We reviewed the first AYANEO Flip back in May 2024, and we loved the concept. It emulated 3DS games brilliantly and is one of the best devices we've seen for it, but there were some issues that we really couldn't ignore. The setup process was a little convoluted, it was heavy, and because the second screen was much smaller than the first, gameplay sometimes felt a little disjointed. Now, AYANEO have announced the Flip 1S DS, and I'm hoping that it's righted some of those wrongs as well as added a few extra features to entice us in.
Right off the bat, the Flip 1s DS looks like a much more streamlined version of its predecessor, using all of the available space in a much more organised fashion. For starters, the second screen is an inch bigger than the original Flip DS, coming in at 4.5". It's also LCD rather than IPS and with an increased resolution of 1620 x 1080 instead of 960 x 640.
The main display remains 7", though AYANEO have upgraded from a 1080 IPS display to a 1920 X 1080 144Hz OLED display, which means games are going to look even crisper on this new device.
Our review of the original Flip DS
The original flip used the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U & 8840U chips for its CPU, variant dependent, whereas this new beast houses the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with AI technology. There's also a hefty memory upgrade too.
The stepless hinge design is always appreciated with clamshell handhelds, and the fact that the handheld is all made from a CNC metal panel is promising in terms of durability. It'll probably end up making a hole in your floor before doing any damage to the actual console!
Console-wise, the first Flip DS could handle all of our favourite retro (and current) consoles, upscaling games multiple times and playing PC games better than on the Steam Deck OLED. With these new specs, I can see it taking handheld emulation to a whole new level, especially considering the upgrades from Hall-effect joysticks to TMR electromagnetic ones and a vapour chamber for cooling.
The Flip 1s DS has a message of 'bigger is better, and power is everything.' It's all looking great on paper, but it probably means a much bigger price tag will be coming with it. One of our main gripes with the original was that it was way more expensive than the Lenovo Legio Go and the ASUS ROG Ally, with the standard version costing $939 and the maxed-out specs version costing $1479.
I can't imagine the Flip 1S DS coming in at anything under $1,000, which means it's going to be tough for people who already own the original to justify upgrading. Still, if the move from AYAspace 2.0 to the 'convenient device management' promised with AYAspace 3.0 sorts out a lot of the setup issues and corrects the problems that Rob found in his review, then it might make that price tag much more appealing.
I don't have any other information about release date or price as of yet, but you can be sure that those will be heading our way very soon. Keep an eye out here for more updates as and when I get them!
