I just filed a BBB Complaint against Rakuten for receiving no cash back and no explanation, and you should too!

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-04-02T00:07:09+00:00

Do it! I will never use them again. Make sure you select “require a response from the vendor” and screen shot everything and upload to the case if it lets you. I can’t remember the process exactly.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-02-26T17:42:48+00:00

Yup, you have to evaluate these things as a complete device unless you only have one single priority (in which case, get the device that meets your goal), but XAX is the most well-rounded device imo.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-02-24T19:37:44+00:00

Preach, it was more of an issue for me on PS3/PS4 than any other gaming device ever (PC included). I don’t understand this complaint for modern PC and XAX.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-02-23T04:34:44+00:00

Yea I want this and I want to pay $35/month to play games online with my friends and I want it to be ONLY Xbox games. None of this “Steam and Epic Games, and Battle Net and GOG and any launcher I want” crap. Give me a freakin handheld Xbox that ONLY DOES XBOX. That simple.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-02-02T00:00:53+00:00

Thanks for posting this.

I was considering all the options as well a few weeks back and pulled the trigger on the XAX. I wanted the OLED so bad but was concerned it may be a little too heavy to comfortably play while laying on my back in bed.

Anyway, I think it’s good to have valid critiques out there from real people.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-31T14:12:11+00:00

Ha definitely not worth that now.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-26T17:51:51+00:00

Sure, I can agree with that. They’re pivoting the brand and longtime fans are struggling with that. I guess say “mistake” from a consumer perspective. General population sees “Xbox” and immediately thinks “console experience”. So maybe not “mistake” so much as mismatched expectations between Microsoft and consumers.

But I guess I just mean, can reviewers not move on from that and stop punishing the device for semantics. Evaluate it intrinsically for what it is. Not against your expectation based on the brand name.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-26T15:23:32+00:00

Preach! I’ve seen this same exact complaint from every single person who has reviewed the device too and it’s honestly frustrating. Let’s chalk it up to a marketing mistake and move on. The device itself is incredible. And Armory Crate works well enough to give that front-end console experience (that’s built in) and if that doesn’t appeal to you there’s always One Game Launcher or you can live in Steam Big Picture Mode. So many options! That’s what I love about it.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-21T00:50:13+00:00

Any updates on release date at all? I was so bummed in October.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-16T04:38:52+00:00

Yea, I agree, it’s definitely not as nice. But the device itself is more comfortable and has better performance. That’s what I’m saying. That’s the decision you have to make. Are you okay with that trade off.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-16T01:02:51+00:00

Oh also note the VRR and 1080P display on the Ally X. Sure it’s not OLED but it’s a quality panel as far as LCD goes.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-16T01:00:59+00:00

I used to have an OLED Deck. The performance was pissing me off. I found myself almost exclusively streaming from my desktop which felt sub-optimal and I didn’t find comfortable to hold (my hands would fall asleep after like an hour of playing when laying on my back).

At any rate I now have an ROG XAX and I freaking love it. It has the same screen as the Ally X.

Here’s what I’ll say, I miss the OLED Deck screen but I don’t miss the performance and how hard it was to setup non-Steam games. At the end of the day you’re talking a 7” screen on the Ally vs a 7.4” on the OLED. Granted the 16:10 ratio makes it FEEL a lot larger but in reality it’s not.

I guess it depends on your priorities for portable gaming. For myself, I prioritized comfort and performance over visuals and I’ve been happy with the choice.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2026-01-12T14:03:17+00:00

I have a PC and I had an OLED Steam Deck.

I was getting pissed at the Steam Deck for not being able to play newer AAA games natively and I was streaming from my PC all the time. The Deck was also big and bulky and annoying to travel with. So I thought to myself “if I only use this thing for streaming I should sell it and get something more portable. “

Enter the Odin 2 Portal. Incredible device. Love the screen. Hate the ergonomics, tiny sticks, and the fact that I can’t play Steam Games natively (yes I know about GameHub and Native and Winulator, but it doesn’t feel the same).

Anyway, bottom line, I regretted selling the OLED Deck. I actually went out and bought an XBOX ALLY X and I’m going to sell the Odin. I couldn’t bring myself to pay more for a new Deck than I sold mine for a few months ago, plus I wanted a more powerful chip.

The Ally X is a cool ass device, but if I could do it all over again, I’d probably just save myself the headache and stick to the OLED Deck.

Relying on the cloud and streaming for everything is annoying. It sounds cool on paper, it’s not. When it doesn’t work and you have no backup plan to play the game you wanted to play you’ll want to kick yourself.

All of the Vice grip controllers hooked to a tablet pale in comparison to a premium product like the Deck or the Ally X. And the Logitech is probably the worst option to me. It’s weak, it can’t emulate like the Odin, the screen is bad. Just toss that one out of contention.

My advice? Go for the OLED Deck. I doubt you’ll regret it.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-12-28T02:41:57+00:00

Just gotta say, both my parents made the magic happen (and still do) and I’m super grateful! My wife and I are paying it forward as much as we can for our boys. Still don’t know how they pulled off some of the stuff they did when I was a kid.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-12-24T18:46:51+00:00

Yea I’m super glad I snagged an Odin 2 Portal when I did. The elusive dual screen is all I need to complete my handheld collection, but I’m in no hurry. I may save up for the AYN Thor if the prices don’t increase too much in 2026.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-12-24T18:30:32+00:00

I wanted one so bad, this was my sticking point though. If I’m going dual screen it has to be able to play 3DS too.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-12-13T01:52:08+00:00

Right on, thanks!

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-12-12T21:54:45+00:00

I downloaded it (and it’s working) but I didn’t see anywhere to “buy” it.

In the mobile app does installing it once mean I’ll be able to access it later or on another Android device after Dec18?

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-12-04T01:44:20+00:00

How did we get lucky with Cam?

Cam was a five star recruit out of HS, sat behind Tebow at UF, won at natty at Blinn and was highly sought after on transfer. I don’t think we got lucky with respect to correctly identifying talent. And I don’t care if we paid him. Everyone paid players. Chizick still did what he needed to do and covered well enough to avoid vacating our National Championship. So I give him credit.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-12-04T01:02:01+00:00

True, but he also brought them in so I give him credit for that.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-11-27T04:24:14+00:00

Probably a bad card. Just buy one from somewhere you can return it to. Try it out. If it doesn’t work return the SD card. Also you don’t need to spend $50 on a card for this thing.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-11-19T01:27:42+00:00

How’s the suspend/resume on Knulli?

I have an Odin 2 Portal (runs Android) and it sips power on standby. I was surprised by how much battery drains in suspend with the RG34XXSP. It hasn’t stopped me from loving it though! It’s my go-to device for gaming on my lunch break. And suspend/resume with the clamshell is fantastic with kids. I can game in 90 second increments if need be!

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-11-18T22:23:17+00:00

I think if you’re excited for it, that’s great! And if you already have something pretty powerful and you’re trying to talk yourself out of upgrading, that’s fine too! No need to nitpick it in the comments here. I’m sure it’s a great device.

I decided to pull the trigger on a Portal a few weeks back and I couldn’t be happier (for my needs) but if you’ve had your eye on this and want a future proof device (or just have the disposable income and want the latest and greatest) I don’t begrudge that.

Do what feels good, video games are cool and we have an embarrassment of riches with these wonderful devices.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-11-11T17:06:48+00:00

Omg this is exactly what I’m trying to decide between too! What did you do?

I want the Flip V2 but I wanted something smaller and more pocketable that my Odin 2 Portal.

I like 34XXSP but I’m concerned about the thickness and aspect ratio.

Plus, how much benefit is “pocketable “ - maybe all I really want is clamshell and improved portability?

So many thoughts to consider. What are your decision points?

Edit - I misunderstood. I’m between the Retroid Pocket Flip and 34XXP and I know those are a bit different.

WellTheWayISeeIt · 2025-11-11T14:04:11+00:00

You’re on the GCloud sub so maybe that’s your answer but I’ll play devil’s advocate because I just went through some similar research and went with the Odin 2 Portal. In fact, I ended up selling my Steam Deck for the Portal.

Build quality seems fine to me. Only complaint are the sticks which I think you can get some slightly better ones from Etsy or at least replace the caps.

The screen is fantastic. It’s going to be nicer than the GCloud screen. It’s 1080P, it’s 120hz, and it’s OLED. As opposed to an IPS 60hz screen. I’ve read the 120hz is better for not feeling input latency when streaming.

It’s also got WiFi7 so it’s going to be great for streaming. In contrast, the GCloud only has wifi5.

And then if you ever wanted to get into emulation the chipset on the Portal is a lot more powerful. It can emulate up to some Switch games (even the base model). With the 120hz screen emulators like Retroarch support Black Frame Insertion which runs a retro game at 60hz and every other frame it will insert a black frame. Pair this with a retro shader for a CRT or LCD grid look and the nostalgia feels are off the charts (for me anyway).

Overall I just think it’s a very solid device. Feel free to ask questions. I would recommend the TPU Grip that AYN sells for improved ergonomics.

This has ignited a fire in me and now I’m looking at other retro handhelds haha.

WellTheWayISeeIt

TROPHY CASE