Before CES 2023, AYN Technology was preparing for the Loki Max handheld system. We first heard from the company in the last part of May when several variations of the Loki line were announced.
AYN begins presales on the Loki series to debut in the first and second quarters of 2023
Prices range from $299 to $759, but then information drops off. In September 2023, the company unveiled the Loki Max PCB board to be used in the premium handheld from AYN. A few days later, the company unveiled “possible” internals being tested for the new systems, and then it was October when they discussed the LCD screens. Finally, the year ended with the “Loki interface introduction,” which the company followed with opening presales for first and second-quarter shipments of the Loki series.
Now that we have plenty of information, we can see how AYN plans to compete with Valve, AYANEO, One-Netbook, and more. First, let’s find out what is coming from AYN in the following months with their Loki series. The AYN Loki series is comprised of the:
- Loki (three variants — (128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB models, all with an AMD Ryzen 6600U CPU)
- Loki Mini (AMD Mendocino 7220U processor)
- Loki Mini Pro (AMD Mendocino 7320U and Intel Alder Lake-U variants)
- Loki Zero (AMD Athlon Silver 3050e CPU)
- Loki Max (AMD Ryzen 6800U)
AYN Loki
The Loki series features the AMD Ryzen 6800U processor with an M.2 2230 solid-state drive in three memory options listed above and a choice of either 8 to 16 GB LPDDR5 6400 MHz memory (depending on the model). AYN does advertise that the internal storage is upgradable but only goes into a bit of detail about the total amount that can be added internally. The graphics are brought to you by the AMD Radeon 660M graphics.
The company does mention that there is a MicroSD slot, and from what I have seen on the official Discord, some users have used a full 1 TB card for games and applications. The display is a 6-inch LCD IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 180. In the wireless connectivity department, it offers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Physical ports available for users are a USB 4.0 port, one DisplayPort that will produce 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The battery is rated at 40.5 Wh, which, calculated out, could be the standard for up to four hours of gameplay. The company has added RGB LEDs, controller support and M1/M2, Hall Sensor analog triggers, and an internal gyroscope. The system is cooled through top vents that push air out and a section on the back to bring in ambient air to cool. The Loki comes in white and black colorways.
AYN Loki Mini
The AYN Loki Mini offers the AMD Mendocino 7220U processor and an unknown RDNA 2 graphics processor. For memory, it offers an 8 GB dual-channel LPDDR5 6400 MHz memory. A 128 GB NVMe M.2 2230 SSD is the only option for this model, with the capability of adding a MicroSD card. It offers an identical display as the regular Loki model same wireless features (except for Wi-Fi 6, a USB 3.2 port, DisplayPort, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The battery is only 26.5 Wh, placing this as the entry system for most of the Loki series. Lastly, the system offers RGB LEDs and the same controller support as the standard Loki model. The AYN Loki Mini only comes in black.
AYN Loki Mini Pro
The Loki Mini Pro gives users two options: an Intel Alder Lake U processor, Pentium 8505, or the AMD Mendocino 7320U processor. The Intel model offers integrated graphics, while the AMD version guarantees an AMD RDNA 2 processor. The most significant difference outside of what I have already mentioned is the battery, which is a 40.5 Wh battery with the option to upgrade the processor to an Intel i3-1215U and 46.2 Wh battery and memory to 16GB LPDDR4X RAM on the system for $110 more. AMD does not get the same upgrade as the Intel model.
AYN Loki Zero
Only in an AMD flavor, the AYN Lok Zero offers the AMD Athlon Silver 3050e processor with Radeon Graphics, 4GB DDR4-2400 with one SODIMM slot, 64 GB eMMC and a 32GB MicroSD, and a resolution downgrade to 1280 x 720 and an LCD screen. Wi-Fi 5.0 is the only option, and Bluetooth 4.2 is a downgrade to this system. Everything else is shared along the remainder of the line. This is the alternative entry system to the Loki Mini.
AYN Loki Max
This system offers users a Zen 3+ 6800U processor, an M.2 SSD, Bluetooth 5.2, USB 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, three storage options ranging between 128 GB to 512 GB, and the choice of an 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR5 6400 MHz memory. The operating system supports both Windows and Ubuntu. Lastly, the system has DisplayPort functionality and USB4.0. This model comes in black or white options.
Pricing and Availability
- AYN Loki: $649, available Q1
- AYN Loki Mini: $260, available Q2
- AYN Loki Mini Pro: Intel model starts at $279; the AMD model is $299, available Q2
- AYN Loki Zero: $249, available Q2
- AYN Loki Max: $775, date TBD
Anyone interested in checking out the Loki line or the previous Odin system should head over to AYN’s official website.
News Source: AYN
