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What just happened? Gamers in the US now have a new option for portable PC gaming as Ayaneo, a Chinese handheld console manufacturer, makes its official entry into the American market. The company's 7-inch Next Lite and 8.4-inch KUN models are now available nationwide at Best Buy and the company's website.
Ayaneo isn't a household name like Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft, partly due to the limited availability of its products. Until now, its consoles were only accessible to US customers through imports from third-party retailers or ordering directly from China. However, that's about to change.
Ayaneo's latest devices are now available through Best Buy, providing American buyers a more accessible purchasing avenue. Domestic availability means faster shipping, expedient returns/repairs, and the ability to buy at retail stores for instant gratification. It also offers the brand more mainstream visibility beyond the niche enthusiast crowd.
The two Ayaneo models cover a wide range of performance and pricing. The flagship 8.4-inch (2560x1600) KUN, powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, offers 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage, and a beefy 75Wh battery. However, its $999 price tag faces stiff competition from the ROG Ally with its superior AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, more RAM, more storage, and larger 80Wh battery in the same price bracket. There is also the 8.8-inch Lenovo Legion Go at $749.99, which sports the same chip.
It's worth mentioning that Ayaneo updated the KUN with the faster Ryzen 8840U chip, but it isn't available yet.
Ayaneo's 7-inch Next Lite might be a better value proposition for the budget-minded. A Ryzen 7 4800U APU powers the handheld and has 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. It sports a 500 nits 1280x800 display, but the obvious attraction is its $399 price tag. This device undercuts rivals like the MSI Claw by $100-300. The closest competitor is perhaps the baseline 7-inch ROG Ally that sells for $500. However, these handhelds are also faster than the Next Lite's aging integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics.
While performance isn't always everything for Ayaneo fans, it might need to release more models offering a better value to appeal to a broader audience.