AYANEO's NEXT 2 is a 9-inch handheld with AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395

AYANEO has revealed new performance footage and hardware details for the NEXT 2, a 9.06-inch Windows handheld powered by AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. The device pairs a 2400x1504 OLED screen with an unusually large 116Wh battery to support its high-wattage internals.

The NEXT 2 pushes the boundaries of what actually counts as a portable device. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is part of AMD's Strix Halo lineup. This architecture was designed to deliver discrete-level graphics performance without a dedicated graphics card. It is a 16-core, 32-thread chip with integrated Radeon 8060S graphics. Putting a chip of this size into a handheld requires serious thermal management. To keep the silicon from melting through the plastic chassis, AYANEO built a dual-fan cooling system with massive exhaust vents.

This is either genius or madness. Possibly both. Running a handheld at a 55W thermal design power requires a massive power source, which explains the 116Wh battery. For context, the Steam Deck OLED has a 50Wh battery, and the ASUS ROG Ally X has an 80Wh battery. Taking a 116Wh battery on an airplane might even require special approval, as the Federal Aviation Administration generally caps carry-on batteries at 100Wh without airline permission.

Adjustable joysticks and dual touchpads

The controls include adjustable-torque TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) joysticks. Players can physically change the thumbstick tension to their liking. TMR sensors consume less power than traditional Hall effect sticks while offering similar immunity to stick drift. The setup also includes an eight-way floating D-pad, Hall effect linear triggers with dual-stage locks, and four geometric rear buttons for custom macros.

Like the Steam Deck, the NEXT 2 has dual smart touchpads on either side of the display. Windows 11 is still notoriously difficult to navigate with a standard controller. This makes touchpads a practical necessity for any handheld PC that lacks a custom operating system. The front of the device also houses stereo speakers, and the top and bottom edges are packed with USB4 ports for connecting external displays or storage.

Performance and a premature sequel

The device runs at a 55W TDP during the gameplay segment. The performance metrics are high. The hardware maintains between 80 and 120 frames per second at 1200p resolution on High settings. The 9.06-inch OLED panel provides plenty of screen real estate. The sheer size makes the NEXT 2 look more like a compact tablet flanked by controllers than a traditional handheld.

The performance overlay labels the game as Forza Horizon 6, which Microsoft has not announced yet. The footage is clearly Forza Horizon 5. Typo aside, hitting over 100 frames per second in a modern open-world racing game on a battery-powered device is a serious hardware flex. The Strix Halo architecture was designed specifically for these kinds of heavy workloads. Seeing it run locally on a handheld proves the concept works.

The original AYANEO NEXT launched in 2022 as a premium device, but the NEXT 2 completely abandons the mainstream market. Pricing and pre-order details are available through the official AYANEO website. Devices with Strix Halo chips are just starting to hit the market. Packing one into a chassis with built-in controllers is a brutal engineering challenge. The resulting hardware is heavy, expensive, and absolutely fascinating to look at.

Most importantly, this video proves that I'm a better driver in Forza Horizon 6 than at least one person on this planet.