AYA-NEO, a handheld gaming PC, claims to be the “most powerful handheld gaming device”
The age of a new generation of gaming consoles is upon us. This holiday season, the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be available to consumers worldwide. However, with Microsoft’s decision to delay its anticipated launch title Halo Infinite to 2021, many might have to rethink which console to get. Others might even think of staying on PCs. If you are among the latter demographic, how about a gaming PC that you can take on-the-go and which allows you to play the latest games?
There’s already a market for such devices which has been filled by the likes of GPD’s portable PCs and the MIA Smach Z. There’s now a new competitor on this niche market which claims to be the “most powerful handheld gaming device”. Enter the AYA-NEO:
Above is the first video of an early prototype of the device in action; and it was such an early prototype that it was literally held by LEGO bricks. It is currently still in prototype, but has significantly evolved on the design aspect. It sports a Nintendo Switch-like form factor, complete with a touchscreen tablet and detachable controllers. Think of it like Alienware’s concept UFO handheld, but far from being a concept, the AYA-NEO aims to hit the consumer market within 2020 at a reported price tag in the range of $700.
Yes, if all goes well, this handheld gaming PC will be another option for your console purchase this holiday season along with the PS5 and Xbox Series X; although availability might be limited for the international market as compared to the Chinese one where the device originates. While the AYA-NEO cannot compare hardware-wise with those next-gen consoles, it’s still a PC with the official backing of AMD (according to the official announcement above) and with the entire Steam catalogue at its disposal. For its size, it also sports decent specs (as of writing) as follows:
- SoC: AMD 4500U
- RAM: 16GB DDR4-4266 LPDDR4X
- Storage: 512GB NVMe
- Display: 7-inch 1280x800 IPS screen
- Battery: 47 watt-hour
- Wi-Fi 6
- Detachable joysticks
While these are only prototypes, the performance seems impressive considering the sheer size and portability of this device. Sure, one could argue about building a PC with that money but the AYA-NEO is decidedly a niche device aimed at those who want to decently play the latest PC games on-the-go without being too fussy about the need for Ultra visual settings or 60+ fps.
So what are your thoughts on the AYA-NEO from what you’ve seen so far? If it piqued your attention, it might be worth keeping an eye out for the AYA-NEO on its official social media channels linked below from where I sourced the specs and details.
Official AYA-NEO Social Media Channels: Discord, Facebook Group, Reddit, Twitter, Instagram
