And it's "just" $650
Chinese firm Aya Neo has already made something of a splash in the handheld gaming arena thanks to its Windows-based portables, but they've always been held back by the fact that they're so expensive, often costing over $1000.
However, the firm is expanding its lineup to include the Aya Neo Air, which will cost just CNY 4,399 (~US$649) when it launches later this year. That's still a big chunk of change, but that price point makes this a more realistic rival for the Switch – although it's worth noting that it's still more expensive than Valve's recently-released Steam Deck.
Announced alongside the more powerful Aya Neo 2 and Aya Neo Slide, the Air will serve as the company's entry-level handheld and is powered by an AMD Barcelo APU which includes RX Vega graphics architecture. This means it will have less processing muscle than its siblings, both of which boast the Ryzen 7 6800U chipset with RDNA 2 graphics – but those products will also cost more.
However, the company still claims that the Air will be capable of running the likes of GTA V, Forza Horizon 5 and Cyberpunk 2077 (with low graphical settings, as seen in the video below) and the fact that it has an OLED panel means it is superior to its stablemates in that regard – Aya Neo's other products all use IPS screens.
It has also been confirmed that the Air lives up to its name by weighing just 420g, which makes it lighter than the Switch OLED Model.
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About Damien McFerran
Damien has been writing professionally about tech and video games since 2007 and oversees all of Hookshot Media's sites from an editorial perspective. He's also the editor of Time Extension, the network's newest site, which – paradoxically – is all about gaming's past glories.
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Comments 63
Having an OLED screen already makes it better than the Steam Deck with that pathetic dim cheap screen it uses.
$650? Why don't they make it a grand, these prices are crazy when gaming laptops have far better specs and cost around the same price, these portables will only be worth it when costs are significantly more cheaper and affordable, but I guess the market for these things has to be competitive for that to happen 1st
@huyi I assume that making a handheld device with good performance and good thermals is harder than making a laptop. Sure, you can get similar or better specs for cheaper on laptops, but you lose a lot of the portability too.
That said, I'm not interested in this device. Even Steam Deck looks kind of rough, but mayble the next iteration of Steam Deck is worth checking out.
@dew12333 Well, Nintendo has traditionally been the console maker with best success in handhelds. So I think it makes sense to take a look at some competition. Even if these are PCs and not consoles in traditional sense.
It's reported here because it's a gaming hand held, and the only large scale competition in that space is..... Nintendo. It's a shame the Youtube isn't higher quality, I just watched it at 1440p and it still looks like Dirt 5 is running at 15 fps (which I'm sure it's not). Agree with the Microsoft/Xbox idea - I'm sure MS keep tabs on the demand for handhelds (Steamdeck etc) - if they wanted to bring something to market I'm sure they could these days....
The only device that will rival the Switch is another affordable piece of tech that works easily right out of the box with plug and play games, and has brand power on par with Disney (the easy part). People aren't buying a Switch for the tech power or flexibility. They buy it because it's something a kid can pick up with ease and so can an adult with no time or inclination to tinker with an operating system, and because it plays Mario, Zelda, and Kirby games. How many times does Nintendo have to succeed with laughably outdated tech before this sinks in.
Maybe this Chinese companies should focus not only on performance but also in the ability for the average gamer to buy the thing. The Switch didn't sell 100M units by just having a good library, it did by having a price tag people could seriously consider.
If it had touch controls along with sticks I'd be interested. Sadly the only one that does this is the deck. Making it the only handheld worth a damn for fps games.
@Bl4ckb100d the average gamer can’t even get a PS5 and especially the Steam Deck right now. What chance does this have in comparison? Lol
Also TBF the Switch had a period of time where the average gamer couldn’t get a Switch either
@Rika_Yosh*take Funny, I own a Steam Deck, and one of the first things I did on first use is reduce the brightness. I suspect you haven't actually tried Valve's handheld, but I would be remiss in not advising you to see an opthalmologist with urgency if this is not the case.
I am commenting here to say I don’t comment on articles with cybertwaddlepunk in them xxx
These devices are nice, but they’re still handheld PCs that require some tinkering to get the games to play you want them. Most console owners, they just want to pick and play the game with zero settings adjustments. Linus said it best, these devices are for the serious people who love to play with the nut and bolts, the “normies” will keep buying the Switch, consoles and other smart type devices.
On a personal note, it’s good to see Valve get a little competition in their market.
@PrioryChat Since you can play Xbox in the cloud, you bring your own device it. While I’d love a dedicated Xbox handheld, I think they’re not going to do it at this point. xCloud is pretty damn good.
Sounds interesting as an emulation device, been thinking about doing something with my OG Switch but would prefer windows based.
@Dragonslacker1 But you commented, so that was a lie.
@Arawn93 Those are/were supply chain issues, not pricing issues.
Oof. That right thumbstick location. It's actually worse than the Switch. Hard pass.
It's a bit of a hard sell, the battery life on these things have always been a bit shoddy, coupled with lack of physical games and high price point, it's a hard pass from me.
When you can buy a gaming laptop with better specs than this for around the same price. Why would you consider buying this?
@Anti-Matter guess you’ll never join pc master race then.. physical games haven’t been a thing for decades on pc. Might as well just face it that physical will eventually not be around forever on consoles either. Its ultimately costing more then its worth. Manufacturing costs cut into the pure profits the digital sales bring plus drive up the cost of the consoles themselves with the need to include a media drive of some sort and with nearly all big players going all in on streaming and subscription based systems physical media is gonna die fast.
Not to mention that for most cases the Physical media itself is not playable straight off the disk or cart and still requires a chunky download or update or drm check to run. Your honesty tricking yourself into thinking you physically own something thats really just a physical peice of drm for there online system to check to make sure you can play the digital game on your system. This isn’t always the case of course and allot of Nintendos carts are playable but outside of that for the most part the difference between owning the digital game and the ps4 5 or xbox disk is just a security check file on the disk. That and your able to physically sell the disks witch is the only thing keeping it going as a thing.
I don't understand why they keep releasing this... They clearly don't have the money to back it up and make it more affordable, like Valve or Nintendo have, and their devices tec isn't that much impressive, that one would choose this over the others. Even if I could buy this, I still wouldn't and get a Switch instead. This device looks like a nightmare in the making, since I believe it's not easy to repair or replace if something happens.
@Williamfuchs420
I don't play PC games anymore since year 2014.
Also, my games are all physical, with more than 350 games altogether from 14 different machines.
I don't play games like majority users here played.
I'm different.
Considering the design and wieght this is actually more appealing to me than the steamdeck. It'll be an emulation machine for the most part but if it can hit ps3 then maybe...
@Bl4ckb100d Not every market has to appeal to 100 million people. I don't think people are buying literal Windows computers for a bit of couch gaming with the family.
@Anti-Matter good for you wonder how many of those 300 will actually be playable when those systems go down…
GTA V turns 10 by next year and the PS3 could run it as well. I‘m pretty sure the Switch could also run it easily, so there‘s not really an argument (yes, enhanced version etc. but still the same game).
Cyberpunk: Yes that one is probably harder to port to the Switch, but I guess that a studio like Sabertooth or Panic Button could get it done.
So what‘s the point? Buy a steam deck instead (if you‘re able to get one that is) if you want more power and let this thing to fade to obscurity.
@Williamfuchs420
They will not last forever, they are not either eternal things. They will aged and will be unplayable someday, but I'm fine as I will getting older and passed away, I will not carry my games to other world.
@Rika_Yosh*take would you say the same thing about the switch if this came out before the switch got an oled model ?
@Rika_Yosh*take Yup, couldn't agree more.
That OLED screen really makes those low fidelity, yet still inconsistently performing graphics pop.
For direct comparison, who would want that when you can have an OLED instead?
https://youtu.be/u2N6b13BLVI
@Would_you_kindly The original Switch had a mediocre screen too, however it's not a expensive device. This thing cost $650 and the screen is just bad for that kind of price.
I'm sure there's patents preventing it but, if a company really wants to put up a good fight against Nintendo, they'd release a system that comes with a dock, 2 detachable controllers, and a kickstand. As cool as one of these looks, I just know my hands would get tired after a while and I'd want to take the controllers off and set the screen on a table or a desk or something. And I can't help but worry about what happens if there's drift or like my PS4 controller the L trigger makes it think the left analog stick is pointing up. On the PS4 or Switch I can just toss the bad controller out and use another one, it's a bit more complicated when the controllers are attached to the system itself.
As long as Nintendo has/develops their own exclusive games, Nintendo has nothing to worry about.
Every single nintendo title is pretty much an instant multi-million seller that keeps its strong sales over years(!).
What other dev can say that?
It's still the software that sells hardware (duh).
Nintendo is pretty much the "best" developer in the world. Their games stand for quality and fun for the whole(!) family. People know that.
@Rika_Yosh*take the steamdeck doesn't cost 650 it costs £350 the same as the switch oled
@Williamfuchs420 PC Master race this PC Master race that, wish we could all stop using that term. PC is great. Console is great. People pick different things for different reasons. I used to only play PC games and now I hardly touch my steam library. The ease of throwing a disk in and starting the system and it just boots up and works trumps better graphics/performance on PC. Everyones different though, not to mention the fact that there is a barrier to entry on custom PC's. Not one that is impossible to overcome, but daunting none the less if you know nothing about PC's. Plus the parts price tag is...yeesh.
Physical games may not be here forever, but I will gladly take them over digital exclusive games. They can't unlist it from my games collection when I have it physically. ¯(ツ)/¯ All of your points are true and valid, but i'd rather own something physical than stream it/rent it/buy it digitally. Everyones different, future is always changing. Worlds just getting more anti-consumer.
This is what nobody thought about when everybody was so convinced that “Switch Pro” was coming out. You want a portable device that can natively render 4K? The cost on that is going to be sky high. Let alone how you all thought all of the existing games would all of a sudden magically be native 4K also 😆
I might consider this if it is indeed sold where I am at the promised price point and given that I can connect it to a monitor for PC functionality. Its about the price of a decent laptop and Valve likely can't/won't expand to our region with the Steam Deck so it won't have any competition. I've seen sellers here locally carrying Aya Neo products so I am hopeful this becomes available.
On the plus side I didn’t notice any pop up from the background and the console looks nice.
Negative side - the car appeared to pop large/small a few times and the cost of it ouch.
And it looks like the D-pad is being held by two rubber bands!
It's like AYA doesn't make these for normal humans, none of their portable PC especially the ones that are aim for non-gamers all are price no lower than $1000. Who in the age of inflation would want to pay that kind of money for what is essentially a computer in a handheld shell. Lower your damn price or else your company won't make it to ten years.
@KoopaTheGamer maybe if the prices were more fair but yeah, I still think laptops still have a place for portable gaming still
That Dirt 5 video is dreadful! The music, the unusual way he uses the left stick, the bad driving...!!
Spend less on the R&D and save some money for your marketing materials I say!!
Never understand it. You've spent millions making this thing, and then you put out this dreadful video to promote it? That's My first impression of your product right there. Dreadful! Sideline your marketing and PR and you will not get very far in gaming.
It's an exciting time for handheld gaming. We're moving into a period of time now where the handheld market is very close to delivering the performance of a console - OK we're not quite there yet, but this is looking close to PS4/X1 which, particularly when you look back on PS Vita... is quite a big change!
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