You can soon turn this Android handheld into an ultra-powerful Linux handheld

Who says you have to choose between Android and Linux on your handheld? Certainly not AYN, as the device maker has previously implemented Linux support on its older handhelds. Now, there’s good news if you want to run Linux on your Odin 3.

AYN announced on Discord that it has just brought initial support for Linux (v7.0) to the Odin 3. The company says it’s also updated Linux support on the Odin 2 series and Thor in line with the new version.

The company also outlined a list of working features, and we’re glad to see that almost everything is up and running. However, microphone functionality and vibration aren’t working just yet.

So what does this support mean for running Linux on the Odin 3, then? Owners could presumably try to build their own Linux distribution, but your best bet will be to wait for distributions like Batocera and Rocknix to add support for the Odin 3. Both distributions even let you boot from a microSD card if you want a low-risk way to try them out.

This is also great news for AYN’s device as it could be the most powerful Arm-based Linux handheld. The Odin 3 ships with a Dragonwing Q8 processor, which is effectively a variant of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. So there’s more than enough CPU and GPU power on tap.

One of the biggest reasons to run Linux on your Arm-based handheld is Portmaster. This app facilitates the installation of over 1,000 Linux ports of classic and contemporary games, including Stardew Valley, Balatro, and Celeste. In saying so, you’ll need the relevant game files for some titles.

Linux also opens the door to official ports of emulators (e.g., PS3, Xbox, Wii U) that might run better than their Android counterparts. However, it’s worth noting that some platforms (e.g., PS2) have better emulators on Android.