game consoles - Faz Business | فاز الأعمال

Odin and Thor handhelds are getting another price hike

Posted on June 29, 2026 by faz_business

TL;DR

AYN has announced that its Thor and Odin series handhelds are getting another price hike on Friday.
The Thor devices are now $10 to $30 more expensive, while the Odin 2 Portal and Odin 3 handhelds go up by $10.
The price increase goes into effect on Friday, so you still have a few days to act if you’re keen on these devices.

AYN is one of the more premium Android handheld brands out there, but it hasn’t been immune to the RAM crisis. The company previously announced price hikes early this year for some models, but it’s now revealed even more bad news.

AYN confirmed on Discord that the Thor, Odin 3, and Odin 2 Portal handhelds will all receive price increases on Friday (July 3). The firm explained that the Thor Lite, Base, Pro, and Max 512GB models will all receive $10 price hikes. Meanwhile, the Max 1TB model will go up by $30. Big oof. Check out the screenshot below for a look at current prices compared to the new prices.

A Discord message confirming price hikes for the Thor handhelds, as well as the Odin 2 Portal, and Odin 3 series.

This is at least the third time this year that AYN has increased the price of the Thor range. Most of these variants saw a $10 to $20 price hike back in January. The company then issued a $10 to $40 price increase in March. What’s particularly notable this time is that the $249 Lite model, which hadn’t received a price increase in 2026, has also seen a price hike.

The handheld maker isn’t stopping with its Thor devices, though. AYN says that pricing for all Odin 3 models and the Odin 2 Portal will increase by $10. This follows a $10 to $40 price hike for the Odin 3 series in March. The Odin 2 Portal increase is especially notable as it’s also managed to avoid higher prices this year.

This is a disappointing turn of events, but these price hikes are out of AYN’s control. AI companies have been buying up RAM and storage at a breakneck pace, resulting in supply shortages and skyrocketing component costs. So electronics manufacturers are forced to pass these higher costs on to consumers. At least AYN is giving a heads-up so anyone who really wants one of these handhelds can buy it at the cheaper price.

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.

This OLED handheld is great for PS2 games, and it just got a cheaper model

Posted on May 22, 2026 by faz_business

TL;DR

ANBERNIC has quietly released an 8GB/128GB version of the RG577 handheld.
This model is on sale for ~$229, making it ~$50 cheaper than the previously released 256GB option.
Expect a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 processor, an OLED screen, and a 5,500mAh battery.

The ANBERNIC RG557 launched last year, and it was the company’s most powerful Android handheld at the time. It’s still worth a look in 2026, albeit with a few caveats. However, there’s good news if pricing was your biggest concern.

ANBERNIC quietly announced (h/t: r/ANBERNIC) that the RG577 is now available in an 8GB/128GB variant. This joins the 12GB/256GB option which has been available since launch.

Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?

The 8GB/128GB RG577 has a recommended retail price (RRP) of $249.99, but it’s currently being sold on ANBERNIC’s website for $229.02. By contrast, the 256GB model has a $299.99 RRP but is currently available for $279.02.

In any event, you’re getting some good specs for the price. It has the same MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset as the well-received RG477M, which means you’ve got plenty of horsepower for PS2 and GameCube emulation. However, the Mali GPU means you might struggle with PC and Switch emulation. It also stands out by offering a 5.48-inch OLED screen instead of the RG477M’s 4.7-inch LCD panel. Other notable specs include a 5,500mAh battery, 27W wired charging, a microSD card slot, Hall Effect triggers, and a 3.5mm port.

In saying so, the RG577 faces stiff competition from rivals like the Retroid Pocket 5 and 6, as well as the AYN Thor and Odin 2 Portal. These handhelds all have OLED screens and Snapdragon chipsets. Furthermore, some users have criticized the RG577 for its cheap materials and small analog sticks. Nevertheless, ANBERNIC’s 128GB device still warrants a look if you want a capable Android handheld without breaching the $250 mark.

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.

Save $150 on the ASUS ROG Ally with AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme

Posted on January 18, 2025 by faz_business

Nick Fernandez / Android Authority

Gaming handhelds are getting very good, and the ASUS ROG Ally is one of the most popular ones. If you’ve been looking to get yourself one of these, the higher-end model with the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor is on sale, saving you $150. This slashes the cost to $499.99.

Get the ASUS ROG Ally with AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme for just $499.99

This offer is available from Best Buy. The discount applies to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme version, which has 512GB of storage.

ASUS ROG Ally (AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme)

Take your Windows gaming experience on the road

Looking for a solid alternative to the Switch? Look no further, the ASUS ROG Ally is a powerful handheld gaming computer, with a 7-inch display, built-in gaming controls, and the ability to connect to your TV and remote controllers for a portable console experience.

If you were to ask us, our favorite current handheld gaming console is the Lenovo Legion Go. That said, there are no good deals for that model. You can save yourself a really nice chunk of cash by going with this ASUS ROG Ally deal, and it is still a fantastic gaming device.

This handheld console can be taken anywhere you go, and you can play for about 1-2 hours unplugged when running demanding games. The battery life may not be impressive, but keep in mind you are running PC-quality games with this.

It runs Windows 11, so you can play all your favorite PC games with it. This means it supports pretty much all PC gaming platforms, such as Steam, Epic Games Store, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and more. You could even use it for general computer tasks, like writing documents, checking emails, editing, etc.

Nick Fernandez / Android Authority

It helps this is the most potent version of the ASUS Rog Ally, with an AMD Ryzen Z1 extreme processor. It is very capable, with the ability to run 2.8 teraflops of processing power. It also gets 16GB of DDR5 RAM, which is in line with full-sized laptops.

The unit has built-in gaming controls and pretty nice ergonomics, so it will be a pleasure for on-the-go gaming. The display is actually pretty nice, too. You get a 7-inch display with a Full HD resolution and 500-nit brightness. The max refresh rate is 120Hz, which is pretty smooth. And it can go as low as 30Hz to conserve battery when not displaying high frame rates.

Some may not be happy with the 512GB of storage, but it does come with a microSD card slot, so you can easily expand. There’s also a 3.5mm headset jack and a USB-C port, which also works with ASUS’ proprietary XG docking solution.

You might want to act quickly. These handheld console deals don’t come frequently, and at $499.99, you’re pretty much getting a free upgrade to the higher-end model. The base AMD Ryzen Z1 model is also $499.99. Catch this deal before it disappears!