AYN Loki Zero: Affordable Handheld Gaming PC

Overview

The AYN Loki Zero is an entry-level handheld gaming PC designed for emulation and light PC gaming. It features an AMD Athlon Silver 3050e processor (2 cores, 4 threads) with integrated Radeon RX Vega 3 graphics, a 6-inch 1920x1080 IPS touchscreen, and a 40.5Wh battery. The device runs an open-source operating system and includes active cooling, dual stereo speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Key Specs Highlights

• Processor: AMD Athlon Silver 3050e (1.4-2.8 GHz, 2C/4T)
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 (1.0 GHz)
• Memory: 4GB or 8GB DDR4
• Storage: 64GB eMMC internal, M.2 2230 NVMe SSD slot, MicroSD card support
• Display: 6.0-inch IPS touchscreen, 1920x1080, 60Hz, 367 PPI
• Battery: 40.5 Wh
• Connectivity: WiFi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C OTG, USB-C video output
• Audio: Dual stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Sensors: Gyroscope, hall-effect triggers and joysticks, microphone
• Cooling: Active fan with exhaust vent

Who It Is For

The Loki Zero is ideal for retro gaming enthusiasts who want to emulate GameCube and Wii games at mostly full speed, with some PlayStation 2 titles playable. It's also suitable for light PC gaming and as a portable media device. The open-source OS appeals to tinkerers and those who prefer Linux-based handhelds.

Buying Notes

The Loki Zero launched in August 2023 with a starting price of $249 for the 4GB RAM model (no SSD) and $284 for the 8GB RAM model with a 128GB SSD. It comes in white or black plastic casing. Note that the 4GB variant lacks an internal SSD, so you'll need to add your own M.2 drive or rely on the MicroSD slot. The device supports USB-C video output for connecting to external displays.