AYN Thor Setup Guide: First Boot, Both Screens and the Best Emulators

Last updated: October 2026

The AYN Thor is a clamshell Android handheld with two touchscreens, which makes it the closest thing to a modern DS for emulation. Out of the box it is a capable Android device; it only becomes a great dual-screen emulator once you tell each app which screen to use and install the emulator builds that support the second display.

This is a researched guide. AYN publishes very little documentation for the Thor (firmware notes go out on its Discord), so the menu paths below come from the two most thorough community guides, Retro Handhelds and Retro Game Corps, cross-checked against each other and the emulators’ own repositories. AYN has renamed some menus between firmware versions (“Thor Settings” appears as “Odin Settings” on some builds), so if a name differs on yours, look for the closest match.

If you are still deciding whether to buy one, start with my AYN Thor review.

Which Thor Do You Have?

Prices are from AYN’s store and have risen since launch, which AYN attributed to component costs. Every model has a 6-inch AMOLED top screen, a 3.92-inch AMOLED bottom screen, a 6000mAh battery, Hall effect sticks and Android 13, and ships with no games installed.

The Lite matters for this guide: its Snapdragon 865 handles DS and most 3DS games, but Wii U and the heaviest 3DS titles are 8 Gen 2 territory.

Step 1: Update the Firmware

Do this before anything else. AYN’s updates have fixed real problems: the pocket-wake and overheating issue, third-party launchers not appearing on the bottom screen, and battery-gauge errors.

1. Open the regular Android Settings (not the Thor settings panel).
2. Go to System, then Thor OTA (listed as Odin FOTA on some builds).
3. Tap Check Version, download, and tap OK to restart.

If the battery percentage looks wrong after an update, run the battery down and recharge it fully once (Retro Handhelds).

If you skipped the setup wizard and want it back: Thor Settings > Advanced Settings > Enter Setup Wizard.

Step 2: The Settings Worth Changing

Thor Settings opens from a double swipe down and the gear icon. The sections that matter:

• Charging: Charging Limit stops at a set percentage, which is kinder to the battery if the Thor lives on a charger. Charge Separation powers the device from the cable without charging the battery during long plugged-in sessions.
• Register Google Services: check this if Play Store apps complain about certification.
• Advanced: Virtual RAM Swap, App Auto Launch Manage and Factory Settings live here.

Performance and Fan Modes

From the AYN Menu’s settings:

For finer control, swipe down, tap Fan, choose Smart, then Edit to set your own temperature-to-fan-speed points, using either the CPU or GPU as the reference. Retro Game Corps found no benefit from custom GPU drivers over the stock ones on the Thor, so leave drivers alone unless a specific game needs it.

Step 3: Get the Bottom Screen Working

Android treats the top screen as the main display and the bottom screen as an external one. That one fact explains most Thor behavior: emulators that support “external displays” can put the second DS or 3DS screen on the bottom, and everything else opens on the top unless you say otherwise.

• AYN Menu button: the dark grey button below the bottom screen. A long press turns the bottom screen off, which saves battery for single-screen games.
• Mode: choose top, bottom or both screens, and set brightness and volume per screen.
• Task: shows which app is on which screen.
• Per-app screen choice: long-press an app icon > Screen Launch > Auto, Top Screen or Bottom Screen. Use this for apps that keep opening in the wrong place.
• Bottom-screen wallpaper: pick Only bottom screen when applying a wallpaper.

A white line that sweeps across both screens after a while is the OLED burn-in reducer, not a fault. Touch a screen to dismiss it.

Step 4: Controls

Thor Settings > Controller Settings:

• Style: Xbox or Standard button layout.
• L2/R2 Mode: Analog, Digital or Both. Digital helps emulators that expect on/off shoulder buttons.
• BACK Key Mapping and Prevent Accidental Home Button Press.
• Joystick Calibration & Gamepad Test: run this once, even on a new unit.

The stick lights are under Ambient LED in the AYN Menu settings.

If the controls stop responding: input follows the last screen you touched. Tap the screen with the game on it and the buttons come back. This is the most common “my Thor is broken” report, and it is normal behavior.

The community app Mjolnir remaps the Home button and can screenshot both screens at once.

Step 5: Install the Emulators

The easiest way to install and update everything is Obtainium, which pulls apps straight from their official GitHub releases. Add the Obtainium Emulation Pack through Import/Export > Obtainium Import, and choose the pack’s dual-screen version for the Thor.

Nintendo DS: WatermelonDS

The official melonDS Android app does not support a second display. WatermelonDS is a melonDS fork that does (it was briefly called MelonDualDS). Retro Game Corps’ settings:

• Video > Dual Screen Presets: Internal Top, External Bottom
• Renderer: OpenGL, 4x internal resolution

DraStic is no longer developed and its touch input can fail on the Thor. Stick with WatermelonDS. RetroArch’s melonDS core also has no dual-screen mode.

Nintendo 3DS: Azahar

Azahar is the official continuation of Citra, formed when Lime3DS and PabloMK7’s Citra fork merged. It is on Google Play and as a direct download. Settings that work on the Thor:

• Graphics API: Vulkan
• Disable Right Eye Render: On (turn it back off if you see flicker)
• Layout > Landscape Screen Layout: Single Screen
• Secondary Display Screen Layout: Bottom Screen
• Enable V-Sync: Off

Use Auto Map under Gamepad to set up controls in one step.

Wii U: Cemu Dual-Screen Fork

The Cemu fork puts the GamePad screen on the bottom display. In its quick menu, enable Show Pad and External Pad Screen, then map controls under Emulated Controller > Wii U GamePad > Setup all inputs. Wii U needs an 8 Gen 2 model.

Everything Else

Single-screen systems work exactly as on any Android device: RetroArch for 8 and 16-bit, DuckStation for PS1, PPSSPP for PSP, Dolphin for GameCube and Wii, and M64Plus FZ for N64. The Android emulation guide covers each one.

All of these need your own game dumps, and some need system files dumped from your own console. This site does not link either.

Step 6: A Frontend (Optional)

A frontend gives you one menu for every system.

Step 7: Storage and Moving Files

• Card choice: a name-brand card. The SanDisk Ultra 128GB covers cartridge systems; for DS, 3DS and disc-based libraries, the Samsung PRO Plus 256GB or 512GB is the faster high-tier pick. Retro Game Corps suggests 128 to 256GB for 8/16-bit and some CD games, and 512GB to 1TB for big disc libraries.
• Moving files: a USB microSD reader on your PC is the simplest route. On the Thor itself, MiXplorer (free) or Solid Explorer are the file managers people use.
• Where things go: keep games on the card, but install PC-emulation apps and their containers on internal storage, where Retro Handhelds reports fewer crashes.

Common Problems

FAQ

Is the Lite worth it for setup purposes? Everything in this guide works on the Lite. The difference is headroom: the Snapdragon 865 is fine for DS and lighter 3DS games, while Wii U and demanding 3DS titles want the 8 Gen 2.

Can I play Steam games on the Thor? Yes, through Android PC-game apps. See the GameHub guide and the GameNative guide, and install them on internal storage.

Why does the bottom screen show nothing in my emulator? The stock builds of most emulators only use one display. Install WatermelonDS, Azahar and the Cemu fork, then set the secondary-display option shown above.

Where do firmware updates come from? Over the air, through Settings > System > Thor OTA. AYN posts the change notes on its Discord.

Last verified: October 2026