📰 New article from Retro Handhelds
AYN’s Latest Update Is… Not Looking Good
https://retrohandhelds.gg/ayns-latest-update-is-not-looking-good/
headlines say it all: Ayn’s latest update is… not looking good.
After a post-holiday break, developer Ayn dropped some sobering news about shipping delays and pricing shifts for their popular handhelds—the Odin 3 and Thor. Good news first: batches 3 (Thor) and 4 (Odin 3) are finally shipping next week, with early adopters already seeing tracking updates. New batches open March 1st and are expected to ship in April.
But here’s where it gets messy: AI is breaking hardware. The relentless AI boom has starved the market of RAM and storage, pushing manufacturers to prioritize corporate clients—and pocketbooks. As a result, Ayn is planning a price adjustment for the Thor (and likely the Odin 3) starting in April. No firm numbers yet, but given current scalping trends and component shortages, a $50 max increase seems plausible.
To put it in perspective: the Legion Go 2 just jumped to $1,350 with 32GB RAM, while Anbernic stripped the 34XXsp down to 1GB just to keep its price competitive. In this market, even “affordable” handhelds like the Thor ($309 direct) and Odin 3 ($329 direct) aren’t safe from the heat.
Bottom line? If you want one before prices climb—or stock runs out again—now’s the time to watch closely. 🛒💨