The handheld gaming market is heating up with the upcoming launch of the Steam Deck, a portable PC that can run Steam games on a 7-inch screen. However, the Steam Deck is not the only contender in this space, as a Chinese company called Ayaneo has announced its own handheld device, the Ayaneo Kun, which boasts some impressive features and specifications.
What is the Ayaneo Kun?
The Ayaneo Kun is a handheld gaming device that runs Windows 10 and can play PC games on an 8.4-inch, 2560 x 1600, 500-nit IPS screen. The device is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor, which has eight cores and 16 threads, and can be configured with up to 64 GB of RAM and 4 TB of SSD storage. The device also has a dedicated cooling system that can dissipate heat efficiently and allow the processor to run at up to 54 watts in turbo mode.
The Ayaneo Kun has a lot of buttons and controls, including dual touchpads, quad back buttons, Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, HD linear motors for rumble, and a kickstand. The device also has a front-facing camera that supports Windows Hello for face login and streaming. Additionally, the device has an optional 4G module for cellular connectivity.
How does the Ayaneo Kun compare to the Steam Deck?
One of the main advantages of the Ayaneo Kun over the Steam Deck is its battery life. The Ayaneo Kun has a whopping 75 watt-hour battery, which is nearly double the size of the Steam Deck’s 40 watt-hour battery. According to the company, the Ayaneo Kun can last up to three and a quarter hours at 15 watts TDP, which is nearly twice as long as the Steam Deck’s estimated two hours at the same wattage. However, it is unclear how long the battery will last at higher wattages or while playing demanding games.
Another advantage of the Ayaneo Kun is its screen size and resolution. The Ayaneo Kun has a larger and sharper screen than the Steam Deck, which has a 7-inch, 1280 x 800 screen. The Ayaneo Kun’s screen also has a higher brightness and color gamut than the Steam Deck’s screen. However, the Ayaneo Kun’s screen has a lower refresh rate than the Steam Deck’s screen, which supports up to 60 Hz.
The Ayaneo Kun also has more storage options than the Steam Deck, which comes in three variants: 64 GB eMMC, 256 GB NVMe SSD, and 512 GB NVMe SSD. The Ayaneo Kun can be configured with up to 4 TB of SSD storage, which can store more games and files. However, the Ayaneo Kun does not have a microSD card slot like the Steam Deck does.
How much does the Ayaneo Kun cost and when will it be available?
The Ayaneo Kun is not a cheap device, as it costs more than twice as much as the Steam Deck. The Ayaneo Kun starts at $1,209 for the base model with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage, and goes up to $1,949 for the top model with 64 GB of RAM and 4 TB of SSD storage. The early bird prices start at $999 for the base model and $1,749 for the top model.
The Ayaneo Kun will be available for crowdfunding on September 5th on IndieGoGo. However, there is no guarantee that the device will be delivered on time or meet its quality standards. The company has previously launched other handheld devices such as the Ayaneo G1 and G2S, but they have received mixed reviews from users and critics.
The company claims that it will ship the first batch of devices in October 2023, but it is unclear how many units will be available or how long it will take to fulfill all orders. The company also says that it will launch its own online store in November 2023 for direct sales.
