[Gadgets] The Ayaneo Air Plus is the next would-be Steam Deck killer

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If you’ve been following the handheld PC craze of late, you’ll know it’s a very kinetic category. And with ASUS throwing its hat in the ring, expect to see even more gaming handhelds trying to steal a bit of the Steam Deck’s lunch. Ayaneo, a relatively unknown player just a couple of years ago, has become one of the more prolific names in this space and its newest handheld, the Air Plus, is its latest effort to tempt folks over to the warm waters of portable PC gaming.

If the Air Plus looks familiar, that’s because it’s the third iteration of Ayaneo’s “Air” series and it comes with a choice of either AMD or Intel chipsets. The model we’re looking at here has the Ryzen 6800U processor, meaning it’s technically very similar to the Ayaneo 2 we reviewed a few months ago. Why make two handhelds with very similar specs? Because many people want the performance of the Ayaneo 2 in a more portable form factor. While both are portable in the broadest sense of the word, the Air Plus is a shade smaller than a Nintendo Switch (albeit somewhat thicker), unlike the Ayaneo 2 which has a profile closer to the Steam Deck.We should clarify right up top that this generation of Windows-based gaming handhelds don’t come cheap. While the entry-level 64GB Steam Deck will set you back $400, the base Ayaneo Air Plus costs $790 for early birds before it eventually retails for $979. That’s a lot more money — even if you chose the Steam Deck with the same internal storage (512GB), it would still only cost $649. That said, a lot of people really don’t like the size and weight of Valve’s handheld and appreciate the extra flexibility and power most of these alternatives offer. The success of Ayaneo’s last Indiegogo campaign tells us there’s an appetite for these devices regardless.While size is a key selling point here (the Steam Deck is over 2 inches wider and an inch taller), perhaps more importantly, Valve's handheld is over five ounces (145g) heavier. That extra heft does allow for more controls; there are no touchpads or rear buttons here. That said, the Ayaneo sneaks in a few clever controls along the top and on the lower edge for tasks like bringing up the onscreen keyboard or jumping out of Ayaspace to the desktop. The Air Plus also sports two USB-C ports which opens up the possibility to use peripherals at the same time as charging it.

 

Link: https://www.engadget.com/ayaneo-air-plus-mini-steam-deck-163047036.html