Ayaneo is back with another handheld gaming PC, the Ayaneo Next 2, providing more competition for the likes of the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, and Asus ROG Ally. This weekend, the hardware brand behind the Next 2 shared more details on the device's specs, design, and pricing. It's a bit of a good news, bad news situation, but let's start with the positives.
The Ayaneo Next 2 is coming in two configurations: one with the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 chip and a premium alternative with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395. Compared to the aging hardware inside the Steam Deck OLED, both of these processors should deliver top-tier performance, capable of running any modern PC games at least at medium settings. That's especially true of the Max+ 395, which is currently one of the most capable processors on the market
So, are you ready for the bad news? The cheapest Ayaneo Next 2 starts at $1,799 for early birds, while the most expensive model, with the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip, 2TB of storage, and 128GB of RAM, is going live at $3,499. Yes, you read that right, and that's just the early bird price. On full release, the fully specced-out version of the Next 2 retails at a whopping $4,299.
For context, that price point is the equivalent of just over seven 512GB Steam Deck OLEDs, or slightly under four Xbox ROG Ally X units. It's also pricier than my second-hand car, which I bought for $4,000, or a theoretical month-long trip to Disney World in Florida, provided you didn't stay at one of the resort's similarly extortionate hotels. Of course, there are the cheaper options, but $4,299 is still staggering for the premium model, especially in the current economic climate.
Outside of the processors, the Next 2 boasts a 9.06-inch OLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate and a mammoth 116Wh battery. The specs alone suggest this could be the most premium of all the various Steam Deck alternatives when it launches, but its success likely hinges on how many potential users are willing to part with well over $1,500 for a handheld. It's no secret that I am a sucker for a portable gaming device, but I can't see myself spending that much, so I'll be keeping a keen eye on the Next 2's upcoming Indiegogo page to see how many backers the device can secure.
If you want to keep up with the latest surrounding the Ayaneo Next 2, the brand often shares information via its X and YouTube accounts, so it's worth checking them out. You can even find proof that I'm not the only one taken aback by the pricing. Some of the comments under the post revealing the handheld's cost offer some more aggressive feedback.