Ayaneo Next II revealed in latest redesign as new flagship Windows gaming handheld to beat
The Ayaneo Next II has undergone another redesign since its debut over three and a half years ago. Initially teased with AMD Ryzen 6000 and Intel Alder Lake processors, Ayaneo then redesigned the handheld in early 2023 with Ryzen 7000 series APUs and a dedicated GPU solution. Quietly shelved, the Next II or Next 2 returned over the summer with AMD's newer and more powerful Strix Halo architecture, albeit with its original design.
Now, the Next II has reappeared with its second major redesign. Closer to the variant showcased in 2023, the new model introduces various ergonomic tweaks like a repositioned d-pad, circular trackpads and new tertiary shoulder buttons. Meanwhile, the handheld's rear now features adjustable trigger switches and configurable buttons, just like Lenovo's recent Legion Go S (curr. $694 on Amazon).
Ayaneo has clarified that the Next II will ship with TMR joysticks, Hall effect triggers and an 8-way floating d-pad, along with what it describes as a 'customised top-tier screen'. Although the company has not revealed display specifications yet, it previously claimed that the panel would span at least 8-inches. In that sense, the Next II appears to be a natural successor to the Kun, despite being previewed before Ayaneo's 8.4-inch handheld.
Unfortunately, Ayaneo has not elaborated on when the Next II might be available. Instead, the company continues to state that the handheld is coming soon, with no pricing information at this point either. If the comparable GPD Win 5 or OneXPlayer OneXFly Apex are anything to go by, then Ayaneo will offer the Next II in Ryzen AI Max 385 and Ryzen AI Max+ 395 SKUs with between 32 GB and 128 GB of RAM at its disposal.
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