AYANEO KUN Impressions

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The handheld gaming PC market has never been so vibrant, with more options on the market than current-gen home consoles. However, with massive players such as Steam and ASUS making a serious move in this gaming sphere, smaller players might have a tougher time standing out in this competitive landscape. Despite being a smaller company, AYANEO is showing no signs of backing down and has been making a name for itself with premium-grade devices. The company even recently aired a livestream about its upcoming lineup of devices, the AYANEO REMAKE line, that includes retro-inspired handheld gaming PCs, mini-PCs and accessories.

While we’ll have to wait for the models within this line to become available, AYANEO has other options for you to consider. In fact, its most powerful, most premium device to date is available to purchase and should be shipping this month. I am speaking of the AYANEO KUN, which starts at $999 on the Indiegogo campaign page. As this is a crowdfunded project, caution is advised but AYANEO has a strong track record of shipping its products and this isn’t the first time that the company is going the crowdfunded route. In this impressions piece, I will share my experience after using the device for about a week.



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AYANEO has traditionally paid much thought to its packaging to offer a premium and unique feel to its products. For instance, their recent AYANEO Pocket Air Retro Edition featured retro-themed packaging even for the accessories that felt apt for an emulation device. But the premium appeal and attention to the unboxing experience has never been more evident than with the AYANEO KUN.

This handheld comes in a wooden box and that alone would have set it apart but that’s not all. The wooden box’s sliding cover is adorned with some classy print that even makes it suitable to be used as a desktop memorabilia for bragging rights. There’s also a hardcover, folded booklet that would have passed for a traditional scroll. The latter in fact shares the story behind the console’s namesake which hails from the ancient Chinese text Zhuangzi and also doubles as the device manual.

The packaging is definitely overkill for a console but also shows that with the premium price tag comes a premium packaging; and I haven’t seen any handheld packaging any more premium than that.

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When it comes to hardware, the AYANEO KUN also reflects its price tag. It sits neatly in the hands, with the curved lower ends accommodating the palms to make for an ergonomic experience. Such an experience is indeed required as the KUN is quite hefty at 950g and you’ll want an ergonomic and comfortable device to game on. Each key feels nice to the press and is easily accessible. Same goes for the back buttons which I think personally should be inclusions for every handheld and controller going forward. The joysticks are hall-based ones and offer a silky smooth feedback when used. However, the volume rocker requires some reach and might have been better positioned as a face button reachable with your thumbs.

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While the design is clearly inspired by the Steam Deck, the KUN packs its own twist to the formula. It has a front-facing camera which is mostly appropriate for face unlock and the button layout is still very much an Xbox-styled one. The KUN is also AYANEO’s first device to feature trackpads. These are very responsive and make navigating the Windows 11 interface much easier. They are indeed very welcome to set up the device and download gaming software as the large screen can make tapping on the touchscreen awkward. The touchpads are perfect for operating Windows 11 on a handheld as Windows isn’t exactly that friendly to use on larger touchscreen devices.

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As AYANEO’s top-of-the-line model equipped with the AMD 7840U chip, the KUN will handle practically every PC game you throw at it, even the latest titles. For instance, The Invincible plays at a smooth 60fps on the highest graphical settings, Days Gone‘s PC port runs at around 40 fps on high settings and Alan Wake 2 runs at 30 fps on medium settings. These performances are reflective of the device running at 30W TDP; and this is not the best the device can achieve as this can be cranked up to 54W for better performance.

The AYA Space app allows you to easily do so at the press of a button. It’s a neat companion to the KUN as AYANEO has fleshed out its software over the years to provide some really handy, user-friendly options such as adjusting TDP and fan speed, toggling performance overlay and customising shortcuts and back buttons.

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While I prefer handhelds to be smaller in general, the AYANEO KUN puts its large size to good use as the screen real estate it provides is remarkable. The massive (for handheld standards) 8.4" 2.5K IPS Screen delivers vibrant visuals with colours that pop. It really makes for an engrossing experience, especially for visually stunning games such as The Invincible and Days Gone, and the KUN does justice to those titles, even in its portable form factor.



Another draw to the KUN’s specs is its massive 75Wh/19500 mAh battery. This is larger than the 40Wh battery of the Steam Deck and ROG ALLY, and the KUN's chunkier one really makes a difference as it lets you game without having to worry. You might have to compromise between the graphics, fps and TDP settings, but I found that 30W TDP to be a sweet spot for providing around 3 hours of gaming on the newest as well as AAA games. And if you’re encountering some performance issues, you can still provide more power at the press of a button. Of course, for less demanding titles, you can expect even more game time.

It’s worth noting that despite the high power output that the KUN can deliver, the device doesn’t get overly hot. This is thanks to AYANEO’s custom heat dissipation that effectively cools the device to make it useable, even for extended AAA gaming.

With its specs, the AYANEO KUN is also well suited for emulation. I’ve had the time to test Switch emulation performance through Yuzu and was more than satisfied with the experience. At 15W TDP, Super Mario Odyssey runs at 60fps, with few dips in performance in open areas, and Furi runs at 45-50fps. By bumping up the TDP, you can expect better, more consistent performance on the system.

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The AYANEO KUN won’t disappoint in terms of performance. It will play practically every PC game you throw at it and also deliver compelling emulation performance at the convenience of a handheld device. By hooking it up to a monitor or even just a bluetooth keyboard, it can even double as a portable workstation. Its generous battery capacity and specs enables it to be this versatile.

However, at its starting price, the AYANEO KUN might not be as attractive of an option for a lot of gamers, especially considering what the competition has to offer. But if the latter models aren’t available in your area and/or the import fee would raise the cost further, you might want to consider the KUN as it ships worldwide. This device not only stands out not only with its unique packaging and premium craftsmanship, but also with its gaming performance, massive screen size, adjustable TDP of up to 54W and generous battery life. The device will target a niche audience and considering that the crowdfunding campaign has hit its funding goals, it does seem that there is indeed a demand for this device, despite being niche.


 

AlexMCS

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Thanks for this review. I have been considering this particular device for a while, ever since my sister got an Ayaneo AIR 2 and I was blown away by how good that portable PC was.

I'll definitely consider buying a newer revision in the next years.
 
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I'm the outlier that doesn't have gaming computer worth a damn, and I'd like to suggest that in these reviews there might be included a paragraph about how much of a companion piece this is to someone who might want to use it as a PC.

Considering the workhorse these machines are becoming, it would be nice to see how these things behave when connected to a pair of monitors, rat and keyboard.

Heck, I'm tempted to get a Deck and use it as my main computer.
 
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The Ultra Powerful Super Performance Pioneering Artistic Design Aestethics Curved No Sharp Edges Large Finely Arranged Epitome Global Peak Stunning Excellent Ergonomic Swift Innovative Support Unlocking True "Handheld Performance Beast" Low High Frame AAA Experience Excellent Performance Incredible Maximum Incredible Superb Performance Release Super Performance Release Comparable to Laptops™ New Beyond Imagination Astonishing Renowned Master Comparable Professional Big Lighting Effects Advanced Contactless Throttle-like Realistic (only halfway through xD ) Professional New Floating All-around Responsive Precise Brand New Custom Feast Expanding Exciting Dual Intelligent Large-size Native Custom More Diverse (wow even that haha) Available in the Future Utilizing Automatically Analyze Intelligent Immersive Surrounded Adjustable Folding Transforming significantlxy Improved Comprehensive Evolution Brand New Underlying Refreshing Integrated Visual Versatile Semi-Mobile

Wow... I dont know what to say.
That thing must really be good.
Marketing on the next level, I guess.
Finally something to beat this:
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Prans

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Ugh, that Dpad
yeah, I'm not particularly a fan of the looks and it's somewhat akin to the Xbox Series' d-pad. However, this can make it more suited for fighting games as you can execute diagonals easier but isn't that optimal for retro games.
Thanks for this review. I have been considering this particular device for a while, ever since my sister got an Ayaneo AIR 2 and I was blown away by how good that portable PC was.

I'll definitely consider buying a newer revision in the next years.

glad you found the article helpful. Although pricey, AYANEO has produced great hardware which stand the test of time. You can also consider this model when newer ones are released as the price will likely go down by then.

I'm the outlier that doesn't have gaming computer worth a damn, and I'd like to suggest that in these reviews there might be included a paragraph about how much of a companion piece this is to someone who might want to use it as a PC.

Considering the workhorse these machines are becoming, it would be nice to see how these things behave when connected to a pair of monitors, rat and keyboard.

Heck, I'm tempted to get a Deck and use it as my main computer.

it's very capable as a PC as it runs on Windows 11 out of the box, unlike the Steam Deck. I have a few lines about this in the article but if you wish, you can pair a Bluetooth keyboard or a portable monitor for productivity and the battery will provide ample juice for that. The large screen also makes it easier to work on compared to other handheld gaming PCs.
 

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it's very capable as a PC as it runs on Windows 11 out of the box, unlike the Steam Deck. I have a few lines about this in the article but if you wish, you can pair a Bluetooth keyboard or a portable monitor for productivity and the battery will provide ample juice for that. The large screen also makes it easier to work on compared to other handheld gaming PCs.
Thanks. These things get quite enticing, if one starts to think about all the space one can save on the desk.
It would be magic if they were able to make a dock with a connector that could just be placed upon, like the Surface keyboards, instead of a USB-C connector, but that is great as is.

Just get one willing slave to use one of these devices as a computer and game piece and let us know.
I'm interested in such an article.
 

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Thanks. These things get quite enticing, if one starts to think about all the space one can save on the desk.
It would be magic if they were able to make a dock with a connector that could just be placed upon, like the Surface keyboards, instead of a USB-C connector, but that is great as is.

Just get one willing slave to use one of these devices as a computer and game piece and let us know.
I'm interested in such an article.
I think ASUS have made some interesting moves in this area with their push for the XG Mobile extending to the Ally. I’ve used my Ally as a sole PC for a decent period of time before with this and I still do use it when for whatever reason my desktop needs to be out of commission for a while.

Other companies (GPD?) are using Occulink for a similar thing too. It’s not quite as versatile (or cheap) as slapping a keyboard onto the bottom (though again ASUS do have that covered to an extent with the Z13) it is a fun use case.
 

Prans

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Thanks. These things get quite enticing, if one starts to think about all the space one can save on the desk.
It would be magic if they were able to make a dock with a connector that could just be placed upon, like the Surface keyboards, instead of a USB-C connector, but that is great as is.

Just get one willing slave to use one of these devices as a computer and game piece and let us know.
I'm interested in such an article.
They do have a neat dock, although I haven't tried it with the KUN. But it looks appropriate for productivity use cases, making it easy to plug in a keyboard/mouse and even a monitor.
 

eyeliner

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I think ASUS have made some interesting moves in this area with their push for the XG Mobile extending to the Ally. I’ve used my Ally as a sole PC for a decent period of time before with this and I still do use it when for whatever reason my desktop needs to be out of commission for a while.

Other companies (GPD?) are using Occulink for a similar thing too. It’s not quite as versatile (or cheap) as slapping a keyboard onto the bottom (though again ASUS do have that covered to an extent with the Z13) it is a fun use case.
How comparable to the Ally is your desktop? I mean, any difference in performance if you have it plugged in to the monitors or peripherals?
Same usage of softwares, movies, MILF sex videos, etc... How does it fare?
 

Scarlet

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How comparable to the Ally is your desktop? I mean, any difference in performance if you have it plugged in to the monitors or peripherals?
Same usage of softwares, movies, MILF sex videos, etc... How does it fare?
It does everything I need it to. I have the lowest model of XG Mobile that’s a laptop 3080, vs the Desktop with a 3070 Ti in it. Both play Hitman 3 well enough for me on an UW 1440p monitor. Peripherals all work fine, though you’re obviously going to be bottlenecked by the number of available ports on these docks. XG Mobile has four USB As and an SD slot, which is plenty for most setups (mouse, keyboard, controller, mass storage?).

I can do some more thorough benchmarking at some point and write something up if it does interest. Something along the lines of “Can a Windows handheld replace your desktop?” with value comparisons etc.
 

AlexMCS

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Although pricey,

Over here it's much cheaper than the mainstream US alternatives.
I'm waiting for new model releases, specifically, for a better D-pad.
My sister's AIR 2 was already more expensive ($1100) than the KUN, since she bought the dock asnd some other accessories as well.
 

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