The crowdfunding campaign has come to a screeching halt, several weeks ahead of schedule.
Since AMD first announced its Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU, many gamers have imagined that they could do without a dedicated graphics card and still enjoy the latest games under the best possible conditions. There's a reason for this: AMD's processor is equipped with an integrated Radeon 8060S graphics solution, comprising no less than 40 RDNA 3.5 processing units. On paper, that's halfway between the GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4070. On paper...
There are those who dream of such a chip in their notebook, while others envisage a mini-PC for the living room. But some, like AYANEO, had even crazier dreams: to integrate the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip into a handheld console barely more massive than a Steam Deck. Well, no, significantly more massive than a Steam Deck. Significantly heavier and more power-hungry too. This console was the NEXT 2, and AYANEO had launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo a few weeks ago.
A logical price tag, but one that makes you shudder! AYANEO
This campaign launch provided an opportunity to take stock of the NEXT 2's key functionalities, including the fact that it was to feature a 9.04-inch diagonal screen, for good measure. AYANEO also mentioned a 116 Wh battery to support the nomadic nature of its solution. This was not without its problems, given that many airlines impose restrictions on devices exceeding 100 Wh. But that's not what set AYANEO back... because, yes, if we're talking about this NEXT 2 in the past tense, it's because the crowdfunding campaign has just been halted by the brand.
There were undoubtedly many technical reasons for stopping the project, but it was silly financial issues that got the better of the NEXT 2. Indeed, launched at prices that were already prohibitive - up to $3,499 for the most muscular version - the NEXT 2 didn't allow AYANEO to make any profit whatsoever and, worse still, the galloping inflation experienced by DRAM and NAND compromised the project's fragile financial equilibrium. AYANEO therefore preferred to cut its losses before disaster struck, but announced that orders already placed would be honoured. 177 backers have already placed their trust in AYANEO: they should receive their console, which is already a collector's item!
