It’s been quite a week for gaming handhelds! Just recently, GPD revealed it might have to forgo the battery in their upcoming gadget to fit AMD’s powerful Strix Halo chip. Meanwhile, Ayaneo has confidently announced that they’re keeping a “built-in high-capacity battery.” This bold statement has definitely got me buzzing with excitement.
In a recent update on the Ayaneo blog, the company shared that they’re preparing some seriously cool tech for the year ahead. The big standout for me is their Ayaneo Next 2. Designed with an AMD Ryzen AI Max 395 chip, they’re calling it “a truly next-generation flagship handheld.” Sounds impressive, right?
The blog post explains that the Next 2 is stepping boldly into the future with its “super large” built-in battery, paving the way for enhanced battery life and heat management. They describe it as an exceptional flagship handheld that aims to explore advanced capabilities. They’re teasing even more innovative features that will come to players in the future.
Alongside this announcement, Ayaneo hosted a live stream highlighting their upcoming tech and giving us a glimpse inside their devices. One eye-catching detail is the Next 2’s design, which includes dual fans at the back and a whopping four M.2 SSD slots. While that’s fantastic for connectivity, I’m not sure how the gaming crowd will feel about the potential battery drain. It might be overkill for what a handheld typically needs.
The section on the Next II kicks off at the 56-minute mark.
This chip is pretty power-hungry, so accommodating those slots, the display, and everything else suggests that next-gen portable gaming will necessitate a hefty battery and efficient cooling design for true portability.
The cooler seems quite substantial in the initial imagery, but its comfort and efficiency will hinge on the optimizations they make in the upcoming year, alongside the actual dimensions of the handheld. Reports suggest that the Next II will feature a large display, although we’re still waiting on more specifics about this device.
Here at PC Gamer, we can’t help but appreciate Ayaneo’s previous efforts. The Ayaneo 3 boasts impressive specs with its Ryzen AI HX 370, while the Flip DS delivers a solid processor packaged nicely. The Kun also grabs attention for its stylish design and dependable software. So, despite some playful marketing jargon, Ayaneo knows the handheld game inside and out.
The new AI Max chips present a fascinating challenge for developers that will undoubtedly require innovative thinking. As for the viability of the integrated GPU 8060S concerning its price tag, that’s a question only potential buyers can address. Right now, we’re still in the dark about the release date and price for this device, and the GPD Win 5 which sports the same chip.
