Ayaneo has officially listed its Next 2 gaming handheld on its website, reversing an earlier decision to suspend pre-orders due to unsustainable storage and memory costs. The device now carries a premium price, with the top-tier model reaching an astonishing $5,299.
This exorbitant cost is largely attributed to the high-end specifications, particularly the inclusion of an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU, a component described as a "Strix Halo beastie." The top configuration also features a 2 TB SSD and a substantial 128 GB of LPDDR5x-8533 RAM. While the NAND flash storage prices are acknowledged as high, the significant portion of the price is attributed to the extensive RAM.
The Ayaneo Next 2 is positioned as a high-performance Windows-based machine, but the necessity for 128 GB of RAM in a gaming handheld is questioned, with speculation that its utility might extend to AI-related tasks. Despite the high cost, there are more accessible, though still expensive, variants available. A model with 64 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage is priced at $3,699. The entry-level option, featuring 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, is listed at $2,999, with shipping anticipated to commence by the end of the current month.
These prices place the Ayaneo Next 2 significantly above mainstream consumer expectations for handheld gaming devices. For context, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, previously considered a high-end option, retails around $1,000. The extreme pricing of the Ayaneo Next 2 suggests a niche market for ultra-high-specification handhelds, though the value proposition for such configurations remains a subject of debate for the average consumer.