The AYANEO Pocket EVO ($389–$799, released November 2024) and the Steam Deck ($399–$649, released February 2022) are both high-end horizontal handhelds at similar price points, but they pull in different directions. The Pocket EVO runs Android 13 on a Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 and can emulate up to Nintendo Switch, making it a strong pick for players focused on emulation. The Steam Deck runs SteamOS on AMD Aerith silicon, tops out at Wii U emulation, and is built primarily around its native Steam library — the better fit for PC gaming on the go.
| AYANEO Pocket EVO | Steam Deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $389–$799 | $399–$649 |
| Brand | AYANEO | Valve |
| Released | 2024 / 11 | 2022 / 02 |
| Type | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| OS | Android 13 | SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc |
| Performance | ||
| Chip (SoC) | Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 | AMD Aerith / Van Gogh |
| CPU | Qualcomm Kryo Prime Ultra | AMD Zen 2 |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno A32 | AMD RDNA 2 |
| RAM | 8 GB / 12 GB / 16 GB / 24 GB LPDDR5X (8533 MT/s) | 16 GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | Internal 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB, External MicroSD | Internal 64 GB eMMC or 256/512 GB NVMe SSD, External MicroSD |
| Cooling | Heatsink Fan Ventilation cutouts | Heatsink Fan Ventilation cutouts |
| Power tier | High-end | High-end |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 7.0 inch | 7.0 inch |
| Screen type | OLED Touchscreen | LCD Touchscreen |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 800 |
| Refresh rate | 165 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 314.7 PPI | 215.63 PPI |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | 16:10 |
| Body & battery | ||
| Battery | 8600 mAh | 40 Wh |
| Weight | 478 grams | 674 grams |
| Dimensions | 260.5 mm x 100 mm x 17 - 33.9 mm | 298 mm x 117 mm x 49 mm |
| Shell | Plastic | Plastic |
| Colors | Black, White shown in teasers | Black |
| Ports & connectivity | ||
| Wireless | WiFi (#?), Bluetooth (#?) | WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Video out | USB-C video out Bottom facing | USB-C video out |
| Charging port | USB-C Bottom facing | USB-C Top facing |
| Audio out | USB-C audio out Bottom facing | 3.5mm Headphone, USB-C out, Bluetooth audio |
| Speakers | Dual Stereo Bottom facing | Dual Stereo Front facing |
| AYANEO Pocket EVO | Steam Deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Game Boy / Color | A | A |
| NES | A | A |
| Genesis / Mega Drive | A | A |
| Game Boy Advance | A | A |
| SNES | A | A |
| PlayStation 1 | A | A |
| Nintendo DS | A | A |
| Nintendo 64 | A | A |
| Dreamcast | A | A |
| PSP | A | A |
| Sega Saturn | A | A |
| GameCube | A | A |
| Nintendo 3DS | A | A |
| Nintendo Wii | A | A |
| PlayStation 2 | A | A |
| Switch | A | B+ |
| Wii U | C+ | A |
| PlayStation 3 | — | C- |
Bottom line: The AYANEO Pocket EVO is the cheaper option at $389–$799.
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