Really interesting review, thank you.

Thank you for saying so! I really appreciate that :)

When you say this isn’t ready for most people, is that because the software needs more time, or the hardware isn’t there yet?

100% its the software. Drivers just aren't there yet, but they're being actively worked on as we speak, so early 2026 will be a solid assumption. Most PC games I tried worked incredibly well, out of the box without anything needed. But yes, as drivers improve and release, that compatibility will only get higher and higher.

As it stands:

• PC games are the best thing on the Odin 3. They work so well.
• Switch games are a gamble, a lot work beautifully but there's still a lot which haven't got the right support yet. But my friend who is a developer of Eden (Switch emulator) was sent an Odin 3 Max to help with development. So that's only a matter of time.
• PS3 is the same as Switch, some work, some do not.
• PS2, all the games I tried were fantastic. Played SO nicely, upscaled and perfect. But there's still a handful that will need some of that community driver goodness.
• Older-older systems are fine in dedicated emulators, but in RetroArch, its a mess.

The hardware is phenomenal and ahead of its time. We're just waiting for the support for the Snapdragon Elite to play catch-up now. But after spending so long testing it, if you're someone who likes to be at the forefront of things, then it's a solid investment. I'd buy one, if I wasn't sent a review unit. But I have the benefit of testing for so long to come to that conclusion!

If I bought one of these today, could I expect to see better compatibility over the next 6 months to year with Steam games, or will it still be mostly for Android games and old system emulators?

Yes. 100% yes. Keep an eye on EmuReady.com also, there'll be more and more compatibility reports for the Snapdragon Elite as the days and weeks pass, a good way to know if the PC games you love are running well. And you can always ask me to test out and try some games that you love most too, if you'd like!