AYANEO’s Pocket VERT Offers Fresh Take on Portable Play with Hidden Touchpad

AYANEO recently provided a hands-on look at their upcoming Pocket VERT in a lengthy 90-minute demonstration. They’re pitching this vertical handheld as the pinnacle of their range, and it’s easy to understand why: it has the DNA of the original Game Boy, but with the tech you’d expect from a modern device.

At a glance, this device measures approximately 86.4mm wide, 143mm tall, and 20.5mm thick, making it small enough to put into your pocket. Its all-metal body, carved through a precise CNC process, gives the shell a smooth, even finish across every edge and surface. They’ve teased three finishes: Midnight Black, Moon White, and Lava Red. The button’s color matches the rest of the device, creating the illusion of a single, seamless piece of glass.

The screen is a 3.5-inch LTPS panel with a resolution of 1600 by 1440 pixels, or a very healthy 615 pixels per inch. You can increase the brightness to 450 nits, which is more than enough to go through even the darkest indoor or outdoor sessions without causing eye strain. They’ve also made efforts to keep the scaling of classic Game Boy games as perfect as possible, blowing them up to ten times their original size while retaining all of their pixel-perfect beauty. The controls are nicely arranged below the screen, with a D-pad on the left, action buttons on the right, and two shoulder triggers tucked in at the rear for easy thumb reach.

One feature in the control setup stands out: a large touchpad-like surface beneath the front glass, below the D-pad and action buttons. This dual-mode trackpad replaces analog sticks in games that require smooth directional input. You may configure it as a single stick, divided into two zones for left and right control, or even switch to mouse mode for specific apps. AYANEO tested this in their Pocket DMG and found that it worked well for navigation without adding bulk. Here, it merges seamlessly with the design, maintaining the flat retro silhouette while allowing play for games other than button-mashers. A small scroll wheel on the side changes volume with rapid rolls, and a dedicated MagicSwitch button is close for menu jumps or longer-press shortcuts.

Power is provided by a 6000 mAh battery that is compactly packed and has active air cooling to minimize overheating during extended play. Stereo speakers emit music from the bottom, providing layered audio that enhances the experience without overpowering the compact form. It runs on Android and includes AYANEO-specific utilities such as AYASpace for button remapping and AYAHome for easy access to settings. Features such as device spoofing and AI-assisted translations aid in tailoring the interface to different games as well as addressing compatibility difficulties.