The newest gaming handheld from AYANEO pays tribute to the classic Game Boy Micro in an authentic way.

March 6, 2025 Android, News


What you need to know

  • AYANEO has officially announced the Pocket Micro Classic.
  • This Android gaming handheld is essentially the same as the Pocket Micro, minus the joysticks.
  • Pricing for the Micro Classic starts at $179, and shipping is expected to start in the “middle of April.”

Last year was a banner year for AYANEO, as the company released an onslaught of both Windows and Android handhelds. On the Android side, the Pocket DMG and Pocket Micro were easily two of the most intriguing handhelds that we’ve seen in recent memory.

And now, the Pocket Micro Classic gets even closer to imitating one of Nintendo’s classics. Basically, everything about the Pocket Micro and the Micro Classic is identical. This includes the Aluminum chassis, 3.5-inch IPS borderless display, and MediaTek Helio G99 SoC.

Classic Joystick-Free Design, Pure Experience: AYANEO Pocket MICRO Classic Officially Announced – YouTube
Classic Joystick-Free Design, Pure Experience: AYANEO Pocket MICRO Classic Officially Announced - YouTube


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In case it wasn’t obvious, the only key difference is that AYANEO ditched the dual joysticks from the Micro with its latest handheld. In doing so, it also appears to have moved the D-pad and ABXY buttons down slightly to help fill up some of the space.

With this change, the Pocket Micro Classic looks like the perfect modern successor to the original Game Boy Micro. This is especially true of the “Retro Gold” color, which features a gold front paired with a red CNC aluminum shell.

AYANEO Pocket Micro Classic in Retro Gold

(Image credit: AYANEO)

As for performance, well, it’ll be identical to the “regular” Pocket Micro. The Helio G99 is paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of expandable storage. Meanwhile, the 3.5-inch display, with its 960 x 480 resolution, offers perfect 4X upscaling for Game Boy Advance games.

Obviously, the Helio G99 is capable of playing games from systems that are far more powerful than the GBA. So what does that mean if you end up wanting to play PS1 games but don’t have a joystick? AYANEO claims you’ll be able to switch between the D-pad and left joystick mode by long-pressing the ST and = buttons found on the front bottom lip.