Device comparison

Valve Steam Deck vs. AYANEO Pocket S Mini

Compare specs, emulation support, community reviews, ownership, and play history.

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With

Steam Deck
Pocket S Mini

Shown to scale from each device’s real-world dimensions.

Quick verdict

More portable
Pocket S Mini
Newer model
Pocket S Mini

Main differences

  • AYANEO Pocket S Mini has similar emulation coverage to Valve Steam Deck.
  • AYANEO Pocket S Mini is roughly 63% smaller and 55% lighter.
  • AYANEO Pocket S Mini has a 60 Hz LCD screen, versus 60 Hz LCD Touchscreen on Valve Steam Deck.
  • AYANEO Pocket S Mini runs Android 14; Valve Steam Deck runs SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc.
  • AYANEO Pocket S Mini is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64, PS1; Valve Steam Deck is highlighted for Wii U, 3DS, PS2, Wii.

Valve

Steam Deck

Details
Price
$399
OS
SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc
Released
Feb 2022
Up to
Switch
Screen
7.0 inch LCD Touchscreen
Weight
674 grams

No reviews yet

10 collectors

AYANEO

Pocket S Mini

Details
Price
$399
OS
Android 14
Released
Jan 2026
Up to
Switch
Screen
4.2 inch LCD
Weight
305 grams

No reviews yet

0 collectors

Specs

BetterWorse

SpecSteam DeckPocket S Mini
OSSteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etcAndroid 14
Screen7.0 inch4.2 inch
Aspect ratio16:104:3
Resolution1280 x 8001280 x 960
PanelLCD TouchscreenLCD
ChipsetAMD Aerith / Van GoghQualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2
CPUAMD Zen 2Qualcomm Kryo Prime Ultra
GPUAMD RDNA 2Qualcomm Adreno A32
RAM16 GB LPDDR58 / 12 / 16 GB
StorageInternal 64 GB eMMC or 256/512 GB NVMe SSD, External MicroSDInternal 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB UFS 4.0, External MicroSD
Battery40 Wh4700 mAh
Weight674 grams305 grams
Dimensions298 mm x 117 mm x 49 mm167.1 mm x 77.85 mm x 18.5 mm
Hall effect sticksNoYes

Emulation

Excellent › Good › Playable › Limited › Unsupported

SystemSteam DeckPocket S Mini
Classic systems
Game Boy
NES
Genesis
GBA
SNES
PS1
Mid-generation systems
DS
N64
Dreamcast
PSP
Saturn
Sixth-generation systems
GameCube
Wii
PS2
Modern systems
3DS
Switch
Wii U
PS3

Emulation source notes

  • Steam Deck DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini DS: Nintendo DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip This device does not have a touchscreen, so you won't be able to play DS games that rely heavily on the touchscreen
  • Steam Deck 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini N64: Nintendo 64: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini PS1: Sony Playstation: All games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Pocket S Mini PS3: Sony Playstation 3: RPCS3 was recently ported to ARM (2024/12/9), so please leave a comment if you know how well this device can handle PS3
  • Steam Deck PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini Wii: Nintendo Wii: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
  • Steam Deck Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini Saturn: Sega Saturn: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck Switch: Nintendo Switch: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini Switch: Nintendo Switch: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Steam Deck Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
  • Pocket S Mini Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip

Frequently asked

What's the difference between the Valve Steam Deck and the AYANEO Pocket S Mini?
AYANEO Pocket S Mini has similar emulation coverage to Valve Steam Deck. AYANEO Pocket S Mini is roughly 63% smaller and 55% lighter. AYANEO Pocket S Mini has a 60 Hz LCD screen, versus 60 Hz LCD Touchscreen on Valve Steam Deck. AYANEO Pocket S Mini runs Android 14; Valve Steam Deck runs SteamOS 3.0 (Arch Linux), Windows 11, etc. AYANEO Pocket S Mini is highlighted for PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64, PS1; Valve Steam Deck is highlighted for Wii U, 3DS, PS2, Wii.
Which is newer, the Valve Steam Deck or the AYANEO Pocket S Mini?
The AYANEO Pocket S Mini is the newer model, released in 2026.
Which is more popular on retroshelf, the Valve Steam Deck or the AYANEO Pocket S Mini?
The Valve Steam Deck is in more collections on retroshelf right now, with 10 collectors tracking it.

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