AYN Thor vs Odin 3: one screen or two? Which AYN handheld to buy

Updated Nov 15, 2026: all prices below were read on AYN's store today. The Odin 3 is listed as "Batch 8 Pre-order" and the Thor as "Batch 7 Pre-order". The Odin 3 Ultra (24GB/1TB, $569) is listed but can't be selected, so it's effectively sold out.

AYN makes both of the handhelds people ask about most right now, and they share a lot: a 6-inch Full HD AMOLED top screen, Hall-effect sticks, Android, and a pre-order queue on AYN's own store. The real choice is one screen or two. The Odin 3 is a slab with grips and AYN's newest chip. The Thor is a clamshell with a second touchscreen, built for DS and 3DS games. We haven't tested either one, so this is the spec-sheet and price-sheet answer: AYN's own pages for every number AYN states, and named reviews for what it doesn't.

AYN Thor vs Odin 3: prices for every tier

AYN sells both in the same memory tiers, so the comparison is easy. At every shared tier the Odin 3 costs more, and the gap is $40 to $60.

Source: AYN's Thor page and Odin 3 page, read November 15, 2026. Every Thor tier except the Lite uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Every Odin 3 tier uses the same Dragonwing Q8. Both use UFS 3.1 storage on every tier.

The spec sheets, side by side

What AYN doesn't state, reviewers fill in. DROIX's Thor review measured the screens: the top is 1080×1920 and "supporting both 60 and 120Hz", and the bottom is 1080×1240 and "runs at a 60Hz refresh rate". DROIX also lists the Odin 3 with "60W Fast Charging" and an active cooling system. AYN names the Odin 3's chip only as "Qualcomm Dragonwing Q8"; Qualcomm's own Q-8750 page lists an Adreno 830 GPU for that part, and DROIX's review lists the Odin 3's processor as a Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Which is faster, the Thor or the Odin 3?

The Odin 3, on paper and in reviews. The Dragonwing Q8 is the newer design with an Adreno 830, a generation past the Thor's Adreno 740. Held Games (updated October 1, 2026) puts it bluntly: "The Odin 3 wins this outright."

The gap only matters at the top, though. Held Games says both devices handle PS2, GameCube and Wii, and the difference shows in "Switch emulation headroom, the heaviest PS2 titles at high upscales." It adds a fair caveat: at launch, the Odin 3 needed custom drivers for some Switch titles, while the Thor's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has a mature driver stack. Our Turnip driver guide shows the split: Eden's driver fetcher suggests a Turnip build for the Thor's Adreno 740 but a Qualcomm driver package for the Odin 3's Adreno 830.

For DS and 3DS, raw power isn't the deciding factor. DROIX reports that Azahar, the 3DS emulator, "also works great" on the Thor, with minor shader-cache stutter in a few games. What the Thor gives you is the layout: the bottom screen sits where a 3DS's touchscreen sat. Our Azahar 3DS setup guide covers how to put each screen on its own panel. For what each chip can handle system by system, see our chip-by-chip guide to retro handhelds.

Battery and comfort: where the Odin 3 pulls ahead

AYN lists the Odin 3 at 8,000mAh and the Thor at 6,000mAh. That's a third more battery for the Odin 3, though the faster chip can use it up. DROIX ran the same stress test on both (AnTuTu on a loop, full brightness, High Performance mode), and the numbers aren't a like-for-like play-time figure:

That's a worst case, not what you'll see playing SNES or DS games. Lighter emulation runs much longer on both. The point is that a bigger battery doesn't automatically mean a longer session when the chip is also hungrier.

Comfort is the other clear Odin 3 win. AYN lists an "Ergonomic Grip" on the Odin 3 page. Held Games says of the Thor: "The Thor has no grips at all, and its corners dig in during long play, so a grip case is close to mandatory." The Thor folds shut, though, which protects both screens in a bag.

What about the Thor Lite, the Retroid Pocket Duo and the Anbernic RG DS?

People often ask which has the best overall performance: the AYN Thor Lite, the Retroid Pocket Duo or the Anbernic RG DS. On the chips alone, ranked by what each maker lists (inference from the parts lists, not a benchmark we ran):

1. Retroid Pocket Duo ($269): Dragonwing Q-7790 with an Adreno 722, the newest design of the three, plus two 120Hz AMOLEDs and a bigger 4.5-inch bottom screen (Retroid's store, read Nov 15, 2026).
2. AYN Thor Lite ($259): Snapdragon 865, Qualcomm's 2020 flagship, with the same two AMOLED screens as the other Thor models.
3. Anbernic RG DS ($94.99 to $109.99): a quad-core Cortex-A55 Rockchip RK3568 with a Mali G52 and 3GB of RAM, on two 4-inch 640×480 IPS screens (Anbernic's store, read Nov 15, 2026). It's a DS-first device.

The full head-to-head is in Retroid Pocket Duo vs AYN Thor, the whole two-screen field (Duo, Thor, RG DS, AYANEO Pocket DS) is in the best dual-screen handheld for DS and 3DS, and whether the cheap Anbernic can manage 3DS gets its own answer: can the Anbernic RG DS play 3DS?

There's also a third AYN. The Odin3 Portal puts the Odin 3's Dragonwing Q8 behind a 7-inch 120Hz AMOLED with a 9,000mAh battery, at 450g, from $399 (12GB/128GB) to $669 (16GB/1TB). AYN says "Shipping starts in early November" (read Nov 15, 2026). It's for buyers who want a bigger single screen and don't mind the weight.

Where to buy, and what to add

AYN sells the Thor and Odin 3 from its own store, as pre-orders. Both product pages still say their batch "pre-order shipping starts in August", text that hasn't been updated since summer, so treat it as a sign the batch is already shipping rather than a firm date. AYN says the Odin 3 pre-order comes with a free TPU cover. Neither AYN page lists Amazon, and third-party listings have carried big markups on AYN devices before (we found a Thor Max listed $289.95 over AYN's price in September, see Retroid Pocket Duo vs AYN Thor), so check AYN's price first.

If you'd rather skip the pre-order wait and one screen is fine, the nearest option on Amazon is Retroid's single-screen Pocket 6, with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 class chip as the Thor. Our Retroid Pocket 6 gadget page has the details. If it's the Thor you're weighing it against, see Retroid Pocket 6 vs AYN Thor.

If one screen is enough and you don't want to wait

Retroid Pocket 6

Retroid's single-screen handheld with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 class chip as the AYN Thor, a 5.5-inch 1080p 120Hz AMOLED and active cooling. It is sold on Amazon in the US. Compare with Retroid's own store before you buy.

Best for: GameCube, PS2 and Switch headroom without an AYN pre-order, when you don't need a second screen.

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Whichever AYN you buy

Samsung PRO Plus microSDXC card

The one add-on either handheld needs: a fast microSD card for your game library, so the built-in storage stays free for apps and saves. It also makes the 128GB Base tier a lot more usable.

Best for: anyone keeping more than a handful of PS2, GameCube or 3DS games on the device.

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Our pick, by what you'll play

• DS and 3DS are a big part of your library: AYN Thor Base ($329) or Pro ($409). Held Games calls the Thor "irreplaceable for the people it is for."
• Mostly PS2, GameCube, Wii and Switch, one screen is fine: AYN Odin 3 Base ($369) or Pro ($469).
• Most storage for the money: Thor Max 16GB/512GB ($479), $50 under the Odin 3 Max.
• Tight budget but you want two screens: Retroid Pocket Duo ($269) before the Thor Lite ($259), for the newer chip and bigger bottom screen.
• Not sure you need an AYN at all: our best retro handheld guide compares the Odin 3 with the Retroid Pocket 6, the Odin 2 Portal and Anbernic.

Whichever you buy, the software matters as much as the chip. The best emulator for every console lists what to install first, and is emulation legal? covers the ground rules: play games you own.