Ayaneo Retro Powerbank hands-on review: Super Nintendo-look and OLED display draw attention
The Ayaneo Retro Power Bank is part of Chinese hardware manufacturer Ayaneo's Remake Series, which also includes the Apple Macintosh-style AM01 Mini PC, and the retro handheld Ayaneo Pocket DMG besides the Super Nintendo-style Power Bank. Ayaneo's new power bank comes with a small OLED display and is clearly more notable for its chic retro style than its myriad features. Does this justify the special offer price of US$39.99 plus US$20.99 shipping costs (a total of around €56) for a power bank with a SNES look? Our hands-on review of the Ayaneo Retro Power Bank will give you the answer.
Specifications
Display | 0.91-inch (approx. 23 mm) OLED display (32 × 128 pixels, monochrome) |
Battery capacity | 12,000 mAh lithium-ion battery (3.85 V / 45.6 Wh) |
Ports | 2 USB-C ports, left port for charging the adapter or other devices, right port for charging other devices, 45 watts of charging power when charging one external device, 15 watts per USB-C port when charging two external devices (30 watts) |
Rapid charge protocols | Quick Charge (QC) 2.0 / 3.0, Power Delivery (PD) 3.0, Adaptive Fast Charging (AFC), FastCharge Protocol (FCP), SuperCharge Protocol (SCP) |
Dimensions | 98 × 81 × 24.4 mm (thinnest: 21.9 mm) |
Weight | 238 g |
MSRP | US$59.99 (plus shipping and handling of US$20.99) |
Case and controls - Sleek power bank with mini OLED screen
The Retro Power Bank by Ayaneo is modeled after the Japanese Super Famicom or the PAL version of the Super Nintendo (SNES), although the manufacturer avoids using the brand name "Nintendo" in its own product information. The design of Ayaneo's new power bank also differs slightly from its retro counterpart, for example, the two switches on the Retro Power Bank are placed slightly lower than on the Super Nintendo.
The Ayaneo Retro Power Bank is equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 12,000 mAh and measures 98 × 81 × 24.4 mm with a weight of 239 grams. Instead of a cartridge slot, the Power Bank has a monochrome OLED display with a screen diagonal of 0.91 inches (approx. 23 mm) and a resolution of 32 × 128 pixels. The monochrome display shows the charging status of the battery, the output power during charging, the fast charging protocol currently in use, and the temperatures of the battery and the microprocessor of the Ayaneo Retro Power Bank.
Where the original Super Nintendo has two controller ports on the front, the Ayaneo Retro Power Bank has two USB-C ports. The left USB-C port can be used to charge both the power bank and external devices, while the right USB-C port can only be used to charge other devices. Theoretically, two devices such as smartphones, gaming handhelds, controllers, headphones or laptops can be charged simultaneously.
Everyday use - Reliably charge external devices with up to 45 Watts
The Ayaneo Retro Power Bank supports a variety of fast charging protocols that allow charging at up to 45 watts, which we were able to achieve in our tests with a MacBook Pro (2021, M1 Pro). When both USB-C ports are used simultaneously to charge external devices, the charging power is reduced to 15 watts each, for a total output power of 30 watts. The temperatures of the battery and the processor of the Super Nintendo-style power bank are between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius when charging at a low output of 10 watts, and between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius when charging at 35 watts or more.
The build quality of the case is decent, but the plastic used is somewhat susceptible to scratches, which should be taken into account in daily use. The OLED display offers good contrast, as is usual for this type of panel, and is still readable even in direct sunlight. Operation via the two buttons on the bottom of the case is also easy to learn, although the pressure point of the two buttons is a bit mushy.
The settings menu contains options for the language setting, the temperature unit, and the time until the power bank's SNES-style mini-display automatically turns off. The Ayaneo Power Bank is set to Chinese at delivery, and switching to English required a look at the manual. The manual is easy to understand with lots of pictures, but only in English and Chinese. The same goes for the languages that can be set for the power bank itself, which are also limited to Chinese and English.
Smartphones, Bluetooth headphones or game controllers can be charged several times with the Ayaneo Retro Power Bank. With 12,000 mAh, the battery of the Ayaneo Power Bank is generally undersized for laptops, gaming handhelds or tablets. For example, we were able to charge an iPad Pro (11-inch) using Power Delivery 3.0 (PD 3.0), with the power bank's output fluctuating between 20 and 35 watts and the battery temperature at 35 degrees Celsius and the power bank's CPU temperature at 42 degrees Celsius. In tests with a MacBook Pro (2021, 14-inch, M1 Pro), the Ayaneo Power Bank also used PD 3.0 at 20 volts and 2.2 amps and charged the Apple laptop with values between 44 and 46 watts. During the charging process of the MacBook Pro, the power bank showed a battery temperature of 41 degrees Celsius, while the internal microprocessor reached up to 69 degrees Celsius according to the information on the OLED mini display.
The power bank itself is charged via the left of the two USB-C ports on the front of the case; charging the internal 12,000 mAh battery from 0 to 100 percent is possible at a maximum of 45 watts and takes an average of one hour. The temperature of the battery was up to 51 degrees Celsius, while the internal processor of the Ayaneo Retro Power Bank reached a maximum of 72 degrees Celsius. Thanks to the good charging speed, the Ayaneo Power Bank is quickly ready for use again, even if the battery is completely discharged. With a nominal capacity of 45.6 Wh, the Ayaneo Retro Power Bank also meets the formal requirements for transportation on airplanes or certain high-speed trains.
Pros
+ Extraordinary power bank with Super Nintendo look
+ Mini OLED display for convenient information
+ Charge two devices simultaneously
Cons
- Relatively high price for power bank with 12,000 mAh capacity
- Moderate quality of the plastic used for the case
- Charging two devices at once with only 15 watts each
Verdict - Portable power bank for retro fans
The Ayaneo Retro Power Bank impresses with its unusual Super Nintendo look and practical OLED display. The maximum charging power of 45 watts is also acceptable for a power bank, although the capacity of 12,000 mAh is rather average. On the other hand, the new power bank from Ayaneo is relatively portable, even if the plastic casing seems susceptible to scratches.
The Ayaneo Retro Power Bank is particularly suitable for fans of retro consoles and handhelds who are looking for an eye-catching power bank and are not looking for a particularly high internal battery capacity or very fast charging performance.
The Ayaneo's retro look is unique, even though there are competing products, such as the Anker A1383 Powerbank with 20,000 mAh (available for purchase on Amazon Germany), that offer higher battery capacity and better charging performance as well as a display.
Price and availability
The Ayaneo Retro Power Bank is currently only available in the company's online store at and costs US$39.99 plus US$20.99 shipping costs to Europe as an introductory offer (about €56 in total). The regular price is US$59.99, but at the time of this review, the Ayaneo Retro Power Bank is listed as "unavailable" in the manufacturer's online store.
Transparency
The present review sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.