New Steam Deck rivals are getting ridiculous, with 9-inch screens and 5x the performance, and I need one right now

Ever since the original Steam Deck dropped, other manufacturers have been quick to produce rival gaming handhelds with larger screens, extra features, and more powerful specs. However, the extent to which these brands are now pushing what a handheld can do is truly something else. Meet the Ayaneo Next 2, a handheld powered by AMD's ultra-powerful Strix Halo processor, with a GPU over five times more powerful than the Steam Deck, and now confirmed to include a ludicrously large and sharp 9-inch, 2,400 x 1,504 OLED screen as well.

We actually caught wind of an early version of the Ayeneo Next 2 all the way back in 2022, with an initial version of the device expected to include a discrete GPU, rather than the integrated one here. A few months ago, it was also confirmed that the revised version of the handheld would include the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Strix Halo chip. However, it's only now that the company has confirmed the device will include such a large and high-resolution OLED display. While it's impossible to say whether it'll make our best gaming handheld list when it finally drops, on paper it's one of the most powerful ever, and I can't wait to try it.

Taking to Twitt… sorry, X, the company revealed that its next "sharing session" video stream, happening tonight at 11:30 pm PST, will showcase the Next 2 in more detail. The post also revealed some more of the device's specs, specifically that it will have a 9-inch OLED with a 2,400 x 1,504 resolution, and this panel will have a 165Hz refresh rate.

The post also describes the new handheld as being "a true flagship, defined by its display" and that it will be "bigger, deeper, stunning" too.

A fresh image of the handheld also accompanies the post, and it appears to show the new screen in all its glory. It's possible the image is a render, and not a real photo, but if it is real, it suggests the screen looks absolutely incredible, with deep blacks, dazzling colors, and incredible sharpness.

Elsewhere, we've previously seen that this device is clearly larger than most existing handhelds, but that it has an impressively rounded and comfortable-looking shape. Moreover, the extra size of the device has given room for Ayaneo to add Steam Deck-like touchpads to each side, joining the more typical ABXY buttons, d-pad, and analog sticks. It also boasts dual-mode triggers, TMR sticks, an eight-way d-pad, and an "extra-large battery for long-lasting gaming."

As for that Strix Halo chip, we've seen the power of it before in our Asus ROG Flow Z13 review, with the huge integrated GPU it contains delivering true 1080p gaming performance at high detail settings. In comparison, the Steam Deck often struggles to hit playable frame rates at 800p, even with upscaling and running games on low settings.

Of course, all this power could mean battery life is terrible, it runs crazy hot and loud, and it's uncomfortably large. Plus, realistically, the resolution of the screen is pointlessly high for its size. So, there are plenty of reasons why this device could ultimately be completely ridiculous, but, boy, do I want to try it. However, buying one probably won't be on the cards, as other handhelds featuring Strix Halo, such as the GPD Win 5 and OneXPlayer OneXfly Apex, are currently projected to cost well over $2,000, and we'd expect the Ayaneo Next 2 to hit a similar level.