Boutique gaming brand Ayaneo has rolled out its latest innovation, the Ayaneo Flip DS. This 7-inch 120Hz handheld gaming device, complete with a secondary screen, is clearly a nod to the iconic Nintendo DS. It aims to bring the dual-screen gaming experience back into the spotlight.
Inside the Flip DS
Renowned tech journalist Brad Linder of Liliputing gets a hat tip for highlighting Ayaneo's marketing strategy involving a well-timed “leak.” He revealed that both the Flip DS and its sibling, the Flip KB, are armed with AMD's Ryzen 7 7840U processor. This chip is currently powering a variety of flagship Windows gaming handhelds, including some from Ayaneo's own lineup.
While the potent AMD processor may seem much for emulating Nintendo DS games, the secondary screen is the real star. It addresses a significant gap in the emulation world where the accurate depiction of Nintendo's unique top-and-bottom screen layout has been hard to come by. Currently, most handhelds and even some smartphones can emulate the DS, but they either display the screens side by side or allow you to switch between the top and bottom screens.
Crowdfunding and future plans
Interested in the Ayaneo Flip DS? It won't be a straightforward purchase. Ayaneo has a history of crowdfunding its projects and is notorious for teasing product details slowly, building suspense up to their Indiegogo launches. The company also has a habit of announcing new designs more quickly than it can actually ship them out. By the time reviewers get their hands on an Ayaneo device for testing, the company has often already moved on to a newer, more advanced model.
At present, Ayaneo has a pipeline of products waiting for release, including multiple handheld PCs with various features and a new device featuring Qualcomm's latest chip. The company recently began shipping its inaugural Android handheld device this September, adding to its repertoire of nearly a dozen Windows-based handhelds released over the past two years. This raises questions about how Ayaneo manages to fund its ambitious projects.
