Zen 5-powered gaming handheld launches with modular controller design — Ayaneo 3 starts at $699

Popular handheld gaming console maker Ayaneo released its third-generation flagship device for crowdfunding. It features a groundbreaking modular controller design. According to the Indiegogo page, the Ayaneo 3 comes with a Standard Module (featuring joysticks, a D-pad, and the ABXY buttons), a Touchpad Module (replacing the joysticks with a touchpad), and a fighting module (replacing the right ABXY and joystick with a six-button module).

What makes it even more helpful is that you can mix and match between modules and install them upside down. This gives you 56 layout combinations, allowing you to customize it to your taste and your game. We’re just a little concerned that the Ayaneo 3 uses a motor to eject the module, which makes ejecting a controller module a bit more complicated than necessary. Still, we’d like to see it in the flesh before passing judgment.

Aside from this, the company is also using AMD’s latest processor to power one of the variants of the Ayaneo 3. You can get the console with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, making it one of the first companies to use this in a gaming handheld. However, you could also choose the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor if you think that you do not have that much power in your hands.

The Ayaneo 3 comes in many flavors: users can pick a 7-inch 120 Hz LCD with up to 500 nits maximum brightness or a 7-inch 144 Hz OLED screen that can go brighter at 800 nits. Note that the prices for both displays are the same, so it would depend on your preference when choosing between the two. Memory configurations also start at 16GB for the 8840U but could go as high as 64GB when you select the HX 370 processor, while storage starts at 512GB but could be configured up to 4TB if you do not like uninstalling games.

The Ayaneo 3 starts at $899 for the base model, which doesn’t include the extra controller modules, but it could go as high as $2,099 if you want its maximum specifications. However, the company offers a discount between $200 and $300 if you purchase the handheld during the campaign.

You should also note that the more affordable configurations do not include the extra controller modules—they are only included for most 64GB/2TB versions of the handheld console. The company also doesn’t sell these modules separately, so you must get the more expensive variants of the Ayaneo 3 if you want them.

At the time of writing, the company has already reached its target funding of $50,000, meaning this device is likely on its way to production. Aside from that, Ayaneo has a good history of delivering on its promises, so backers have a high degree of confidence that they’ll get the device they want.

However, crowdfunded projects, even if they hit their target, still do not guarantee that you’ll receive a finished product, no matter how good the track record is of any company. Buying at this stage means you’re investing in the company and carrying a part of the risk of launching a new product. But in return, you get a nice discount and be among the first to receive it.