The Ayn Odin 3 can't catch a break, as it's facing its third price hike since March this year. Not only will the base handheld now set you back just $30 less than the original Steam Deck, but the Max version now costs over $500.
Pricing is what helps contenders like the Ayn Odin 3 maintain their reign within specific best gaming handheld categories. However, the portable console maker has announced that all three of its models are increasing by $20 as of September 1. The gadget was already one of the pricier retro handhelds out there, but with prices about to start at $369, it feels like it has entered handheld PC territory.
In an unfortunate Ayn Discord update, the handheld maker's PR, Nicole, outlines price hikes for the Odin Base, Pro, and Max models. According to the post, the company is increasing prices in response to a "recent increase in Qualcomm chipset and DRAM/UFS costs", which were previously alluded to by Retroid back in July.
Specifically, the Odin Base will increase from $349 to $369, the Pro from $449 to $469, and the Max will jump from $499 to $529. Ayn says, "We've done our best to keep the adjustment as small as possible while absorbing part of the increased cost ourselves," while also advising, "If you've been planning to pick up an Odin 3, orders placed before September 1 will still receive the current pricing."
I can't help but feel like Valve's Steam Deck OLED MSRP increase has opened a Pandora's box of pricing pain for handhelds. Yes, the blame lies on the ravenous AI industry and its effect on components, fabrication, and manufacturing costs, but there's a trend of rivals, direct and indirect, now moving either into old Steam Deck price stomping grounds, or way above the 1TB model.
That said, the Ayn Odin 3 is a high-end retro handheld, and that's what makes price hikes sting a bit more. If you're not working on how to play PS2 games on the go, then top-end specs like a Qualcomm Dragonwing Q8 chipset and 8GB might be wasted on emulating retro consoles like the SNES or Mega Drive.
Portables like the Anbernic RG Cube will provide good performance headroom for those older systems for $169.98, and even then, you can absolutely get away with using even the cheap and cheerful RG28XX for under $50. If you are aiming for a full Steam Deck-style powerhouse for PS2 games, though, you will need to brace yourself for unfortunate price tags this year.
Swing by the best retro controllers for authentic feeling gamepads with shiny new features.
