Product test
Asus Rog Xbox Ally X tested: a first step, but (still) Xbox-unworthy
by Philipp Rüegg
Ayaneo Next 2: performance and price will make your ears prick up
11.2.2026
Translation: machine translated
The Ayaneo Next 2 is aimed at handheld gamers who are looking for "that little bit extra". With its high-end hardware, it leaves other handhelds far behind. However, this leap forward comes at a price - both financially and in terms of weight.
Are you annoyed by the fact that gaming handhelds usually only bother your eyes with medium graphics settings? Then you belong to Ayaneo's target group. The Chinese company has unveiled its new premium handheld Next 2. The Windows 11 device easily outperforms other handhelds and even comes close to gaming laptops in terms of performance.
But you also have to dig deep into your pockets: Prices start at 1799 US dollars for the variant with 32 gigabytes of RAM and one terabyte of storage space. With 64 gigabytes of RAM and the same storage space, the price is 2299 US dollars and for the most powerful version with a whopping 128 gigabytes of RAM and two terabytes of storage space, you'll even have to pay 3499 US dollars.
And these are the more favourable early bird prices. Ayaneo uses the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo for financing. You can pre-order the device there. Some of the devices will later cost up to 900 US dollars more. Delivery is scheduled for June 2026.
Hardware comparison with other handhelds
Handhelds are aimed at different target groups. The Switch and Switch 2 from Nintendo, for example, don't even pretend to have the best hardware. Valve's Steam Deck also lags behind some Windows handhelds in terms of hardware, but offers more convenient software with the Linux-based Steam OS.
Nevertheless, a hardware comparison is a good way to show how much power the Ayaneo Next 2 has.
Source: Ayaneo
Working memory and display
This is already evident in the RAM. Depending on the variant, Ayaneo's new console has 32, 64 or even 128 gigabytes of RAM on board. The Steam Deck OLED can't compete with its 16 gigabytes and the Switch 2 with 12 gigabytes certainly can't. Some Windows handhelds are at least available with 32 gigabytes. With LPDDR5X RAM, the Next 2 - like the Switch 2 - also relies on particularly fast RAM.
The Next 2 also outperforms almost all other handhelds when it comes to the display. With a screen diagonal of 9.06 inches (2400 × 1504 pixel resolution) and up to 165 hertz, it is far ahead of the Steam Deck OLED (7.4 inches, 90 hertz). The newer Switch 2 scores with 7.9 inches and 120 hertz, but only offers LCD technology.
The OneXPlayer X1 Pro, which markets itself as a handheld computer, trumps the Next 2 with a 10.95-inch screen diagonal, but also does not offer OLED. In addition, the Next 2 display shines much brighter than the competition with a peak brightness of up to 1155 nits, which is more likely to be between 500 and 1000 nits.
Battery and weight
The battery of the Next 2 is a real hit. It has a capacity of 116 watt hours (Wh) and is therefore more than twice as large as that of the Steam Deck OLED with 50 Wh. The Asus Rog Ally X has a capacity of 80 Wh. Ayaneo does not specify how long you can play with it. If you utilise the hardware to the maximum, the battery will only last a few hours despite its size. It's also worth mentioning that the battery's capacity is above the 100 Wh limit usually permitted by airlines. This means that it cannot be taken on board without special authorisation.
This huge battery also contributes to the fact that the Next 2 is no lightweight. It weighs in at a whopping 1.4 kilograms, which is almost three times as much as the Switch 2 at around 530 grammes. My colleague Phil is already complaining about the weight of 920 grammes of the Legion Go 2. The Next 2 is therefore likely to quickly cause lame arms when gaming. It weighs around twice as much as its predecessor, which was launched in 2022, and more than some laptops.
Processor and storage space
Ayaneo uses the latest processor technology. Depending on the variant, the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 or Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is used. Both are Zen 5-based chips with a powerful integrated Radeon GPU. The Steam Deck OLED still rattles with a Zen 2 chip. Zen 5 architectures are only slowly gaining acceptance in handhelds.
The storage capacity of up to two terabytes of SSD memory, on the other hand, is not quite so unusual. With the current hardware, only the Switch 2 lags far behind with 256 gigabytes of built-in memory.
Hall effect sticks and TMR sticks
The triggers utilise Hall Effect technology with magnetic sensors, which means they work wear-free and are not subject to stick drift. Thanks to the dual-lock mechanism, you can benefit from a shorter stroke in shooters, for example, resulting in a faster trigger point.
The Ayaneo Next 2 is one of the first Windows handhelds to offer TMR (Tunnel Magneto-Resistance) joysticks with adjustable torque. TMR enables greater precision and less wear and tear. This technology allows you to customise the resistance of the sticks.
In addition, there is a directional pad, two touchpads, four buttons on the shoulders and on the back as well as further freely configurable buttons on the front. The connections include two USB 4 Type-C sockets and a 3.5 millimetre audio connection. Two fans should cool the Next 2 down sufficiently.
What makes the device so expensive
The unusually powerful hardware for a handheld drives the price up.
One of the biggest price points is the RAM. RAM has generally become significantly more expensive due to the high demand caused by the AI boom. LPDDR5X RAM in the 128 gigabyte version alone currently costs well over 1000 euros / francs. In a stream Ayaneo CEO Arthur Zhang said that RAM prices had risen so much during development that the company was barely making a profit.
The large and very bright OLED display, the new high-end AMD processor, the large battery and the necessary cooling capacity are also reflected in the price. Last but not least, the small quantity of the device also has an impact on the price tag. Ayaneo manufactures niche products for particularly demanding handheld gamers and therefore does not produce rough quantities like Nintendo or Valve.
If you don't have the necessary change, you can also mod a high-end console yourself like this hobbyist:
Header image: Ayaneo
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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