Nostalgia meets modern gaming power in Ayaneo’s latest mini PC, the AM02. Housed in a cute, boxy chassis resembling a classic NES, this pint-sized desktop packs impressive specs capable of playing recent AAA games.
On the outside, the AM02 nails its retro aesthetic. The faux red bricks, cartridge slot, and tiny screen could convince you it’s a hardware relic from the 8-bit era. But pop open the hood and you’ll find components any modern gamer would love, headlined by a Ryzen 7 processorsimilar to Ayaneo’s own Kun handheld. We’re talking enough graphical muscle to run recent big-budget titles at medium to high settings.
The AM02 leaves its predecessor, the emulation-focused AM01, in the dust. With up to 32GB of speedy DDR5 RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, it should breeze through anything from classic Nintendo games to the latest releases. The mini touchscreen is a mystery for now, but Ayaneo promises “unique gameplay experiences” it could enable.
As with most of the company’s products, hobbyists can customize configurations to their needs and budget. The base $440 model lacks RAM and storage but lets you supply your own. Kits packed with accessories like a greyscale keyboard and SNES-style gamepad fully embrace the retro vibes. There’s even a cooling system and array of ports to round out the modern functionality.
Pricing understandably jumps with beefier hardware inside. But for the novelty of a mini PC with vintage style and next-gen power, the AM02 makes its case. When units start shipping next month, we’ll see if this little box can walk the walk against modern desktops and laptops. Nostalgia is great, but gaming chops win out for most. If the performance matches the charm, Ayaneo could have a hit retro reboot on its hands.
