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| The Ayaneo Next II will have a 9.06-inch 165Hz OLED display. |
Just when you thought the handheld gaming PC market couldn't get any more exciting, Ayaneo is back with a bombshell. Hot on the heels of a reveal for their more compact Pocket Vert, the company has held an extensive "sharing session" for their long-anticipated flagship: the Ayaneo Next II.
First teased back in 2022, the Next II has been a subject of intense speculation. Now, after a two-and-a-half-hour live deep dive on YouTube, we have a much clearer picture of what Ayaneo is building—and it looks less like a handheld and more like a portable gaming powerhouse designed to push the boundaries of the category.
For all the dedicated fans who want to see the source material, you can check out the full, detailed announcement on the official Ayaneo website.
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| The Ayaneo Next II will have a massive 115Wh battery and dual cooling fans. |
A Display Fit for a King: 9-Inch OLED with Blazing 165Hz Refresh Rate
Let's start with the headliner: the screen. The Ayaneo Next II will feature a massive 9.06-inch OLED display with a sharp 2400 × 1504 resolution. In a market where 7-inch screens are the norm, this immediately sets the Next II apart, offering vastly more screen real estate for immersive gaming.
But the specs get even more impressive. Ayaneo claims a peak brightness of 1100 nits, which should make for a vibrant, HDR-ready picture even in well-lit rooms. The refresh rate soars to a buttery-smooth 165Hz, a first for Windows handhelds of this size. For those who prioritize battery life, the display can dynamically switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz. Furthermore, Ayaneo is addressing a common concern with OLEDs by implementing 5280Hz PWM dimming, a feature aimed at reducing eye strain for sensitive users during long gaming sessions.
Raw Power: An 85W AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Processor Under the Hood
As previously hinted, the heart of this beast is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. The most staggering detail revealed is its maximum TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 85W. To put that in perspective, most current handhelds like the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally operate in the 15-30W range for a balance of performance and battery life.
An 85W TDP suggests that the Next II is targeting desktop-level performance when plugged in, potentially making it the most powerful handheld ever created. Ayaneo has indicated that this will be the only processor variant available, leaving RAM and storage configurations as the remaining unknowns. Pushing this much power requires serious cooling, and Ayaneo promises a robust dual-fan system with high-efficiency fins for heat dissipation and voltage regulation.
The company has been actively engaging with its community about this ambitious project, sharing insights and teasers on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
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| The Ayaneo Next II has an 8-way D-Pad and two circular touchpads. |
A Battery to Match the Ambition: A Whopping 115Wh Cell
With great power comes… a great need for electricity. To ensure the Next II isn't permanently tethered to a wall outlet, Ayaneo is fitting it with a massive 115Wh battery. This is a monumental capacity in the handheld space.
To give you some context, this is a 53.3% increase over the already large 75Wh battery in the Ayaneo Kun and more than double the 55.5Wh capacity found in popular devices like the Lenovo Legion Go S (curr. available on Amazon for $579.99). While the 85W processor will undoubtedly drain this quickly, the large capacity should provide reasonable unplugged gameplay for less demanding titles or when using a lower TDP.
Premium Controls and Connectivity Galore
Ayaneo is not cutting corners on the inputs and ergonomics. The Next II borrows heavily from the high-end Kun model, featuring dual circular smart touchpads—a rarity in handhelds that PC gamers will appreciate. The control suite includes:
- TMR Joysticks for precision.
- A floating 8-way D-Pad for fighting and retro games.
- Hall Effect triggers (magnetic, for drift-free operation) with trigger locks to adjust pull distance.
- Four customizable geometric rear buttons and programmable LC/RC shoulder buttons for extensive input mapping.
- A magnetic levitation motor for advanced haptic feedback, compatible with both linear and rotor motor modes.
For connectivity, it boasts dual USB-C ports, offering flexibility for charging and accessories simultaneously, along with a standard audio jack. The design is finished with an Ayaneo RGB nameplate on the top, flanked by air vents to feed that hungry cooling system.
If you want to see this beast in action and hear the details straight from the source, the entire lengthy reveal was captured in this YouTube livestream.
The Big Questions Remain: Price and Release Date
Despite the exhaustive sharing session that left few technical stones unturned, Ayaneo held back on the two most critical pieces of information: the price and the release date. Given the top-tier components, especially the large OLED display, the powerful AMD chip, and the enormous battery, the Ayaneo Next II is poised to be a premium, niche product with a price tag to match.
The Ayaneo Next II is shaping up to be the most ambitious handheld of 2024, a true "no-compromise" device for enthusiasts who want the ultimate performance in a portable form factor. While we wait to learn when we can get our hands on it and for how much, one thing is clear: the bar for high-end handheld gaming has just been raised.