AYANEO has been delivering premium handhelds at an impressive rate, and they do not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Their latest teased device sounds to be their most ambitious handheld yet: the AYANEO KUN.
AYANEO held a live Youtube stream on Jan 18th sharing news of the Air Plus and Pocket Air.
During that event they also gave a tiny bit more info on the AYANEO Slide and Next II (two devices we knew about) and teased something new; the KUN.
No images of the KUN were shared. In fact, no info at all. Just the name.
But in a post to the AYANEO website today (January 29th), Arthur Zhang gave a bit more info on what to expect from the AYANEO KUN.
AYANEO KUN
The first topic of discussion was about the various sizes of previous devices from the company.
Having handhelds with a screen at 5.5 inch, 6 inch, and 7 inch, AYANEO now hopes to address those who have been asking for a larger device.
A larger screen would intentionally be directed towards current and prospective users of the Steam Deck, which is a 7 inch screen.
Arthur did not define the exact size AYANEO intends to go with the KUN quite yet. But obviously, they want it to be big. Several available screen sizes between 8 and 10 inches were mentioned as possibilities.
Semi-Mobile
Specifically calling it a “semi-mobile scene”, Arthur Zhang clarifies that these are the kind of devices you’d likely be playing on the couch at home. Not necessarily made for portable convenience.
He continues by saying that it would be of importance that a larger device still be beautiful and ergonomically designed.
Arthur also makes it clear… he wants the KUN to be both large AND powerful.
He mentions a AMD 7000 series CPU, efficient battery life, a balanced weight, and the best control making use of hall joysticks.
AYANEO KUN Specifications
Not a lot of defined stats mentioned yet. But it’s quite early in their development of the KUN, and AYANEO are simply teasing the idea right now.
In fact, with so little info, it’s probably too early. But getting the hype train moving now will surely give buyers time to get their credit in order.
Only the following specifics were mentioned:
- AMD 7000 series CPU
- 8-10 inch touch screen
- Hall joysticks
Thoughts and Expectations
Because we know AYANEO intends to make a larger and more powerful handheld device, we should anticipate that it would look much more like their NEXT or AYANEO 2 devices with larger grips.
They do mention that they want to address weight and balance, but it will be a heavier and thicker device no matter how you spin it. So making the feel in the hands work is gonna be key.
And we have full faith in AYANEO to get the look and feel right. Just take a look at any one of their handhelds; they know what they are doing in the design department.
We will surely have LED rings surrounding hall joysticks and the best analogue triggers to match.
Our expectations about performance are equally promising.
The KUN should easily tear through modern AAA titles, and have no issues with even the most difficult emulation (Wii, PS3, Switch).
The NEXT handheld is one of the most powerful handheld gaming PCs we’ve ever tested, and the KUN is aiming for more powerful than that. So that tells us alot.
KUN Early Impressions
Obviously, we are going off of written thoughts about a device that does not exist yet.
But it is safe to say that this device is intended to be AYANEO’s biggest and baddest console to date.
It will feature all of the best components available. So it will surely come with a premium price to match.
But this is intended for the kind of people who are ready to spend a bit of money on something that is top of the line in every way.
Arthur Zhang even describes the KUN handheld as their “top flagship […] fine product”. So we know that AYANEO intends to really make this something that defines their legacy in the handheld market.
You can read the entire article about the AYANEO KUN here.
Needless to say, we are interested. And cannot wait to see actual concept images and more stats.
And you know we will be watching closely for details as they become available. Check back here for more in the future!
Anthony has been a video game lover ever since he can remember. He became a fulltime nomad in 2018, living throughout most of Asia. He focused his passion in retro gaming and began creating a game for the Game Boy Color while living in Nara, Japan during the 2020 pandemic. He is now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he spends most of his time gaming, going on long walks and meeting as many stray dogs as possible.
