SUMMARY
  • Ayaneo has been making waves in the handheld gaming segment since 2022.
  • The Ayaneo Kun remains at the top of its current lineup with an extensive feature list that puts the Steam Deck at a disadvantage.
  • The Ayaneo 3 promises improvements on all fronts while bringing further innovation to the table when it eventually hits shelves.

Ayaneo is soon becoming a name to look out for in the handheld gaming space with its latest announcement on a successor to the very popular Ayaneo Kun set to take the current model’s capabilities even further while offering its buyers a choice between quality and framerates that has not been seen with other manufacturers in the segment.

With mobile gaming becoming an increasingly popular option among those who may not prefer to be restricted to gaming at home with a console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S and are not a fan of Nintendo’s Switch and its library of titles.

A Gaming Handheld Brand That Screams Innovation

Ayaneo's many offerings on display.
The Ayaneo Kun is the company’s flagship model that has a very extensive feature list. Image Credit: Ayaneo.

Ayaneo took the gaming world by storm after its first model, the Aya Neo launched in 2022. As a viable alternative to the Steam Deck with Windows 11 and a powerful processor on board, it was a handheld gaming PC built to run games with an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance that many gamers were eager to try out.

Coupled with a design philosophy that underlined user comfort, the Aya Neo was an interesting albeit expensive option for PC gamers looking to take the action beyond their desktops and out into the real world. Subsequent models have beuilt on the original’s capabilities in meaningful ways that have allowed the Chinese company to make a name for itself, with the latest Ayaneo Kun being one of its best offerings to date.

Taking the Fight to the Steam Deck

Ayaneo's handheld gaming PCs in action.
A viable slternative to the Steam Deck, the Kun is all set to be followed by the Ayaneo 3. Image Credit: Ayaneo

The Ayaneo Kun builds in the brands design and performance philosophies with a larger screen, better processors, improved battery life and a host of improvements to its feature list that make it a viable competitor in the handheld PC arena and a strong contender against the Steam Deck – a sentiment that echoes across across a number of positive reviews that the device has managed to accrue since its 2023 release.

While the Kun joins a strong lineup of models that were released the same year, allowing Ayaneo to cater to a wide variety of handheld PC gamers, it remains as the device to beat among Ayaneo’s various offerings, although that is slated to change in 2025 with a new announcement from Ayaneo proving to be an exciting one for fans of its products.

The New Kid on the Ayaneo Block

ayaneo3
The Ayaneo 3 builds on its predecessors in meaningful ways. IMage Credit: Ayaneo

Ayaneo’s latest device is sure to bring a lot of cheer to its fans despite the announcement not being accompanied by a release date for its latest handheld which comes with a choice between an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor or the more powerful Ryzen 7 8840U alongside the ability to choose between a 7-inch LCD screen that is focused on smoother framerates or an OLED display that favors resolution. The announcement trailer below shows off the device in all its glory.

Other features include improved back buttons, a new set of front-facing speakers, improved ergonomics, and a trigger lock function that many PC handheld users will be sure to appreciate. While its pricing is also under wraps at the time of writing, gamers looking to lap up Ayaneo’s offering can expect a price range close to the Kun, its most expensive device currently on sale.

It will certainly be interesting to see how the Ayaneo 3 fares against its own siblings while further improving on the Steam Deck while it competes with Nintendo’s Switch 2 which is also slated for a 2025 release.

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