Android gaming handhelds suffer another blow as Thor, Odin 3 sacrifice more exclusivity

It’s been a tough start to the year for Android gaming handheld companies, and there’s no sign of the pain slowing down. Companies like AYN have already implemented a series of price increases on their Odin 3 and Thor devices due to the increase in component charges. Now, the company has been forced to downgrade the specs of these devices as well.

According to an update released by the company on Thursday through discordThe next production batches of Odin 3 and Thor models (batches 7 and 6 respectively) will not receive UFS 4.0 storage due to “supply constraints and significant cost increases”. Instead, gamers will have to settle for UFS 3.1.

This is quite a notable performance drop, especially if you’re playing titles that are sensitive to read and write speeds. This can mean longer waits between loading screens, installation, updates and saves and can also impact the overall power efficiency of the handheld. Still, it’s clear that AYN’s hand was forced — UFS 4.0 is “no longer available at a sustainable level,” the company notes.

However, there is some semi-sweet news. Thor is getting a new Max configuration, available with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage for $469. It costs less than the 16GB/1TB model, whose price has increased from $489 to $549. Then more sweet and sour?

The company added, “Despite these challenges, we will do our best to maintain current pricing for Thor base and Pro models.” This means that if you order one of the cheaper model configurations through the Odin 3 Batch 7 and Thor Batch 6 pre-order, you won’t need to reach too deep into your wallet, which will open “soon.”