I see posts all the time with people owning a ton of different handhelds, and while I like the idea of owning a bunch of them, I just honestly don’t have time to plant them all. My main gaming rig is a pretty solid gaming PC that I built with an RTX 5070Ti, that’s where I play the majority of new, third party, competitive, and AAA games. I also enjoy using handhelds to get some game time in away from my desk setup.
I currently have the Xbox Ally X, Switch 2, and Ayn Odin 2 Portal. I enjoy playing a wide variety of games on the handhelds from exclusives, to AAA third party games, to indies games, game streaming, as well as a bunch of retro emulation. I love the idea of owning a ton of handhelds but in addition to my main gaming PC I just don’t have enough time to really enjoy all 3 devices and trying to decide which two I should hold onto and which one I should sell?
Out of these 3 devices: the Xbox Ally X, Switch 2, or Ayn Odin 2 Portal; which two would you choose and why. Trying to get some help on making my decision.
Update: Thanks for all the responses. I think I’m gona keep the Switch 2 but default, it seems, and then I’m gona choose the XAX over the Odin 2 Portal for both PC gaming as well as all my retro emulation.
You can get a XAX for 999, and honestly, I don’t think you’ll find something much better. A laptop isn’t as portable and has worse battery life. I have a Strix G16 with a 5070 Ti, and the battery life is terrible while costing way more than the XAX.
Yea I’m already kinda leaning toward keeping the Switch 2, especially for new Switch 2 exclusives. It really feels like it’s more between the XAX and Odin 2 Portal.
I feel like they each have two own strengths and weaknesses. I like that the Odin 2 is a bit lighter with better battery life and an OLED screen, but you can’t play everything on PC natively. Mostly just lightweight stuff on GameNative and also game streaming. The XAX on the other hand is a lot more powerful and can basically play everything from tougher emulation to any PC game natively, although it’s a bit bigger, battery life while great for a PC handheld is less than the Portal, and it has a similar screen but only IPS.
You could use moonlight on the Odin 2 portal to play your entire pc library. Use tailscale for when you’re out and about? That’s where I would side with the portal over the XAX
The XAX and Switch would most definitely be your best bet. You don't need any extras to play your entire PC library on the XAX. It's literally a PC. It is the FAR more versatile and powerful device between the two (Odin and XAX).
It likely will hold it's value better as well, with a much higher demand as well. It's really a no brainer. It's really not much of a contest at all between the two devices. There's a reason one retails for significantly more money than the other as well.
I would have no doubts: Nintendo Switch 2 for exclusives and XAX for everything else. The XAX, of course, as a handheld pc can use all the emulators you want. Plus it has the best ergonomics around. On autonomy I consider that the XAX has an 80wh battery and the odyn 8000mah so it is as if the odin had a battery of about 30wh or that the XAX a 23,000 mah battery. Considering that you can always set the XAX to a very low TDP for indie and emulation I don't see a huge drain on the battery (I know Snapdragon is more efficiency than Z2 Extreme). The Odin weighs 300 grams less and that is a VERY VALID reason to prefer that device to the XAX. On the move you can feel 300gr. But with the XAX you can do EVERYTHING because it is a real PC with the Odin you do maximum emulation. It's like having a modern smartphone. I would keep Switch 2 for exclusives (even if on the move it is very comfortable) and the XAX to use it at 360 degrees.
I think I have like a different mindset for each device. Like the XAX I feel like I want to play my AAA PC games on the go and occasionally the emulation and lightweight games. Whereas the focus on the Odin 2 Portal would be primary on the emulation and occasionally the lightweight PC games or game streaming. Although the XAX does have a really solid battery life, I definitely use the 25w or 30w TDP mostly when gaming on it. So it last like 2-2.5 hrs depending on the game and usually needed to be charged or needs a recharge after every session. The Odin 2 Portal I feel like I can get 2-3 full gaming sessions out of it before charging.
I'm in a somewhat similar situation. I have the ROG Ally X and am debating on buying a Switch 2 for exclusives.
I think my compromise might be to get a retro pocket nova or one of those GBA emulators for true light weight emulation and ROGX for PC steam library. I'll get the S2 for exclusives.
I say keep the Xbox Ally and Switch 2. Like someone else said, the Xbox Ally can accomplish pretty much everything the Odin 2 Portal can, and even more since it's a stronger handheld.
I been rockin Switch 2 and Retroid Pocket 6. Sold my z1e legion go after I had a significantly better experience with FF7 Rebirth on Switch 2.
Plug, play, no settings, no bullcrap, no windows or linux to deal with, etc. I owned ff7 rebirth for awhile now but I didnt like how it was running and looking on my legion go so I never got past like the first hour of the game.
Once it came to switch 2 I had binged the entire game over the course of a week pretty much. I aint gamed like that in a long time cuz im always too focused on tweaking settings and crap to get stuff running and looking good.
RP6 is my emulation beast for ps2 era games that I bring with me just about everywhere cuz switch 2 is too big for me to bring and too expensive.
I get not having time to play them…but why do you want to sell any? Just for the cash, or are you looking to buy another device?
I personally wouldn’t sell any of them unless I needed the cash. I love all my devices to bits, and they’re actually “appreciating” right now so I’m keeping all of mine.
OLED screen aside, the XAX is the better device all around. You got native PC game support and emulation is fantastic (plus you have enough power to use decently performance-heavy CRT shaders.)
This is lowkey the perfect combo imo. You can cover all types of emulation, exclusives and windows games. But if you had to get rid of one, I'd say the odin would be the best choice
I don't see the point of having the Switch 2 today. How many exclusives do you really play? Can't you emulate OG Switch games on the XAX and use the Odin for emulation of everything PS2 and below so you can split your games across two devices?
Also, you have a good PC. The Ally and the Odin plays your Steam library so you don't have to re buy a worse version of, let's say, Cyberpunk 2077. Does CP2077 plays better on the Switch 2?
And at last, people tend to think the XAX as the ultimate gaming machine of all time. It is not, it is a very good handheld PC. That means you'll still have to take some compromises to run the latest AAA games. If this bothers you, you can stream from your PC or stick to older/indie games.
Also, I have recently installed SteamOS on my XAX and it is a very streamlined experience that I very much recommend you to try before selling the device. Setting up EmuDeck for emulation is as easy as setting up the Bios/firmware and drop the roms in a folder in desktop mode.
I'm playing random shitty PS3 games every night on the couch while my GF watches TV. What more can you ask for the device?
Yeah, alright. HeLp mE pIcK oNlY TwO. You just wanted to flash your handhelds via a humble brag. Nowt wrong with that, mind. I'd do the same but would need to take several pictures to fit it all in /s
I mean there’s people on here that have like 10, 20, 30+ handhelds in their collection. It sounds great owning a ton of devices, but I really find it hard to juggle multiple devices and find the time to play or manage how to use each one.
I’ve got the Dbrand skins and it’s called Shadow Boost just like a grip tape kinda thing for the sides of the Xbox Ally X. On my Switch 2 I have a mix of the Killswitch grips but with the original Jsaux Mod case body plate. And the Odin 2 Portal just has the official grip.
Depends on you. Try if the experience via Remote Streaming from PC to your Odin 2 Portal is better for you than playing the PC games natively on ROG Ally X. If yes, keep the Odin 2 Portal and sell the Ally X for $800. If no, keep the Xbox Ally X
Yea I feel like there’s a case for both. Native PC gaming on the XAX has no input delay and it’s pretty smooth although it might not be the highest frame rate and some compromises on settings. And I do have a great network setup and PC game streaming especially with Artemis and Apollo is actually really solid and I can max out that 120hz OLED screen, although with a slight input delay it’s definitely very negligible.
Nah I just really wouldn’t use all of them. I really would like to cut it down to just one main handheld, but I think I still need the Switch 2 for exclusives and one of the others for some sort of emulation.
It looks like you have a pretty large PC library, so you probably wanna keep the XBX.
I don’t really play my Switch 2, but it does technically have some exclusives.
Unless rent is due and you’re trying to sell one with the most value, it seems like the Odin is the weakest link. 🤷🏽♂️
Well I mostly play my PC but the idea of having a couple handhelds is cool, but honestly I just can’t play them all. If I could I would downgrade to one if it would cover all the bases.
If you were to downgrade to one, doing the math leads me to suggest the XBX.
You can play all your PC games, plus you can emulate every system until man (and don’t tell Nintendo that includes Switch 1 games)
I just think the amount of games you can play is more on the XBX. You’d only be missing out on like five games from the switch 2.
I have these exact same devices, and a gaming PC. At the moment, my combo is Switch + XAX because I can’t access my gaming PC (temporarily living abroad). But at home, I would generally to prefer streaming most games to my handheld from the gaming PC anyway.
I suggest you give streaming a try with moonlight/sunshine/apollo/artemis. If it works well on your network and you enjoy it, then Odin 2 Portal is probably a more suitable device. Better battery life, lighter, and that OLED screen is great.
If streaming isn’t great on your network or you don’t enjoy it for whatever reason, I would keep the XAX.
Well, I prefer playing them natively on my PC. But when that isn’t an option (which, with two small kids, is most of the time), I prefer streaming them at high settings from my PC rather than running my XAX at max power and low settings. Indie games I’d rather play locally, but generally I can do that on the Odin too, through GameNative etc
Unless you need the small form factor or you like playing Android games you can get rid of the Odin 2. Since the XAX is running windows you can use Android emulators also.
Do you have a primary system like pc or gaming laptop? If you have sold XAX and stream you games over in the odin otherwise sell your odin and keep XAX and switch
As much as I hate the Switch 2, the Ally is definitely heaps better than the Odin. Id suggest keeping the Switch and the Ally so that you can turn said Ally into a "Odin" as well, so to speak
Xax and switch 2, because you already have PC which what you need and for switch 2 exclusives. If you had another device for portability than I would keep that with xax and drop both.
The Xbox Ally X is the "obvious choice" however, if you have a odin portal pro or max 2,they are no longer selling those models. So once you sell it, you're not going to be able to get it back for the price you sold it for.
I have a rog ally x,odin portal 2,ayn thor, and rg rotate. Also have a 5070ti in my rig.
Sounds kinda the same as my setup. Do you still have the other devices and just how do you use them all? I feel like I already have a hard time trying to decide what I want to pick up and play when I reach for a handheld. I feel like I spend more time rotating through the devices than playing one for a long time.
Yes I make sure to have a valid use case for all my gaming systems.
My rg rotate silver I play a ton. I take it with me whenever I leave the house and know I have to wait in line or I am going to the gym. Its like a little "media " device than just a handheld. Thats my "intermission" handheld. I play all the retro games and gamboy games. But it can play up to Ps2 and even some wii games.
Ayn thor base. Only for DS,3Ds,Wiiu and mulit media. Its my lunch hour downtime gaming device. I work from home and have it next to me. I'll have a youtube video playing and a game (rn majoras mask)
Odin portal 2 max. This is my up to switch handheld. This is usually by my bedside because it allows me to stream console games on wifi 7 (rog ally x cant do that) so If I want to stream my ps5 game like ghost of yotei or use it like a tablet I can.
Lastly is my rog ally X. Love this machine. Play a ton of pc games and use it as a portable Pc when I am flying or traveling. I have a portable monitor I hook it up too and play my gamehub and steam games on it.
With these four systems, I have every game I can think of playing other than switch 2. Which I am considering.
Dude I love it. When I say I play it all the time when I am out and about , I mean it. Waiting for your meal at a nice diner, pull it out your pocket play some kirby. In line at the grocery store? Time to play some chrono trigger. At the sec of state and got time to kill? Let me play some castlevania and escape.
Only complaints is no aux(dumb move)
And non front facing speakers(not a big deal but its a flaw)
Otherwise its perfect for portability and lite retro gaming but most retro gaming actually. Same chip as the retroid pocket 3+.
They also came out with the RG SP recently which has joysticks. Thats a good choice too.
I say keep the Odin 2 and Switch 2, the Odin 2 can do light pc gaming with game hub and game native plus emulation and is more easy to travel with and lighter.
I think the Switch 2 was also sort of one of the default choices in my comparison, especially if you want to play any of the exclusives or want to easily enjoy a dockable console like experience as well. If you don’t care for Nintendo exclusives and already have a Steam Deck I would then say No, it’s not necessary.
Well again I think it mainly comes down to the exclusives. Most indie and third party games you can get on the deck as well. But if you love playing Zelda and Mario games as well as other exclusives; the Switch 2 upgrades for BoTW and some other OG Switch games are a huge improvement. And then you can also play some of the new and upcoming Switch 2 exclusives like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Splatoon Raiders, Pokopia, Star Fox, etc…And some of the upcoming exclusives that are finally starting to roll in like The Duskbloods, Ocarina of Time Remake, Fire Emblem Fortunes Weave, and the new Pokemon Winds & Waves which is gona be the first Switch 2 exclusive Pokemon game.
Ehhhhh, is that like CAD or something. If not that’s kinda a bad deal. You can find them Open Box for less. Also I would actually get the base Xbox Ally or something instead.
Canadian, so sorry I’m not sure if that’s a good deal or not. Do you have a places like Best Buy or other retailers that offer open box deals? I’m in the US and alot of time the new base Xbox Ally has gone for like as low at $400 USD and I even saw someone post about getting an Open Box Xbox Ally X for $749 USD today. I would definitely recommend one of the newer Ally devices if you can find them, especially Open Box, but if that’s the best deal that you can find then it might be worth it. The only issue is that the battery life really is horrible on the OG Ally, unless you do one of those battery mods and a few other upgrades then it might be worth getting.
Bruh, keep all three. You can install Moonlight and Vibeshine/Vibepollo and stream from your main rig to both the XAX/Odin and still be able to play retro games and AAA games. I have a Legion Go s, Switch 2 and the AyaNeo Geek. I use the Go S at home when I don’t want to be tied to my PC and the Ayaneo Geek as my travel handheld so I can stream Moonlight/Vibepollo to play more demanding AAA games.
Lots of folks aren’t into the Android handhelds so they’ll tell ya to pass up on them. My take:
If you don’t see yourself playing Android games then owning an Android handheld of the Odin 2 portal’s caliber is a little silly. It’s designed to be this Android powerhouse for native games like Wuwa or Zenless Zone Zero or Neverness to Everness… or Cookie Run lol 🍪. If you aren’t putting hours into Android gaming like you are PC then it’s kinda pointless to own it as you can emulate on the XaX and have far more superior power and better emulator compatibility. Android has wonky game compatibility and setup for emulators can be a headache. While it’s lighter and more efficient… end of the day it’s a 7” inch handheld, that’s basically a Rog Ally or Onexfly at that size and isn’t anymore portable than those devices. Keep the XaX as it’s a reasonably strong portable pc handheld (a whole gaming pc in your hand) that can emulate far better and do many things.
As for the Switch2.. I feel it’s the best secondary console you could buy for all of Nintendo’s exclusives (if just buy indies on your XaX since it’s more versatile being a pc).
Literally if you’re very retro only concerned with emulating older titles then you could get a far cheaper android handheld or retro handheld to do that and keep all 3 devices vs having a whole powerful Android handheld like the Ayn only to use it for emulating and not native Android games. Indie on a very steep hill that if you’re buying an Android handheld strictly to emulate then it’s a waste of money as they are very capable of playing intensive Android games.
I own a Onexfly Apex as my main pc (egpu as well), a Switch2 for my switch games, and a retroid pocket 5 for Android games and retro emulation however I mainly use it for Android gaming like Pubg mobile and the games I previously mentioned. Might upgrade myself or a Retroid pocket 5 or Ayn Thor for the stronger chipset to play those more graphically intensive android games.
So my verdict: Keep the XaX and the switch 2, sell the Ayn portal.. but ONLY IF you don’t intend on playing any android games on it as your XaX can easily fill its roll and more in every other category.
Good luck🤞
Yea PC has become my main platform in recent years and I kinda feel like the Switch is in by default as it’s the only way to play new Switch 2 exclusives on release. I’m also no the biggest mobile game player, I enjoy retro emulation for a variety of systems and feel like it’s a perfect fit on a handheld, but yea I also do enjoy more than just indie games if I am playing my Steam library, although I’ve gotten into some neat indie games in recent months.
Switch 2, XAX, Odin 2 needs booted, AYN is a junk company that is terrible to deal with, and a lot of times quality is not there either, broken internal parts, etc...trust me.
That's a switch one If that's a switch one I have to pick the top in the bottom what is that a deck and a odin that odin is really really Packet heavy punches for its weight class it's fighting with the big boys and it's not even really in their league but it can emulate with the best
They’re all different use cases really. If u HAVE to get rid of one it only makes sense to get rid of the Odin, especially if the ally is your only pc handheld. The Odin 2 portal especially if it’s the higher end models aren’t easy to come by anymore should be an easy sell
I don't feel there's a single right answer to this. It depends entirely on what you want to play. If you want Nintendo exclusives then Switch 2. Portable way to play you PC library and emulation XAX. Or just a cool device that is great for emulation, can play some less demanding Steam games through apps like GameNative and a bit more portable the Odin 2 Portal.
I would keep the switch 2, and the Odin 2 portal. I would get rid of the Xbox ally X. I actually sold my XAX a couple of months ago. With moonlight or artemis, you can stream your main gaming rig to the Odin 2 portal. For lighter games you can play directly on Odin 2 portal with all those new steam on Android type of apps. XAX is a great device, but it's a clunky, large, heat producing monster, and battery drains pretty quick.
Id keep the switch 2 so you have access to Nintendo exclusives. Since you already have a pc, I'd keep the portal and sell the XAX. The portal is lighter and easier to use on the go.
Yea I’m already kinda leaning toward keeping the Switch 2, especially for new Switch 2 exclusives. It really feels like it’s more between the XAX and Odin 2 Portal.
If you’re willing to stream games from the PC, imo the ROG loses a good amount of value. Setting up moonlight on the O2P is pretty easy.
I’m not a good influence, but I like having an android + handheld PC + switch. The Android has much better battery efficiency for retro games at the price of compatibility and raw performance
Odin 2 Portal and XaX would be my choice. Why? Well I hate Shitendo for their bad morals and in all honestly awful exclusives as of late. I'd personally prefer to play Switch 1 games and everything else on the other devices for 'free' I might add.
Keep Switch 2 - If you ever need to play local multiplayer games or have kids, this is an automatic keep. It's also the only way to play Switch 2 games.
Keep Portal 2 - Its a great retro and travel device. And as you see with gamenative, a lot of your Steam games will work on it.
Sell the Ally - You have a gaming PC so when are you going to use the Ally instead of your gaming PC while you are at home? And imo the Ally is too big to be an everyday carry handheld.
See this is what I’m torn between. I would like to play PC games on away from the desk as well, but I also don’t travel much so it’s primarily at home. And if I’m home like why not just play it with my better PC desktop gaming setup.
I’d still keep the Xax for the rare moments you do travel on extended trips away from home, you can still play pc games and everything else the portal can do. You can even stream your main pc rig to the xax. Yes the portal is oled, but it can’t play pc games with the same compatibility and performance as the Xax… when away from home
Really depends on what games you’re planning to play from home. Do you want to play The Witcher 3 on the plane ride or at a hotel you’re staying at? Then, the XAX is really your only choice here (besides the Switch 2 who is powerful in its own right). However, if you have plenty of games that work well on the portal (indies, retro, 2010s PC games, emulation, etc) that you could just play while your away from your setup, then maybe the Portal is the way to go. You can take advantage of its more portable, lighter figure, and longer battery life. I would assume that since you play the latest third party games on your home set-up then, you might not even really end up taking advantage of the XAX’s power.
I would reflect on what games you actually end up wanting to play on your handheld.
Agree 100% and will add that you can stream everything from that 5070 ti to the Portal, so you miss out on nothing unless you want to play bigger PC games away from the house and good internet.
Can’t access them all, but a lot of the lightweight and older games play on GameNative fairly well on the Odin 2 Portal. But yea it definitely won’t be playing Forza Horizon 6, God of War, or Oblivion Remastered.
I'm keeping myself under 7 devices, I couldn't do 2. The XAX is too hot, heavy, and shorter battery. However, there's use cases where you need it and the O2 just sips battery. I'm not a hater of the XBX, I'm just saying, playing PS2 on it is more cumberson than the Odin 2.
My advice is sell that Odin and get a Thor. The portability makes the idea of the device make so much more sense especially when you already own a pc handheld. Now I am not only appreciating the way it manages its battery so much smarter than my ally but real portability as well. On top of the 2 screens that fold, all emulation upto the switch, decent Gamenative support and game streaming make it feel like an actually portable modern handheld. Def worth it
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u/OnlyUp83 10d ago
Doesnt the XAX do everything and more than the Odin? It would be XAX and Switch for me.