GoKawiilTL;DR AYN has announced initial support for Linux on the Odin 3 handheld.
This means you can turn the device into one of the most powerful Arm-based Linux handhelds.
You’ll likely have to wait for distributions like Rocknix if you want to run Linux on the Odin 3.
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.
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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.
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