The long-awaited AYN Thor, a dual-screen Android gaming handheld, officially opened for pre-orders just a few hours ago—and the response has been intense. Gamers flocked to AYN’s official store the moment the page went live, eager to lock in one of the most talked-about handhelds of the year.

Unlike previous crowdfunding campaigns that ran through platforms like Indiegogo, AYN opted to handle all Thor pre-orders directly through its own website this time. That means there’s no public tally available, but judging by the online chatter and traffic surges, a significant wave of orders has already been placed.

Budget-Friendly Specs with a Premium Look

Starting at just $249, the AYN Thor offers some serious hardware for its price. The base “Lite” model comes with a Snapdragon 865 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. For those wanting more power, higher-end models are equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, with prices starting at $299 and scaling based on color variants and storage configurations.

What makes the Thor stand out is its clamshell design and dual OLED displays—a 6-inch 120Hz primary screen up top and a 3.92-inch 60Hz touchscreen on the bottom. This setup screams “modern DS” and has clearly hit the nostalgia nerve for handheld gaming fans.

High Demand, Low Visibility

Despite the hype and likely strong sales, there’s no way to verify how many units were snapped up in these early hours. Since the pre-orders are being managed internally by AYN rather than through a crowdfunding tracker, everything’s happening behind closed doors. Still, the community response suggests that many fans didn’t hesitate to jump in right away.

The Thor’s launch adds fuel to the growing trend of dual-screen handhelds making a comeback, and AYN’s competitive pricing may give it a strong edge in the months ahead.