Ayaneo just announced the price of two Steam Deck rivals, and the cheapest model costs near $1,000 USD. The new range offers a similar experience to Valve’s handheld gaming PC, but it looks like we’ll need to wait a little longer for a proper price tag competitor to emerge.
According to the announcement, the Ayaneo 2 and Ayaneo Geek cost a chunk more than the Steam Deck, with respective pricing starting at $949 and $1,099 USD. The cheapest Geek model matches Valve’s top-end device with a 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM, but wields a punchier 7 6800U APU.
If you’re looking for better than Deck specs, beefier Ayaneo 2 and Geek variants come equipped with 32GB memory and a chonkier 2TB drive. Of course, souped-up spec options come with loftier tags attached, and the most expensive of the bunch will set you back $1,549 USD.
It’s worth noting that Ayaneo is offering a limited “super early bird” discount across the new handheld gaming PC range, meaning you can grab the cheapest Geek variant for $799 USD. That’s still more than Valve’s 512GB Steam Deck, but Ayaneo’s AMD Zen 3+ APU could help sweeten the deal.
The Ayaneo 2 and Ayaneo Geek are expected to arrive in December, but the company is arguably still catering to the premium scene, rather than truly trading blows with Valve. That said, Steam Deck orders are temporarily on pause in Canada, so eager on-the-go enthusiasts could end up opting for a pricer alternative rather than waiting.