Yesterday, I’ve come across news of a new AYANEO power bank for handheld gaming consoles. It was also this time, I realized the company has some cool gaming handhelds, with the AYANEO Slide winning me over.
AYANEO Slide, unlike many gaming handhelds in the market, features a slide-out display – like those classic slider phones. In fact, the display slides to reveal a hidden built-in keyboard, which is more convenient than the on-screen keyboard.
Besides the two, AYANEO Slide has AMD’s Ryzen processor, up to 4TB of internal storage, and 64GB RAM. But does this mean the gaming handheld is better than the famous Lenovo Legion Go which also utilizes a Ryzen chip?
Verdict: 7 Things to Know About AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld
- AYANEO Slide gaming handheld has a fast Ryzen processor
- AYANEO Slide gaming handheld has up to 64GB of RAM
- AYANEO Slide gaming handheld has plenty of local storage
- AYANEO Slide gaming handheld has a built-in keyboard for easy typing
- AYANEO Slide gaming handheld has built-in RGB on joysticks & keyboard
- AYANEO Slide gaming handheld lacks a built-in trackpad to emulate the mouse
- AYANEO Slide gaming handheld might not be ideal for kids with the screen sliding out (it wobbles)
Summary Features & Specs of AYANEO Slide Handheld Gaming PC
| AYANEO Slide Handheld | Lenovo Legion Go | |
| Release Year | November 2023 | October 2023 |
| Dimensions | 8.8 in x 3.5 in x 1.1 in | 11.8 in x 5.2 in x 1.6 in (W/ controls attached) |
| Weight | Approx. 650g | Approx. 854g (640g without controllers) |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 – 7840U | Ryzen™ Z1 Extreme |
| CPU | 8-core Zen 4 (@ 3.3 – 5.1GHz) | 8-core Zen 4 (@ 3.3 – 5.1GHz) |
| iGPU | 12x Radeon 780M (up to 2700Mhz) | 12x Radeon 780M (up to 2700Mhz) |
| Operating System | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Max. TDP | 28W | 30W |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 – 64GB | 16GB |
| Built-in Gyro | YES | YES |
| Built-in Storage | 512GB – 4TB (+ MicroSD card) | 512GB (+ MicroSD card) |
| Display size | 6.0 inches (LCD) | 8.8 inches (LCD) |
| Display Brightness | Up to 400 nits | Up to 500 nits |
| Handheld Gaming Resolution | 1080p FHD (up to 120Hz) | 1600p QHD+ (up to 144Hz) |
| Docked Mode Support | YES | YES |
| Built-in Tracking pads | NO | YES |
| Battery Capacity | 46.2WHrs | 49.2WHrs |
| Wireless Connectivity | Up to WiFi 6E tri-band | Up to WiFi 6E tri-band |
| Built-in LAN Port | N/A | N/A |
| Standard 3.5mm Audio Jack | YES | YES |
| Type of USB Port | 2x USB-C | 2x USB-C |
| HDMI Output | N/A | N/A |
| Bluetooth Connectivity | YES (V5.2) | YES (V5.2) |
| Built-in NFC Chip | N/A | N/A |
Design of AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld
AYANEO Slide brings forth an innovative design, with a rugged build, and ergonomic controls.
If I start with the design, you can get the gaming handheld in either black or white styling. And this is a great option if you prefer cool stylings (like black finish) that don’t draw much attention. Or else go for white if concerned about smudges, which the black AYANEO collects easily.
AYANEO Slide features a rugged build, with a PC + glass fiber housing for that premium feel and enhanced durability. The front (navigation) buttons adopt the famous ABXY layout that we’re already familiar with. Then, the analog joysticks are hall-sensing for high-precision gaming without the issue of drift and dead zones.
Further, the joysticks have built-in RGB lights to color up your gaming mood. The integrated keyboard (under the sliding display) also has RGB lights, with a range of color effects under the settings.
It is also worth mentioning that AYANEO Slide has molded grips on the rear that conform to the natural curvature of the palm. The overall size of the gaming device is also compact enough to carry around and with a decent width. So, your fingers won’t stretch much, allowing long gaming hours without muscle fatigue.
Power of AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld
AYANEO Slide fits the bill if in the market for a handheld gaming console you can play latest PC games. It utilizes the 4nm AMD Ryzen 7 – 7840U chip, with an 8-core Zen 4 CPU that clocks at a base frequency of 3.3GHz and up to 5.1GHz on boost mode. Then, the internal GPU (iGPU) is a 12-core Radeon 780M that clocks at a frequency of up to 2700 MHz.
In a nutshell, these CPU/ GPU specs are similar to those we see on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip of ASUS ROG Ally X. As a matter of fact, AYANEO has put together the slide gaming handheld with a high-speed memory of up to 7500MHz. So, the performance should be about the same for the two rivals.
Then again, while ROG Ally X has 24GB RAM, AYANEO Slide has some of the variants with 32GB and another 64GB.
Of course, more RAM doesn’t always equate to a better performance. But some games may load up faster and play much more smoothly.
Software of AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld
AYANEO Slide is a Windows-based gaming handheld, which comes preinstalled with Windows 11. It also comes with a proprietary software, AYASpace 2, that helps you navigate the system with some amazing features and seamless interactions.
If it’s the games, the AYANEO software brings all of them, whether from Steam, Epic, or any other launcher, under one library. Hence, making them easy to access since you’ll not have to launch each launcher.
The AYANEO AYASpace also brings a host of control settings that you can adjust with ease. Some of the settings include an option to adjust the TDP power profile, CPU turbo toggle, fan speed, gyroscopic function, controller parameters, RGB lighting, performance monitor, et cetera.
AYANEO has included the Slide gaming handheld with a quick button to surface the software and make fast adjustments. The quick settings available at this time are the various options I’ve mentioned above.
Video Clarity of AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld
AYANEO Slide has a 6-inch 1080p Full HD display that delivers clear pictures, rich in color. The display, as I mentioned earlier, can slide out to reveal the physical keyboard hidden under it.
What I didn’t mention, though, is that this screen of the AYANEO portable console can be adjusted after sliding out. You can adjust the display at various angles, ranging from 10° to 30°, to enhance your gaming experience in varying situations.
All that said, the display of AYANEO Slide only maxes at 400 nits in brightness. Thus, may not be as enjoyable as the Steam Deck OLED (at 1000 nits) when gaming outdoors.
Note: AYANEO gaming handheld can be connected to an external display via the integrated Type–C USB4 port. And according to the company, the docked mode supports up to 4K@60Hz resolution.
Storage Option of AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld
AYANEO Slide has more local storage than you may need. The base model, yes, comes with 512GB SSD, but you can upgrade with up to a 4TB.
Alternatively, you could get the AYANEO handheld that comes preinstalled with a 2TB SSD, which is also upgradable to 4TB. Or else get the top-tier model that comes with 4TB storage.
In addition to the internal storage, all the AYANEO Slide consoles have a built-in slot to add a MicroSD card. Hence, the reason I’ve said you’ll have more than enough space for your games and other digital data.
Battery Life of AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld
AYANEO Slide has a core system similar to that of ASUS ROG Ally X (or original model), Lenovo Legion Go, and other well-known handheld gaming PCs. As such, we can expect the power usage of all to be identical or closer.
For instance, the AYANEO Slide handheld has a 46.2Whrs (12000mAh) battery, slightly more juice than the Original Ally.
In a demanding game like Marvel’s Spiderman, this AYANEO console has a battery life of around 1 hour and 5 minutes when playing at maximum TDP, 1080p resolution, and 50% brightness. Then, for the same game at 15W TDP, 1080p resolution, and 50% brightness, the battery lasts about 1 hour 50 minutes.
If you’re on Zelda, AYANEO Slide battery life lasts about 2 hours 20 minutes at 12W TDP and 1080p resolution. Then, an Indie game like Celeste gets nearly 4 hours of battery life at 5W TDP and 1080p default settings.
Note: AYANEO Slide handheld comes with a 65-watt charger that takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%.
Availability of AYANEO Slide Gaming Handheld in Australia
AYANEO Slide is already available locally at various dealers in case you want to buy it. At the time of writing, the AYANEO gaming handheld price in Australia starts at $1,449. See below:
- AYANEO Slide with 512GB/ 16GB memory at $A1,449 (or $699 in the US)
- AYANEO Slide with 512GB/ 32GB memory is only available in the US at $799
- AYANEO Slide with 2TB/ 32GB memory is only available in the US at $959
- AYANEO Slide with 4TB/ 64GB memory is only available in the US at $1299
As you can see, dealers here in the country only have the base model of the AYANEO Slide console. The other three models with a bigger memory status are only available in the US, which I suppose is still through Indiegogo.
As with most of their gaming devices, AYANEO was crowdfunding for the AYANEO Slide production on Indiegogo. And according to the news shared earlier this year, the fundraiser campaign was successful, raising $254,865.
A Cool Hidden Keyboard but Limited
What have you liked most about the AYANEO Slide console so far? While still incomparable to the likes of Steam Deck and Nintendo in popularity, we can all agree this gaming handheld truly packs some amazing features. In my case, I do like several things about it, but my favorite feature is the sliding display.
Besides sliding out, the screen of AYANEO Slide can be adjusted at an angle to accommodate various gaming scenarios. The screen also assumes a floating-style design, with an automatic spring and well-polished adjustment rail. So, it (the screen) slides out smoothly and with less effort than some of those old slider phones.
Once the display is out of the way, the built-in keyboard of the AYANEO console becomes visible. The keyboard features a Qwerty layout for quick typing, plus a numeric keypad to access office functions and function keys fast. Hence, you won’t have difficulty navigating the Windows systems as with the handheld gaming consoles that only offer an on-screen keyboard.
Unfortunately, the presence of an onboard keyboard to the AYANEO Slide does pose one drawback: some games don’t recognize controllers. In this issue, the AYANEO console recognizes keyboards instead of joysticks and other controllers when gaming.
Two of the games on AYANEO Slide that seem to have this issue (of unrecognized controllers) are The Witcher 3 and God of War. The games force you to play with the keyboard, which can be tricky with the small buttons.
Nevertheless, a. quick Software update with a toggle button for the keyboard could help solve this issue. And I do hope the company offers it alongside the firmware update for the faster 7500MHz memory.
