What if the Game Boy launched in 2024 instead of 1989? The AYANEO Pocket DMG isn't a dream and you can pre-order it now

PC gaming handhelds have been all the rage since the Asus ROG Ally first dropped in 2023, but before the Ally and before the Nintendo Switch, there was the Game Boy. The original Game Boy launched in 1989, but what if it didn't? What if it launched in 2024 instead? Let me introduce you to the AYANEO Pocket DMG.

This Game Boy-like device is a new take on the old handheld gaming design philosophy. AYANEO is packing modern specs, including a shiny OLED display, into a system that supports the classic two-button and D-pad design. Now add two more buttons, a joystick and a touchpad. Yeah, AYANEO is not playing around with modernizing the Game Boy.

Interested? Here's everything we know about the AYANEO Pocket DMG so far.

AYANEO Pocket DMG: Price and release date

Unlike many vaporware products in the industry, the AYANEO Pocket DMG has an actual release date — well, at least a window. It is set to launch sometime in October 2024.

Regarding the price, you might want to hop on AYANEO's Indiegogo page now. AYANEO is offering over $100 in discounts on each configuration of the AYANEO Pocket DMG. Right now, the configurations and prices are listed as such:

• AYANEO Pocket DMG - 8GB + 128GB = $339 ($449)
• AYANEO Pocket DMG - 12GB + 256GB = $419 ($529)
• AYANEO Pocket DMG - 16GB + 512GB = $499 ($609)
• AYANEO Pocket DMG - 16GB + 1TB = $589 ($699)

Those prices are pretty steep, especially considering handhelds like the Nintendo Switch cost $299. 

However, remember that the AYANEO Pocket DMG runs on Android, so it's a lot more versatile than the Switch.

AYANEO Pocket DMG: Design

The AYANEO Pocket DMG gets me frothing at the mouth because of the nostalgic design, the improvements, and the maintained portability of something so iconic. 

You have the basics: four face buttons and a four-directional pad. Adding the joystick is a boon, and the touchpad to its right is a next-level innovation. 

The AYANEO Pocket DMG's back makes it all the more exciting. There are a pair of shoulder buttons tucked away in the center, just below the circular vent. Between them seems to be another button that acts as two inputs, the equivalent of an L2 and R2 buttons.

There's a lot going on around the sides as well. On the left there's a volume rocker which you can assign to different functions based on your needs. The left and right also feature customizable buttons for four inputs.

So, how portable is it exactly? Well, it weighs 0.61 pounds and measures 3.6 x 5.94 x 0.590.88 inches. It's a small baby boy, and I love him.

There's a USB Type-C port and a microSD card slot for ports.

AYANEO Pocket DMG: Specs

I was originally worried that we'd get out-of-date specs in this shiny new product, but AYANEO is packing in the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, which officially debuts in AYANEO's Pocket S Android gaming handheld this month. Since it's so new, we don't know how it'll perform.

Despite that, we do know what its display will look like. With a 3.92-inch, 1240 x 1080, 419 PPI OLED display, the AYANEO Pocket DMG features quite the sharp panel for a screen so small. AYANEO also claims that it'll get up to 500 nits of brightness and cover 104% of the NTSC color gamut, which is a wider color range than traditional sRGB.

AYANEO doesn't claim any battery life numbers, instead stating that its 6000mAh battery "guarantees long battery life." Considering the Nintendo Switch features a 4310mAh battery, it'd be nice to have a handheld gaming device last longer than the ~3 hours I usually get with my Switch.

AYANEO Pocket DMG: What can we play?

I'm so excited to see what the AYANEO Pocket DMG looks like in action. It's pretty darn steep, even at its lowest price ($339). But given that this is an Android device, the potential is seemingly infinite. You're not getting any original games from AYANEO like you would a Nintendo console, but you have the vast selection of the Google Play Store.

Don't even get me started with how many retro games have already been ported to the Play Store. I've been slowly but surely working my way through the Dragon Quest games (I'm on IV right now). But that experience will no doubt be enhanced by the AYANEO Pocket DMG.

Physical buttons will always trump a touchscreen. To top it off, imagine playing Xbox cloud games on the AYANEO Pocket DMG. You won't have to deal with a miserable touchscreen and won't need to drag out an entire Xbox controller. With the AYANEO Pocket DMG's Wi-Fi 7 you'll also get a reliable, speedy connection, so you don't have to worry about any lag (more than normal that is).

I cannot wait to see how the AYANEO Pocket DMG feels to play, so stay tuned, and you might see me flaunting it around.