The Steam Deck and the Ayn Odin Pro are the two consoles that everyone has on their radar right now. Two consoles, each a behemoth in its own right compared to other options, provide excellent emulation performance.

What is superior? The answer to that question is a nightmare. We would be finished in five minutes, with Ayn performing a champion lap if this were a straightforward comparison between the Odin Pro and a device like the Powkiddy RGB20S or even the Retroid Pocket 2+. But things become a little trickier when you have two essential systems. Let’s get started and determine which handheld will win, considering this.

Odin Ayn

The second item on this list is another non-PC product, but it is still a handheld gaming device with a similar design to the Steam Deck. An Android gadget with a lot of potential and affordable costs across the board is the Ayn Odin. It has a 64GB onboard storage device, an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, and 4GB of LDDP4 RAM (128GB on the Pro model). The 6-inch touchscreen uses a lot less power than the Steam Deck, but it has a greater resolution (1,920 by 1,080 vs. 1280 by 800 on the Steam Deck screen).

Ayn Odin vs. Steam Deck

Two of the best portable gaming consoles lately introduced to the market are the Steam Deck and Ayn Odin. To assist you in making a wise purchase decision, we compare them side by side to decide which comes out on top.

Does AYN Odin support Steam?

Steam Link, which enables users to connect to a computer running Steam, can run Steam on the Odin. Users must have a PC that is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as their Odin device, though.

Installing Windows OS on the Odin device is another option. Users can download and install steam on Windows on Odin and should be able to access their games with no problems.

What can be emulated by the Steam Deck?

I was amazed at how much Steam Deck can do when doing research for my retro gaming website, Retro resolve. This device can run more modern retro systems as well, such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Now, there is a warning attached to this. Not every game will operate with perfect precision. There are simply too many games to test them all, even if that is a given with emulators. Despite this, there is sufficient compatibility to claim that the possibility is real. The ability to employ emulator parameters to boost makes emulation on the Steam Deck so fantastic.

What is the Odin Pro able to mimic?

It should go without saying that using the Odin Pro to play PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 games is doubtful. Is that relevant? Not too much for the price.

A specific demographic is the target market for the Odin Pro. Someone who simply wants a cool device to play old-school video games, not the newest, most advanced technology. The Odin Pro is a breath of fresh air in a market where it seems like every product employs the same RK3326 chipset.

What then does the Odin Pro emulate? Unexpectedly a lot. On older consoles like the SNES and N64, you’ll be able to run all the exciting stuff like innovative shades, upscale resolution, and wide-screen hacks.

Even with the Odin Pro’s impressive specs, there comes a time when it must stop working. A nice illustration of when the Odin Pro falters is PlayStation 2. Some games will run with no problems at all, but as they get more difficult, you can feel the impact.

I must emphasize that the Odin Pro is not an inferior product despite what I just said. For what’s workable at this pricing point, the console itself is a genuine revelation. Just remember that when comparing high-end technology to even higher-end technology, one system will always appear weaker on paper.

• Sega: Dream cast, Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, SegaCD, and Sega32x
• NES, SNES, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, DS, 3DS, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch are all Nintendo systems.
• PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable are brands of Sony.
• Other: Neo Geo, PC Engine, Wonderswan, Mame, and FBNeo

Performance

Both are excellent at streaming, but the Steam Deck excels at emulation and running games with higher system requirements.

The Steam Deck outperforms the AYN Odin in terms of performance because it has superior hardware. At least for Deck-verified AAA titles, the Steam Deck can smoothly execute them at 30 frames per second. Most Android games will operate on the AYN Odin, but there are smartphones with superior SoCs that will run these Android games more effectively.

Since the Steam Deck can imitate select PS3 games, it also provides improved performance for emulation. The AYN Odin Pro, in contrast, can only replicate PS2 titles and certain games from the GameCube and Wii eras. Since it can only simulate games from the PS1 and Dream cast eras, the Lite model is much more constrained‌.

Since game streaming doesn’t require a lot of hardware, the two offer comparable performance. Because of its smaller size, the AYN Odin is more portable, yet the Steam Deck’s larger screen results in a more immersive experience. The AYN Odin’s battery life ranges from 4 to 7 hours, depending on your use. In contrast, the Steam Deck lasts for 2 to 8 hours.

Odin vs. Steam Deck: Which Is Better?

In summary, the Steam Deck is the preferable choice for most consumers. Your wants and choices matter. The Steam Deck is the ideal option if you want to have the best gaming experience. The Odin, though, might be a better option if you’re on a tight budget or you like niche video games. The Odin is still a terrific option if you will forego the superior support and functionality of the Steam Deck, but ultimately, the Steam Deck is incomparable.