Ayaneo Next 2: A Handheld That Thinks It's a Laptop

Think of a handheld that refuses to play small. Ayaneo's Next 2 arrives like a pocket-sized summit climber — ambitious, heavy, and impossible to ignore.

At first glance it's a familiar shape for handheld PC fans. Look closer and the hardware reads like a trimmed-down gaming laptop. The top-tier Next 2 uses AMD's Strix Halo Ryzen AI Max+ 395, a Zen 5 design with 16 CPU cores, paired with a Radeon 8060S GPU that Ayaneo says approaches the punch of a laptop RTX 4060. Short sentence. Big implication.

Memory choices push desktop-like limits. The highest spec offers 128GB of LPDDR5X at 8000 MT/s, and the system can expose up to 96GB of that as GPU-accessible memory—useful for intensive workloads and demanding game textures alike. Storage scales up to 2TB on the flagship build.

The display refuses to compromise: a 9.06-inch OLED panel at 2400 × 1504, 165Hz refresh, full DCI-P3 coverage and a claimed 1,155 nits peak brightness. Colors. Contrast. Smooth motion. For content creators and competitive gamers who need both fidelity and framerate, this panel checks multiple boxes.

Then there’s the part that makes airline rules frown: an internal 116Wh battery. Most powerful gaming laptops stop at 99Wh to avoid special approvals for cabin transport. Ayaneo chose capacity over convenience—more runtime, more thermal and power headroom, and yes, a weight penalty. The Next 2 tips the scales at roughly 1.4 kilograms, more than twice the mass of a Steam Deck. It feels substantial. It’s not meant to be a pocket companion on a quick commute.

Controls and I/O aim for versatility. Two touchpads flank the display. Four programmable rear buttons sit beneath your palms. Dual USB4 Type-C ports handle power delivery and external displays. Triggers are linear hall-effect units with a two-stage lock and adjustable tension. Little details, but they speak to a device positioned as both a handheld and a compact workstation.

Curious about money? Ayaneo opened pre-orders on Indiegogo with tiered pricing that climbs fast. Early-bird offerings undercut final retail, but even the discounted figures land in premium territory:

• Ryzen AI Max 385 / 32GB / 1TB — Indiegogo: $1,799 | Retail: $1,999
• Ryzen AI Max+ 395 / 64GB / 1TB — Indiegogo: $2,299 | Retail: $2,699
• Ryzen AI Max+ 395 / 128GB / 2TB — Indiegogo: $3,499 | Retail: $4,299

Shipments are slated to begin in June 2026. So who is this for? If your workflow demands raw compute in a mobile form — and you can live with carrying something closer to a small brick than a handheld toy — the Next 2 promises a unique trade-off: desktop-class power in a handheld footprint.

It’s not a device that will replace ultralight laptops or consoles for everyone. But for a specific crowd — power users, portable workstation seekers, and enthusiasts chasing the highest mobile performance — Ayaneo is offering an unapologetic option. Heavy, hot, loud, and capable. Pick your adjectives. Pick your priorities. The Next 2 asks you to decide which matter most.

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