What you need to know
- Almost a month after first announcing the Pocket DS, AYANEO has revealed pricing and some additional features.
- These features include three-finger gestures to move content between the two screens, along with a new launcher experience.
- Pre-orders are now available through Indiegogo starting at $399, and topping out at $640.
During a livestream, pricing for the AYANEO Pocket DS was officially revealed, along with launch of the Indiegogo campaign. It's been a couple of weeks since the Pocket DS was first announced, but in true AYANEO fashion, we didn't know the price until today.
So without further delay, here's what the Pocket DS will set you back, depending on the configuration:
AYANEO Pocket DS Model |
IGG Early Bird |
Retail Price |
|---|---|---|
8GB/128GB (Shadow Black) |
$399 |
$519 |
12GB/256GB (Shadow Black) |
$439 |
$559 |
16GB/512GB (Shadow Black) |
$499 |
$619 |
16GB/1TB (Starry Yellow) |
$599 |
$719 |
16GB/1TB (Retro Gray) |
$639 |
$759 |
Shortly after the price was announced, the Pocket DS Indiegogo campaign went live, meaning you can get your pre-orders in now. According to AYANEO, shipping is set to commence sometime in October, provided there aren't any delays or issues in production.
Speaking of which, AYANEO also shared a bit more in regards to how it plans to ship the Pocket DS. Essentially, the company is going from "high to low," shipping the 16GB/1TB models first, before making their way to the lower tier configurations. This doesn't come as much of a surprise, but at least we have a better explanation as opposed to being kept in the dark.
Welcome software changes
Seeing as the Pocket DS is the first dual-screen gaming handheld, AYANEO is taking the opportunity to try and get things right from top to bottom. During the livestream, the company detailed a few software tweaks and changes that are in development in order to fully maximize having a dual-screened device.
The first of which is utilizing a three-finger gesture to move content from one screen to the other. This should remove a lot of potential headaches when you're trying to get your screen layout setup just the way you want. Helping with this, the Pocket DS will have three "Dual-Screen Modes" baked into the software; Independent Display, Main Screen Only, and Second Screen Only.
Beyond that, there's a new AYANEO DS Launcher that's also in development. Current AYANEO handhelds have the "AYASpace" launcher, which mostly works fine, but obviously isn't optimized for a dual-screen handheld.
That said, the new DS Launcher has some obvious features like an App Drawer and Card-Style multitasking. But AYANEO is also adding the ability to quickly control the second screen with a bar similar to what you'll find on foldable phones. Plus, the Quick Control Center and Quick Settings are both being revamped with relevant settings and feature options.
"One More Thing"
That wasn't everything that AYANEO shared during the livestream, as the company had "One More Thing" to show off, and that's a third color option. Initially, the Pocket DS was slated to come in "Shadow Black" and "Starry Yellow," but there's also now a limited edition "Retro Gray" added to the mix.
The Retro Gray is inspired by the likes of the NES and Game Boy with its matte gray finish and DMG-colored buttons. Besides that (and a higher price tag), it's exactly the same as the other models, but with a catch.
As is the case with the Starry Yellow, the Retro Gray is only available in the 16GB/1TB configuration. AYANEO has a tendency of paywalling its retro-inspired color options, as we've seen with the AYANEO Pocket DMG, Pocket EVO, and other gaming handhelds.
Consider us hyped
As someone who loves foldable phones and the form factor, the AYANEO Pocket DS will fit quite nicely as part of my daily carry. The wait to for being able to pre-order one is finally over, and there's even a new color option to choose from ahead of its October release.
