I am struggling to write this because I don't want to do anything but use my Odin 2 right now. There's your tl;dr if you don't wanna read the rest of this. For everyone else: The Odin 2 is an emulation handheld. I've [[A Quick Guide on Retro Handheld Emulators|written about these before]] after getting into them, starting with the Retroid Pocket 4 and most recently the ANBERNIC SP. I like both of those devices, but my RP4 broke recently and I was depressed so I decided to just get something as a treat for myself. I decided after a few days of mulling to get the Odin 2. The Odin 2 was my choice because I wanted something that could play GameCube and PS2 games without any fuss. This is what everyone on the entire internet seemed to point towards as being the solution. It is, for the most part - and we'll get to that asterisk. But *goddamn* do I love this thing. The Odin 2 is an Android-based device, and it's the best one on the market, without question. It's literally so good that hardware isn't holding it back - *software* is. The Android emulation scene is currently not equipped to tap into the sheer, unadulterated power tucked into this bad boy. That's a pretty nice problem to have. So what's so great about this thing anyways? ## Ease of Use / Tech I hesitate to recommend handheld emulators to people who don't like to fiddle. This is a fiddly sort of hobby. The Odin 2 is not like that at all. It accomplishes the dream of playing every GameCube and PS2 game I throw at it with basically zero issues or fiddling. Turn it on, get your emulators off the Google Play Store, get some games and go. I spend less time thinking about how to get a game to work as much as I think about what I actually want to play, which is more than I can say for previous handheld emulators I've checked out. Where my RP4 couldn't run **Rogue Galaxy** at all, the Odin 2 laughs in comparison. **Burnout 3**, a game notorious for being difficult to emulate, cruises by[^1] on the Odin 2 with zero issue. And not only can the Odin 2 run these games, it can upscale them at ridiculous resolutions, even beyond the actual resolution of the screen itself. I have all of my PS1, PS2, N64 and PSP games rendering at 1080p, and the Dreamcast running at *1440p*. The GameCube can go beyond 1080p, but like I said, there's literally no need to go to that length. You just can, because the Odin 2 is that good. I've been playing **Shadow Hearts: Covenant** at this increased resolution and it looks fantastic and runs flawlessly. It's kind of unbelievable that technology has reached this point. I used to dream about being able to play **Kingdom Hearts 2** in bed when I was a kid and here I am now. And speaking of playing in bed... ## Ergonomics The Odin 2 is the first handheld console I've used in years that doesn't hurt my hands at all. It's ridiculously comfortable. Unlike the Switch it has grips, and unlike the Steam Deck it's incredibly lightweight. I can play it for an hour or two and not feel fatigued, and it doesn't matter what position i'm in - curled up on the couch, lying in bed, or upside down[^2]. I've gotten to mostly using my Steam Deck in docked mode because I find it so uncomfortable to hold. The Odin 2 is something I already find myself absentmindedly grabbing because it doesn't feel like a slog to get into. ## Battery Life I cannot put into words how unbelievable the battery life is on the Odin 2. I had a very long wait at the hospital the day after I got it, so I figured it'd be a great test on that front. I pretty much did nothing but play **Dark Cloud 2** for 3ish hours while I waited. It started at 100% and ended at 85%. Running a PS2 game! *At 1080p*! You can imagine what that battery can do with weaker consoles. I played **Wild Arms** on the PS1 for 3 hours and the battery moved from 100% to 97%. **Skies of Arcadia** on the Dreamcast drains battery at a lightning-fast...2% per hour. I am a weird, weird person, and I am obsessive about battery life. With the Odin 2 I've pretty much stopped looking at the battery indicator. I don't need to. ## Cons I'm making this thing sound like it's perfect, and it almost is, but there are issues. For one, the docked experience can be pretty annoying depending on the emulator, especially the one for the PS2. When plugged in, the emulator had to be remapped every time until I found a fix for it requiring me to fiddle with the .ini file. Nothing too complex, but not exactly "tinker-free" like the rest of the experience with the system. The Dolphin emulator might be the biggest disappointment right now - it doesn't have a hotkey for activating fast forward, so I had to sit here and watch every boring-ass animation in the battles of **Skies of Arcadia** until I couldn't handle it anymore and downgraded to the Dreamcast version. But like...that's it. This is the closest I think we've ever gotten to a perfect emulation handheld. It's been a blast taking a trip down memory lane, as well as covering gaps in my "videogame pedigree" so to speak. I'm going to be using my Odin 2 for a very long time to come. [^1]: heh [^2]: I'm sorry I'm mentally ill.