At the start of last year, Ayaneo set its sights on the crowdfunding space with quite a buzz, introducing the Ayaneo Flip handhelds: the Flip DS and Flip KB, both powered by AMD Ryzen. We even managed to get our hands on the Flip DS for some early impressions, and it certainly looked promising. But, much to everyone’s surprise, the full-scale production of this gadget has been suddenly called off.
Excitement had been building, especially with reports of hardware getting a boost from the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme-equivalent AMD Ryzen 7 7840U to a heftier Ryzen 7 8840U. This made Ayaneo’s sudden February 25 announcement all the more shocking: production of the Ayaneo Flip devices would be halted, and backers had only until March 27 to either request a full refund or switch to another Ayaneo handheld. The catch? Any price differences needed to be covered by the customers themselves.
This move is a blow to backers and tech enthusiasts who had been eagerly anticipating their new gadget after the crowdfunding wrapped up. The fact that units were sent to reviewers and some backers received theirs makes it all the more frustrating. Ayaneo usually has a commendable track record with their crowdfunding efforts, but this situation is a stark reminder of the risks involved—backing a project is more akin to an investment rather than a straightforward purchase.
I really feel for those who were looking forward to witnessing those spectacular features of the Flip DS in action. As I previously highlighted, this device had the potential to be a worthy successor to the beloved Nintendo DS and 3DS.
Its intriguing dual-screen design and substantial power for emulating the Nintendo Switch, alongside playing AAA PC titles with added second-screen multitasking capabilities, placed the Ayaneo Flip DS in a league of its own within the handheld gaming sphere. It offered something more than just the standard selection; until now, our choices mostly revolved around “Steam Deck or ROG Ally, but with minor tweaks and a steeper price”.
Yet, sometimes things unfortunately don’t pan out as hoped. On a more optimistic note, the few Ayaneo Flip DS and Flip KB units floating around are now veritable collector’s treasures. Their rarity makes them highly coveted, but be prepared for a steep price tag if you’re thinking of snagging one.
