AYANEO Pocket ACE Funding Campaign Launched, Exceeds Target by Over 1,000%
Retro gaming device company AYANEO has now released the Pocket ACE for retail, thanks to a funding campaign that, while technically still ongoing, quickly smashed through its target goal. Orders will start shipping by the end of May, 2025.
AYANEO launched the Pocket ACE campaign on crowd-funding platform Indiegogo on April 28, 2025, and at the time of writing had already exceeded the initial goal of $6,700 by over a staggering $94,560. Over 200 backers have pledged so far, and with 54 days still left in the campaign, this number, and the overall funding, is only set to increase.
“The device debuts the 0916B surge linear motor, immersive vibration feedback, along with Medium Hall-effect joysticks and Master controller for smooth, precise control,” AYANEO said in an official post on its website. “Enhanced by AYANEO’s Android software ecosystem, the Pocket ACE provides gamers with seamless access to retro games, high-end mobile games, and streaming games – all in one compact powerhouse.”
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Retro Games in The Palm of Your Hand
AYANEO has long had a reputation as a company run by gamers for gamers, and its devices all play into this idea. From retro-styled handhelds to mini PCs, each device comes with AYASpace, proprietary software that lets users download classic games as well as modern titles.
The Pocket ACE has this, and classic style to spare. However, it still needs to do something to make it stand out not just from its sibling products but other companies’ handhelds. It does this primarily through the surge motor, that offers currently unparalleled haptic feedback, alongside a 4.5-inch borderless screen with 1620×1080 resolution and 3:2 IPS True-Tone display.
The Pocket ACE features a Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 chipset, so a wide variety of games can run without issues, and users can switch between five different performance modes to get the most out of the screen display and battery life, as well as game graphics.
“The AYANEO Pocket ACE also features an ultra-fast LPDDR5X + UFS 4.0 combo, paired with the powerful Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 gaming platform. Whether it’s high-resolution GBA games, 4X upscaled PS2 titles, modern 3D Android mobile games, or streaming games, this pocket-sized beast handles them all with ease.”
Modern Titles, Retro Design
Gamers who back the Pocket ACE can get their hands on a special deluxe version that includes an exclusive face button replacement, and protective case. Although, these are also available separately. In terms of looks, there’s a red-tinged Shadow Dance Black color scheme, Light Blade White, and 1980s beige Retro Power to choose from.
Gamers who like to play on the go should be happy to know that the Pocket ACE encourages this through a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port supporting DP 1.4 video output, a Micro SD card slot, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.3 capabilities.
The last bit of good news for gamers is that AYANEO has collaborated with various developers to ensure that modern games like Diablo Immortal and PUBG Mobile run well on the Pocket ACE. The company hasn’t ignored retro fans, either, as it’s worked to refine open-source GPU drivers for emulators, including Winlator and Mobox.
