Ayaneo just opened preorders for the Next 2, a Windows 11 handheld that’s so large and so expensive it stops competing with Steam Deck-style devices and starts flirting with gaming laptops. If your dream handheld is “bigger screen, bigger battery, fewer compromises,” Ayaneo is betting you’ll accept the bulk.
You’ll feel the trade the moment you pick it up. The Next 2 measures 13.45 inches wide and 10.3 inches tall, and it weighs 3.14 pounds, more than double the original Ayaneo Next from 2022.
The configurations jump fast
The gap between “starting” and “spare no expense” is massive. The top config also matches the same Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip used in the GPD Win 5, so the premium tier is clearly aimed at buyers who want high-end Windows performance without building a full laptop setup.
Color options are simple, polar black or aurora white, with shipping expected as early as June 2026.
A screen built to flex
The front is a 9.06-inch OLED screen with a 2,400 by 1,504 resolution, and an adjustable refresh rate from 60Hz to 165Hz. Ayaneo claims a peak brightness of 1,155 nits, which is in a different league than the Switch 2’s roughly 450-nit LCD panel. That’s the kind of spec that helps in brighter rooms. It also makes the whole device harder to shrink.
Around the display, Ayaneo packs in TMR joysticks with adjustable torque and ring lighting, Hall effect triggers that can switch to shorter travel for FPS play, dual smart touchpads, and four rear buttons. Up top you get two USB-C ports, a microSD card slot, and a proper headphone jack.
The battery that changes the deal
Inside is a 116Wh rechargeable battery, backed by dual fans for cooling. Ayaneo hasn’t shared battery life estimates yet, so it’s still unclear how long AAA games run when you push performance and refresh rate.
There’s also a real-world catch, 116Wh is above the common 100Wh limit for carry-on devices, so airline approval may be required if you want to fly with it. If you’re shopping the Next 2, treat it like a premium, stay-put Windows handheld, and wait for battery life details before you lock in a config.
The Ayaneo Next 2 price starts at $1,999 for a Ryzen AI Max 385 model with integrated Radeon 8050S graphics, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of SSD storage. A limited early bird deal drops that entry tier to $1,799. The maxed-out build hits $4,299, or $3,499 with the same discount, and jumps to a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with a Radeon 8060S iGPU, 128GB of memory, and 2TB of storage.
