However, I can share with you my thoughts on battery life when playing. Overall, it's not a problem for me. However, if you're looking for something more substantial, watch the timestamped movie from Retro Tech Dad above.

The smaller 5000 mAh battery in comparison to the 8000 mAh battery of the Odin 2 was concerning. But I'm not having any problems with this. Given how brilliant this screen is and how dark my house is, it helps that I have been playing at a lower brightness.

Here's a little exam for you. I played Midnight Club Underground 3 at 2.5x resolution on my PS2, with the device 97% charged. I put the device in sleep mode for three hours while running errands. When I got back, the battery was still at 97%.

When I had time after returning from the store, I raced a couple of races, and by the time I was ready to go to bed, it had dropped to 74%. Although it's not scientific or specific, a 23% charge in sleep mode is more than enough for an evening of gaming.

When I eventually played Metal Gear Solid for GotY at x3 resolution on GameCube, I experienced similar outcomes. I observed the same thing when I ran Popolocrois at x4 on PSP. This gadget charges quickly as well! In 30 minutes, I could charge it from 47% to 93% using a 60-watt charger and a USB C to C connection.

Portability

I was making fun of this damn thing when it was first released, but portability is what convinced me to get it. It's been fantastic for my little portability use. Feel free to criticize my sense of style, but it's the ideal size for me to wear in my sweatpants and shorts, and the sleep mode is fantastic.

Hold on, limited usage of portability? Almost none of it is being used as you intended. Yes, regrettably. The case and screen protector were free with the preorder, but AYN mailed them separately a few days later, which took a lot longer, and as of this writing, I still haven't gotten them. I decided not to take the Mini out of town this weekend to avoid breaking my new gadget.

I could pick this up and play more Midnight Club Underground 3 with ease when I was on my daughter's room floor, between soothing her and waiting for her to go to sleep. I have been waiting for this, and it is what I desire!

Overall

What I am Digging

Great portable size

+ A bright screen for playing outside

+ Buttons look and feel fantastic.

+ Fantastic performance

+ Fast charging

The Meh

Vignetting on the screen (not too terrible while playing)

Battery life when using the screen at maximum brightness

The preorder shipping p-AYN

The price of a professional model and the exclusive method to obtain the white

It can get hot!

Can I tell everyone about the AYN Odin 2 Mini? No, not at all. Don't feel the need to spend money on this new, glitzy gadget if you already have an Odin 2 and are satisfied. Yes, I recommend it if you don't have an Odin 2 or any other high-end Android device or wish the Odin 2 was more minor. This would have blown my head a few years ago.