I've just bought a Steam Deck, and I absolutely love it – but I'm already starting to feel the new-tech joy fade. Wouldn't it be even better if it had a nicer screen? And if it were more powerful? And if it had a slightly narrower design? And...?
That's the thing about tech: you always want more. And in tech, there's usually someone happy to provide it. So say hello to the Ayaneo 2, which could be the Steam Deck Pro you've been dreaming of.
The Ayaneo 2 is currently available on Indiegogo with an early bird price of $999 / £808 (excluding delivery and tax). And while it's a lot of money, you get a lot of power.
Is the Ayaneo 2 legit? And is it any good?
Yes and yes. This isn't vapourware: the team at Engadget have been putting it through its paces and they're very impressed. It's "like a Steam Deck, but fancier", and while the software could be better and the battery life is as much of an issue as it is with the Steam Deck itself, it's a powerful and impressive handheld – but unlike the Steam Deck it runs Windows, not Linux, so you should be able to run even more games on it.
It's a good-looking thing, with a single sheet of glass across the front of the device that's cut out for the buttons and joysticks. It's more manageable than the Steam Deck – 10.4 inches across to the Steam Deck's 11.7 – and it has triple USB-C ports as well as the obligatory 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card slot.
The big draw here is the processor, which is a Ryzen 7 6800U processor based on the Zen 3+ platform. That's considerably quicker than the AMD chip in Valve's handheld, and delivers a significant boost in performance. According to Engadget, it isn't as loud under pressure either.
The other big improvement is in the screen, which is brighter and sharper. That's probably not going to bother you in Vampire Survivors, but it'll make the likes of Elden Ring even more sumptuous.
I don't spend enough time on mobile gaming to justify one of these: the mid-range Steam Deck I've got is more than enough for what I need. But if you've been looking for a Steam Deck Pro and don't mind paying twice the price of Valve's one, this looks like a really good option.
