Can you believe it’s been more than three months since the AYANEO 3 was first teased? Since then, we’ve started a whole new year, a bunch of us went to CES, and somehow, Powkiddy has released more new handhelds than Anbernic.
Well, after subtly throwing out more teasers since October, AYANEO finally pulled back the veil on its latest x86 handheld, the AYANEO 3. The Indiegogo campaign is officially live, but there’s a lot more going on than what you might expect.
AYANEO 3 Specs
- Display:
- 7-inch Borderless
- Screen Type and Resolution:
- OLED: 1920 x 1080 | 800 nits | 315 PPI | 144Hz
- LCD: 1920 x 1080 | 500 nits | 315 PPI | 120Hz
- Processor:
- AMD Ryzen AZ 9 HX 370
- AMD Ryzen 7 8840U
- RAM:
- 16GB | 32GB | 64GB LPDDR5X
- Storage:
- 512GB | 1TB | 2TB | 4TB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0
- Battery and Charging:
- 49Wh
- 65W Power Delivery w/ Bypass Charging
- Connectivity:
- “Latest Ultra-fast WiFi” | Bluetooth 5.3
- Ports:
- 2x USB 4 | 1x OCuLink | 1x microSD | 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Optional Modules:
- Standard:
- Joystick + D-pad + ABXY + Conductive Rubber
- Joystick + D-pad + ABXY + Thin-Film Micro-Action Buttons
- Touchpad Joystick:
- Touchpad + D-pad + ABXY
- Fighting:
- Joystick + Eight-way D-pad + Six-button
- Standard:
- Joysticks & Triggers:
- RGB Hall Joysticks
- Hall-effect Triggers
- Speakers:
- HyperSound 2.0 | Large-Cavity Dual Speakers
- Extras:
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader | Customizable Rear Buttons | Controller Switch Button | Hardware-level Keyboard-Mouse Mode | SoundTAPMagic Vibration
- Dimensions: 298.8 x 115 x 22.4mm
- Weight: 690g
- Colors: Starry Black | Sky White | Retro Power
AYANEO 3: Configurations Galore
The first choice that you’ll have to make when choosing which model you want is between an OLED or LCD screen. If you opt for the OLED panel, you’ll enjoy up to 800 nits of brightness, HDR compatibility, and a 144Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the LCD screen tops out at 500 nits of brightness, and comes in with a lower 120Hz refresh rate.
From there, we have two different processor options, as you opt for either the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U or the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. Many handhelds released in the past year feature the 8840U, so we already know what we’re getting there. However, there aren’t very many that make use of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.
After picking your screen and processor, then it’s just a matter of deciding how much RAM and storage you want, along with the color. Configurations start with 16GB/512GB and max out at 64GB/4TB. It’s truly mind-boggling just how many options we have to choose from, and if you need proof, check out the the entire pricing chart above, courtesy of Mr. Retro Game Corps.
Availability and Opinions
According to the Indiegogo Campaign, the AYANEO 3 has an “estimated shipping” date of April 2025. That’s a couple of months away, and at the time of this writing, AYANEO already hit its surprisingly low “Flexible Goal” of $6,420.
That being said, something that took me off guard was seeing that the base model starts at $699, with Early Bird pricing. Plus, it’s the same price regardless of whether you opt for LCD or OLED.
Besides that, you’ll also notice that the “Sky White” color is only available with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 paired with 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. This is pretty disappointing to see, but perhaps AYANEO is trying to cut down on the potential backlash if swapping the modules ends up scratching away the finish.
Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that the Modular Controller Kit is only bundled with the Retro Power models. Otherwise, you’ll have to spring for another $99 during the Early Bird period, with the kit retailing for $139 at launch.
Nevertheless, now’s the time to get your order in if you’re interested in picking up the AYANEO 3. After the Early Bird pricing comes to a close, it only goes up from there, regardless of which model you’re after.
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