AYANEO NEXT II handheld rivals Xbox Ally X — but airlines might not love its desktop‑class guts. Here's why we see a red flag, despite loving everything else.

I previously reported that AYANEO announced the NEXT II, its newest flagship handheld, with some truly insane specs and features that border on the ridiculous side.

While the powerful AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor and massive 9.06-inch OLED display with a super high refresh rate and resolution are impressive, it was really the 115Whr battery that made my eyes widen.

The AYANEO NEXT II might have more impressive specs than the Xbox Ally X, but that battery could cause problems for anyone who wants to fly with this niche gaming device.

For those of you who don't know, in the US, UK, and Europe, any device with a battery that's larger than 100WHr needs to get approval before it can be taken on a commercial plane. And in many locations, a 100Whr battery or higher cannot be checked in baggage.

As such, anyone who owns the AYANEO NEXT II will technically be required to go through this approval process if they want to fly with their handheld, whether or not an airline or TSA security holds you to it.

Now, I personally always bring a handheld gaming PC when I go on a plane trip since it helps pass the time. As such, the idea of having to worry about this is very unappealing and makes the Xbox Ally X a better choice.

Insane specs for better or worse

Outside of the battery, there are a few other things about the NEXT II that stand out for better or worse.

Going back to the processors, AYANEO's upcoming Windows gaming device will feature an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which is a more powerful chip than most other handhelds.

For instance, the Xbox Ally X's AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (8-cores, 16 threads CPU with RDNA 3.5 Radeon 890M integrated GPU) has largely been considered one of the most powerful handheld APUs (accelerated processing units), but the AI Max+ 395 (Zen 5 Strix Halo 16-cores, 32-threads CPU, RDNA 3.5 Radeon 8060S integrated GPU) is more powerful than it, with double the cores and threads.

What's more, the Xbox Ally X APU's TDP reaches up to 35W, but the NEXT II APU's TDP is up to 85W. This means that, depending on settings, AYANEO's handheld can take far more power to run, which could deplete the battery very quickly.

Then there are the NEXT II's dimensions and weight to consider. Given its larger-than-average screen and impressive specs, this device is likely going to be large and weighty.

As an example, the Legion Go 2's 8.8-inch OLED is considered massive compared to other handhelds, but the NEXT II's display is even bigger at 9.06 inches, so I'm expecting the NEXT II to be fairly large in size and heavy to boot (for a handheld).

The Xbox Ally X weighs 1.57 pounds (715g), which is somewhat hefty, but it offsets that hand and wrist strain with some of the very best ergonomic grips on a handheld to date. Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2, with its even higher 2.03 pounds (920g), has detachable controllers, so you don't have to hold it. But there's no such relief for the NEXT II.

Of course, with all that said, I really don't think AYANEO has designed the NEXT II for the average consumer. This is certainly a niche device for PC handheld enthusiasts who are willing to pay a much higher cost for the premium of premium handhelds.

An official price hasn't been revealed yet, but based on other AYANEO devices, it's very possible it could cost $2,000 or more. So once again, this isn't meant for everyone. But AYANEO said that itself by saying this device is for "True gamers."

At any rate, I'd be less inclined to travel with such an expensive device when there are other, less expensive handheld gaming PCs available.

But what do you think about the NEXT II? If price weren't an issue, would you like this handheld? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Powerful handheld 💪🏻

AYANEO NEXT II (COMING SOON): at ayaneo.com

The AYANEO NEXT II is an upcoming Windows handheld with a powerful AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, a 9-inch OLED display that can reach up to 2,400 x 1,504p and 165Hz refresh rate. It also has a huge 115Whr battery. No price or release date has been revealed yet.

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AAA gaming🎮

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X: $999.99 at Best Buy

The Xbox Ally X is currently the most powerful Windows handheld on the market, and it's ideal for AAA gaming. However, it can also be used for high-end emulation. It offers a 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. It also currently offers the best built-in grips of any handheld.

Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

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Cloud gaming ☁️

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally: $599.99 at Best Buy

This less powerful Windows handheld is great for retro gaming, classic game emulation, and cloud gaming. It also features a 7-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate, but comes with an AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. Once again, those defined grips make it very comfortable to hold.

Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Detachable controllers 🎮

Lenovo Legion Go 2: $1,109.99 at Best Buy

This particular handheld comes with a next-gen Z2 Extreme processor, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. Unlike other PC handhelds, this one has detachable controllers; one can be used like a mouse in FPS mode. It also has a relatively large OLED display.

Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

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