Android gaming handhelds take another hit as Thor, Odin 3 make more spec sacrifices

It’s been a tough start to the year for Android gaming handheld companies, and there’s no sign of the pain abating. The likes of AYN have already implemented a series of price increases to its Odin 3 and Thor devices due to ballooning component fees. Now, the company has been forced to downgrade the specs of these devices as well.

Per an update issued by the company Thursday via Discord, the next production batch of Odin 3 and Thor models (batch 7 and 6, respectively) will not receive UFS 4.0 storage due to “supply shortages and significant cost increases.” Instead, gamers will have to settle for UFS 3.1.

That’s a pretty notable performance downgrade, especially if you’re playing titles that are sensitive to read and write speeds. It could mean longer waits between loading screens, installations, updates, and saves, and could also affect handhelds’ overall power efficiency. Nevertheless, it’s clear that AYN’s hand was forced — UFS 4.0 “is no longer available at a sustainable level,” the company notes.

There is some semi-sweet news, though. The Thor is getting a new Max configuration, complete with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage for $469. This is priced lower than the 16GB/1TB model, which does see another price jump from $489 to $549. More bittersweet, then?

“We will be doing our best to maintain the existing pricing for the Thor Base and Pro models despite these challenges,” the company adds, noting that no other price increases are on the cards at the moment. This means that you shouldn’t need to reach deeper into your wallet if you order one of the cheaper model configurations through Odin 3 batch 7 and Thor batch 6 preorders, which will open “soon.”