Ayaneo Flip KB handheld console reviewed: Excellent functionality, midrange performance

While the design of the Steam Deck console and all of its clones is streamlined, seamlessly integrating a screen along with game controllers on each side, it may seem quite bulky, especially when there are models with larger than 7-inch screens. To solve this problem, console makers turned to the original Nintendo DS clamshell design that allows users to open up and adjust the screen. This design is not as popular as the Steam Deck one at the moment, but more and more console makers are adopting it. Ayaneo recently tried its hand at it with the new Flip KB / DS model.

We got to test the Flip KB version that replaces the lower-side screen with a mini keyboard. The clamshell design is elegant and more compact than the usual Steam Deck clone, although it is a bit thicker too. Powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840U with eight Zen 4 cores and sixteen threads plus the Radeon 780M iGPU, this console stands out with great functionality and decent graphics power despite its TDP limited to 30 W.

On the plus side, we also found the 7-inch IPS screen with glossy coating and an average maximum brightness of 720 nits. Since the review model is a pre-mass-production unit, the resolution was locked to 1080p so we could not actually test lower resolutions that would require less power. Additional pros for this model include excellent game controllers, future-proof connectivity with USB4 and OCuLink ports, a fast microSD card reader and the AYASpace 2.0 control center.

There are some cons, as well, such as the CPU performance that is slightly inferior compared to other processors like Z1 Extreme or the older R7 7840U not limited to 30 W, while the overall power efficiency does not reflect the TDP limit. Full load fan noise is well above average even though the cooling system features a vapour chamber and battery runtime suffers because of the lower 45 Wh capacity, as well as the aforementioned locked resolution.