In January of last year, Ayaneo launched a crowdfunding campaign for its innovative handheld gaming devices, the Ayaneo Flip DS and Flip KB, both powered by AMD Ryzen. Just a month in, we managed to share some early impressions of these clamshell-designed gadgets. Fast forward, however, and the journey took an unexpected turn: the production of these promising devices has been abruptly halted.
Initially, the Ayaneo Flip had all the makings of a groundbreaking device. With updates that saw its internals upgraded from the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme-equivalent AMD Ryzen 7 7840U to the even more robust Ryzen 7 8840U, things were looking up. But then, on February 25th, Ayaneo dropped a bombshell—production was ceasing entirely. Backers were notified they had until March 27th to either request a refund or opt for a product trade for another Ayaneo handheld, albeit with the caveat of handling any price differences themselves.
This news is particularly disappointing for backers and tech enthusiasts who eagerly awaited the chance to hold the Ayaneo Flip in their hands once the crowdfunding phase wrapped up. With many outlets already having reviewed the device and with some backers reportedly receiving their units, it’s unfortunate that Ayaneo couldn’t meet the full demand of its supporters. Ayaneo is typically reliable with their crowdfunding projects, but this situation serves as a reminder that backing a project is an investment, not a guaranteed purchase.
I must admit, this development is quite disheartening. As I mentioned in earlier reviews, the Flip DS appeared to be a compelling option for those yearning for a modern successor to the beloved Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.
Sporting a dual-screen setup and packing enough power to emulate the Nintendo Switch while also handling proper AAA PC games, the Ayaneo Flip DS seemed poised to carve out a unique place in the handheld gaming landscape. Most competitors at the time seemed to fall into the “more expensive or less impressive Steam Deck or ROG Ally” category, with only a few exceptions offering truly standout features in their controllers or displays.
Alas, some dreams are not meant to be realized. On the bright side, the Ayaneo Flip DS and Flip KB models that have been released into the wild have now become hot collectibles. But if you aim to snag one, be prepared to part with a decent amount of cash, given their newly minted status as rare gems.
