If you thought that spending $800 to acquire a ROG Xbox Ally X was a stretch, you’ll baulk at the Ayaneo Next 2. This all-new gaming handheld, dubbed ‘dreamlike’ by Ayaneo, carries a price tag of up to $4,299 if you want to get the most powerful version available. It’s tough to fathom why, but when you uncover the tech specs, it starts to make a little sense.
This immensely aspirational device is ambitious, and it’ll probably sell all of about three units in its lifetime, but it’s an indication of just how much effort handheld manufacturers are willing to cram into these devices.
Why is the Ayaneo Next 2 so Expensive?
To be fair, the Ayaneo Next 2 pricing starts at $1,999, or $1,799 if you pre-order and soak up an early bird discount. That version boasts AMD’s new Ryzen AI Max 385 processor and Radeon 8050S graphics, which come equipped with 32 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage. That’s already enough to trump every other handheld on the market.
But if you ramp up the specification and head for the top-tier version of the Ayaneo Next 2, you’re getting one hell of an upgrade.
For a princely sum of $4,299, or just $3,499 with that pre-order discount, you’ll get the AMD Ryzen Max+ 395 processor, a Radeon 8060S iGPU, an eye-watering 128 GB of memory, and double storage – 2 TB total.
Let’s talk about the makeup of this thing.
The Ayaneo Next 2 has a gorgeous OLED screen measuring just north of 9 inches. across, and a dynamic, adjustable refresh rate of up to 165Hz. It effectively puts other handhelds to shame, as the OLED screen is still rarely seen in the on-the-go gaming space.
There’s a massive on-board battery with a 116Wh capacity, which decimates the ROG Xbox Ally X’s 80Wh battery. But that’s because the Ayaneo Next 2 has so much to power. We’re talking advanced cooling solutions, RGB elements, two USB-C ports, Hall Effect triggers, TMR joysticks, insane brightness capabilities, and powerful, front-facing speakers.
Ayaneo has gone beyond the standard considerations, including features like trigger locks and even more rear buttons than you’d expect.
When it drops, the Ayaneo Next 2 will have shells available in both ‘Polar Black’ and ‘Aurora White’. It’s worth stressing that it’s not expected to be released until June 2026.
Do you think the Ayaneo Next 2 is worth more than $4,000? Let us know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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