2026-04-13

AYANEO Announces Price Hikes Due to Rising Component Costs; Retroid Adds New Colors Using Surplus Parts

The portable gaming PC and retro handheld market in early April 2026 is being overshadowed by a severe surge in memory and storage prices. AYANEO has announced price increases and the discontinuation of several models, while Retroid has added new colors to an existing device by repurposing parts from a discontinued model. On the software side, there is positive news, including a dramatic performance boost for the PS3 emulator 'RPCS3'.

AYANEO Announces Price Hikes and Discontinuation for Multiple Models Due to Rising Component Costs

The portable gaming PC market is facing a severe wave of rising prices for memory and storage components. AYANEO has announced via its official Discord and other channels that it will discontinue several currently available models once stock runs out and will implement price increases in the near future.

Affected models include the Android handhelds 'Pocket Vert' and 'Pocket S Mini', as well as the 'AM03' and 'AM01S' mini PCs. The 16GB RAM model of the Pocket S Mini has already been discontinued, and the Pocket Vert (priced at $269 for the 8GB+128GB version and $349 for the 12GB+256GB version) is expected to see price hikes or discontinuation once current inventory is depleted.

Additionally, the 16GB/1TB version of the new Windows-based 'KONKR Pocket Fit' has seen a price increase of up to $130, making it more expensive than its competitor, the AYN 'Odin 3 Max' ($489), which has become a topic of discussion in the community. In late March, AYANEO also paused pre-orders for its high-end 'Next 2' model on its crowdfunding campaign, citing worsening profitability due to component costs, indicating a difficult market environment regardless of manufacturer size.

Retroid Pocket 5 Gets New Colors, Reusing Shells from the Short-lived 'G2'

Android handheld manufacturer Retroid has added 'Yellow' and 'Turquoise' as new color variations for the 'Retroid Pocket 5'. The price remains unchanged at $199.

These new colors were originally intended for the sibling device 'Retroid Pocket G2', which was released in October 2025. The Pocket G2, which featured the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, was discontinued in March 2026—less than six months after its release—due to the aforementioned memory price surge. The newly added colors represent a repurposing of surplus shells for the Pocket 5 (equipped with the Snapdragon 865), which shares the same chassis design.

While some in the community expressed a desire for these to be sold separately as DIY replacement shells, this is a pragmatic move to utilize existing assets and increase options while maintaining prices amidst widespread component shortages. Notably, Retroid also appears to be struggling with cost adjustments, as the 12GB RAM model of its upcoming 'Pocket 6' has already been discontinued.

PS3 Emulator 'RPCS3' Improves Performance via CPU Optimization and Releases Updated 4K Requirements

While the hardware market struggles with high costs, there is bright news from the emulator development field. The development team for the PC-based PlayStation 3 emulator 'RPCS3' has reported a major breakthrough in processing the PS3's core Cell CPU (specifically the SPU).

This optimization reduces overall CPU overhead, benefiting all PC environments from low-end to high-end. In 'Twisted Metal', which is known for high SPU load, an average frame rate improvement of 5-7% has been confirmed.

Furthermore, the development team has released the latest system requirements for 2026. To run PS3 titles comfortably at 4K resolution with peak performance, the requirements specify an 'AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D' processor, a 'Radeon RX 7800 XT' or 'GeForce RTX 4070' graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. The previously complex requirements list has been streamlined, which has been highly praised by users for making it easier to compare with their own PC specs.

Leaks Suggest OnePlus is Developing a New 8-inch Android Handheld

Rumors have emerged, primarily on Chinese social media and Reddit communities, that smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is developing its own Android gaming handheld.

According to statements from prominent leakers Digital Chat Station and Panda is Bald, this unannounced device is expected to feature an 8-inch display and a flagship-class MediaTek Dimensity chip. Leaked design information suggests that, unlike typical retro gaming consoles, it will have a boxy body with purple grips, shoulder buttons on the top, and a rear camera, giving it the appearance of a hybrid between a smartphone and a handheld.

It is believed to be designed specifically for mobile games like FPS, with a focus on multi-touch responsiveness and high refresh rates. While this remains in the realm of leaks for now, if a major smartphone manufacturer enters the dedicated gaming device market in earnest, it could pose a significant threat to existing portable console manufacturers.