The (Mostly) Ultimate Handheld PC

[@dynamicide]

Bro keeps it so real that’s why I love him. Right off the bat admitting this isn’t something you’d buy and saying it better justify the cost made me confident you’d give this thing a solid test.

[@Boogie_the_cat]

Yup. Even though they sent him one for free, he is not a slave to them. Most tech KZbinrs lie out their ass if it will at all benefit them. No shame, no honesty. That's why I watch Russ even though I'm not in the market for a gaming device. I have a fine PC I built, but it's refreshing to hear someone's honest opinion on new tech, instead of the same old song and dance and hype nonsense.

[@aguiarjr9814]

this is why he's the GOAT

[@orez1236]

Hello. what do you think about making a drawing? I want to see the drawing program on it. is it good or not? AYANEO KUN

[@flux_6223]

Thank you for not only mentioning the price, but doing so less than a minute into the video. So nice to see something that would be an instant turn off for many actually be stated up front instead of dancing around the issue the whole video and making you check yourself.

[@Bushidounohana]

Retro Game Corps-Always comprehensive, considerate, and in the spirits of this review, kun, even. Great work, as always, Russ! (And, to squash the rumors-I do not have the guns that you do.)

[@marqslewds9339]

I'm going for the Kun for a few reasons- One is that the combination of the 64GB RAM and possible 8TB Storage after upgrading the SSD means I can have my entire PC and emulated game library as well as my media library all on one handheld, Two- unlike the Ally and the Legion Go the trackpads are symmetrical making it much easier to navigate Windows while in handheld mode, and Three- full native controller customization and Xbox guide will allow me to play games with gyro and in my preferred button layout- ABXY; a mixture of Traditional Nintendo ABYX and Xbox BAXY without needing a remapping tool like reWASD or Handheld Companion.

[@unkleEL]

Nice, I've been waiting for this! Perfect start to my work day 🙌

[@j-man6487]

Bro, I love your videos! You go so in depth with the consoles while giving your honest opinions about what you don't like about them. You will see a million subscribers no problem

[@OSW]

✅ Hakoukenable ✅ Shoryukenable (5:17) but for $1700 it bloody better!!

[@nefariou5]

another amazing review. appreciate the detail you go into and you don't gloss over important day-to-day issues that most reviewers do. for me the main negative of this (aside from the price in general) is the screen. the other negatives (such as touchpads, back buttons etc) i'd probably do the same as you and just disable them entirely, so a shame but not device breaking. I think the asus rog ally still wins the windows handheld pcs.

[@Kuriketto]

This might be a hard sell once the Legion Go releases at the end of this month considering they're very similar in size and weight. The battery and TDP aren't as well-specced, but the extra features (assuming they work well), larger and better-specced display and the fact that it'll be available from Best Buy in the US for hundreds less when equipped with the same amount of RAM and storage as the base model KUN are huge points in favor of the Go.

[@lummx]

will "Legion go" have a new model?

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

@@lummx Eventually, yes. Best to wait for a 2nd revision to work out design flaws.

[@zarco5855]

They dropped the ball hard with the screen. Imagine not getting at the very least 120hz on a $1.7K PC. Yikes.

[@blisphul8084]

Not to mention it's not OLED. The Steam Deck OLED is going to screw up a lot of companies with LCD handhelds, especially with the price. The new valve console just set a new standard for third parties to live up to. Especially with the storage price drop.

[@rightwingsafetysquad9872]

​@@blisphul8084OLED is nice to have, but a good LCD is not a deal breaker if everything else is good. But not have a high refresh screen is super dumb. Moreover, I don't think there are any OLED displays smaller than 27" that can do adaptive refresh rate, I'd much rather have Freesync than OLED.

[@FoxbatStargazer]

About the poor gamma, check that radeon vari-bright is off in the adrenalin control panel. That was also ruining the Ally after updates.

[@jinx20001]

its a good tip, but its minor, it wont fix this issue i dont think, toggling vari-bright on the ally does make a difference but you would need to be pretty laser focused to spot it, its unlikely to fix the level of blow out on that kun screen.

[@vallelunga64]

Vari bright is such a terrible "feature", had a gaming laptop that had in on by default too and made my brightness control barely work, exactly like in the video here.

[@marco.pereira]

I love the intro music to all your videos. (I'm still rocking the steam deck with windows installed) it's been great for me and I been wanting to go back to steam OS especially with all it's tweaks it has received over the last 6 months but being able to install gamepass is such s + and so hard to lesve behind.

[@SailorMercury6449]

Man those not so ultimate problems are dealbreakers for me. If I'm spending THAT much on a device crap like that should be a no brainer.

[@Deoxysprime-fj5xw]

At this price, point the device really needs to blow me away and I don't think this is significantly better than most of the other handheld PCs on the market. It seems good, but not $1000-1700 good. Especially at $1700, I'd expect premium features like a 120Hz screen or an OLED panel and none of the flaws with the misbehaving buttons or mediocre function buttons.

[@jcyumar]

X2 😂 LCD screen whyyyyy?😅

[@Kuriketto]

60Hz on a screen this large and no VRR on a device that's supposed to be high end is a head scratcher indeed.

[@helplmchoking]

@@Kuriketto I mean I'd be okay with the 60Hz given the power available and the lack of VRR, but only if it cost under half what it does. At this price level it's up there with decent gaming laptops or even a MacBook Pro, there needs to be some HUGE specs to justify that lol

[@lakebreeze6248]

Ayaneo doesn't seem to have adjusted to having actual competition....

[@louiesgameroom]

Keep it up! Love your content

[@ingramli7733]

Great review as always. By looking at AYANEO continually pushing "ultimate" devices one after another, I am amazed how thoughtful the design Steam Deck was given its price tag. Even with a larger form factor, the AYANEO KUN didn't get a better overall layout to utilize its track pads and rear buttons (which are safe to say ideas "inspired" from the Steam Deck, but with less success), sure it have its selling points as Russ mentioned (best in class analog sticks, great face buttons and supreme battery size, etc.), but given the imperfection the device comes with despite its "ultimate" price point, it would be a hard sell to most folks even if they can afford it...

[@franz014]

still the steam deck is much better value in my opinion, first you get somewhat of a console in the sense that it gets constant updates and support and if you REALLY want those novelty hardware features on the deck im sure you can upgrade it so you can have them, you can already upgrade the joysticks, screen, storage and even ram from what i remember. its a matter of time before we can upgrade the battery and whatnot. and it would still be cheaper than this. and since its so cheap more people will buy it thus resulting in easy troubleshooting if you run into issues (personally havent) not to mention optimizations for games and whatnot

[@ilpastor]

As always you did an amazing review! Since it has some tradeoffs the price of this handeld it's too high.

[@TheOtherClips]

Man, the timing on this video. The embargo on legion go reviews lifts on 5 days. The Kun can be compared very directly to the Go. I expect Russ to make the comparison in the review of the Go but you know he has his hands on one already and had to hold back on making any comparisons in this video. But you can tell from the way he says certain things that mentally he’s doing that comparison and subtly putting it in this video. Can’t wait for next week!

[@bipbop3121]

On the podcast he along with the others mentioned they ordered the Legion Go out of their own pocket, so the review will be post launch. They also said if it doesn't replace one of their handhelds in use, they're returning it for a refund. Is there an embargo? It seems like a select few already did videos with review units. I think the only one I watched was Dave 2Ds. Who they selected don't show up in my feed and raised red flags, in terms of how hard Lenovo is controlling the narrative. It looks like they (Lenovo) are either afraid of honest reviews, and also consider handheld experts to be too small.

[@TheOtherClips]

@@bipbop3121yeah embargo until the 24th. I’ve watched every video I could find on it and haven’t seen any red flags. What do you see?

[@elponce85]

love those pictures you have on your wall

[@nefariou5]

3:37 "plug for Antartica" 😅 - is this a set up for next year's april fools day?

[@harleyn3089]

That would be awesome if Russ did a video from Antarctica for April Fools Day.

[@moralreality7328]

I have the same one on the way but in the silver wing color. I am very excited and hoping it arrives before my vacation in November.

[@PinkDan12345]

Russ you are a hero, not the hero we deserved but the hero we needed 🦸🏻‍♂️

[@LuminousEditz390]

Im definitely going to get this. It seems to be very good quality and still within my personal price range. Even though i have two steam decks this seems like an upgrade to me Great review brother👍

[@Lupo2punto0]

Amazing to finally see one of these handheld PCs being used not only as a gaming machine, but as a full desktop replacement! Thank you Russ!! So cool!!

[@ramonandrajo6348]

Pass.

[@natetravels5156]

That thing is almost lunch tray sized... 😂

[@Boogie_the_cat]

You need to use bigger lunch trays. Mine are twice this size.

[@Mister_Phafanapolis]

@@Boogie_the_catEat BIG to get BIG

[@shecklesmack9563]

Portability is one of the most important features of a handheld for me. The bigger they get the less interest I have. It’s the one dealbreaker of Steam Deck for me… plays my near 20-year Steam library, but god it’s massive.

[@SWOTHDRA]

Better then the steam deck

[@vsm351]

Shiiit you could eat footlongs on that damn thang 😫😂

[@xMRxLAMAx]

It’s going to be very dependent on how well the software works with the trackpads, but the back buttons position being that low could help out how awkwardly low the trackpads are, if you’re that interested in using them in game… maybe Always depends on the game too I’ve had a steam deck for a little over a month and I’m surprised how much I use dual trackpad in games already.

[@kekoa_tco8622]

Love the design, hopefully they’ll make another one for the next AMD CPU’s. I passed this one up due to having two 7840u already.

[@wolfmelody2787]

any difference to the 6800u

[@TheOtherClips]

Oh one other thing Russ - sounds like you didn’t try 800p with integer scaling. That’s one of the big benefits of these 1600p screens.

[@AdmiralBison]

The Kun is not "ultimate" expensive Ayaneo, that will be the yet expected release of the Ayaneo Next II.

[@TheMTOne]

Seriously, if this thing had an OLED 120hz screen and an Oculink port I'd buy it right now. Its not far off of my dream machine, which it is close to it, although I would like to see the negatives improved on. The only things that could be better (my dream machine) would be if there was such a thing as an x16 Oculink (Don't know if there is or not) because then I could ditch a Windows laptop/desktop entirely as performance would be close to 75% of a full on desktop configuration. Multiple M.2 slots for more expansion, as god knows modern games are getting larger by the minute. Lastly a SIM port, for completely on the go gaming, but I can always pair a phone so that is always the most minor option to me. That and I believe that all of these manufacturers really need to make their own dock for the devices, as none of them focus on it. Maybe clip in in the case of Oculink devices as its not hot plug n play, but none of the aftermarket docks are all that good. Say what you will about a Switch, it still is the best in many ways for Docked TV mode, and even the eGPU docks are all cord heavy, hot, not designed for the end devices in mind, and not device centric in focus. I realize they plan for more models and want some design leeway, but it is not impossible either., it would just take some long term planning. Either way thanks as always for the detailed review!

[@JoshF848]

That start/select button placement... what were they thinking?

[@timurryssuly305]

Wierd how most handhelds don't come w/ a kickstand. Hey RGC, any chance for a loki minipro review? getting mine in a few days, so I could use a few pointers in terms of getting started.

[@rawdiggitydog]

I want your opinion! Whenever you get the lenovo legion go. Let us know if you'll get the kun or the legion

[@rawdiggitydog]

I don't really care about pricing. Approach it as if both devices are the same price. Thanks!

[@KingOfMadCows]

I'm curious about how comfortable the trackpads are to use. I have the GPD Win 4 and even though the trackpad is very useful, it is too low to use comfortably for long. I would have to either bend my thumb at an uncomfortable angle or hold the device in an uncomfortable way to use the trackpad. The Kun's trackpads are low on the device, how comfortable are they to use?

[@bipbop3121]

He did mention in the video they were too low for in game ease, not a replacement for Steam Deck track pad action.

[@farisakhtar4824]

I think the track pad is only intended for desktop features, not for games.

[@adriano760]

no high refresh rate panel and no oled for 1700? Gotta be a joke

[@Joey-dl6nm]

Did you see Odin 2 is shipping in early october/november now?

[@RobyMicrobi]

I preordered it yesterday expecting it for December and got an email this morning that it will ship end of october. So awesome!

[@BlackStarrTurnsHeel]

For the price it should've come with multiple style D-Pads with an easy access to the SSD. I've seen a review video of someone removing the SSD on this device and it appeared difficult based on structure. 🤔

[@LuisPerez-5]

That price though. And spending so much just to have it become outdated in a couple months sucks.

[@loveordie4]

Great review

[@danieldiettmann8190]

have the touchpad dependent on a function key being pressed boom fixed

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

In my Personal Opinion When Devices get this Large they Should be able to fit a sff graphics card inside of it (like laptops) even though the 7840u is a Beast in its own right. Now that would be the Ultimate Experience

[@Jimmys_TheBestCop]

Yup at least give us a 6600m

[@Mulderlink7]

¿Cómo se llama el juego de aviones del minuto 13:01?

[@jaynosowsky9708]

This video makes me appreciate my rog ally more!! Sound and screen should be top notch at that price. The sound and screen on the ally ....its the best out there!! And it's $300 cheaper!!!

[@bipbop3121]

I missed out it was mentioned, landscape or portrait screen? I feel like any handheld $699+ should be landscape.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Portrait, unfortunately.

[@TheSpigottedYahtzee]

With these handheld's, I always wonder if the RAM is upgradable like the storage, or if it's soldered on. I wish it was clearer in the descriptions.

[@jeevejavari8461]

All handhelds have soldered ram. Thats what allows for that slimmer profile and faster lpddr5 speeds.

[@_n8thagr8_63]

This is not even a luxury buy; it's now wasteful extravagance. Steam deck makes sense. Ally makes sense, especially as it can pull competent desktop\laptop replacement duty. This thing ... you could just get sooo much more for your money.

[@dgevert]

*cough Lenovo Legion Go cough*

[@farisakhtar4824]

​@@dgevertalthough I'm really impressed by the legion go and it's features, it's still pretty big if you just want a handheld to play PC games (8.8 inches, bigger than the device in the video). I would buy it for myself on sale as it can replace my laptop, but it's huge for a handheld.

[@dgevert]

@farisakhtar4824 I mean, if you're in the market for a Kun, you've already decided a big handheld is not a deal breaker. And the legion go has the advantage of detachable controls, so if you have a table or flat surface, you can set it down and play that way without dealing with the device's weight.

[@farisakhtar4824]

@@dgevert I was talking in general, not just for those looking at the kun. And the detachable controllers was what I meant by great features. Hopefully the larger screen means you won't run into the same issue on the switch, where the small screen means you really have to get up close to it if you want to play in table top mode.

[@dr_hamudi3084]

Hello just one question, because i couldnt find anything in this direction on the web for now: Do you use the rpcs3 emulator for ps3 games? or any other? Would like to hear if anyone used that to play uncharted 2/ 3 or last of us and can give details regarding fps

[@gordon9391]

Will it fit in a shorts pocket? That's not very clear. And they also didn't include a case in the ultimate device.

[@samhuang683]

Trackpad seems pretty useless based on this and other reviews. Awkward positioning and not being recognized by Steam as a trackpad (to easily use the tons of official and community created profiles for games) just make it unreally necessary, going with those nub on GPD Win 4 would be better.

[@niqgal3356]

Are the blue and green colors on the triggers and buttons painted on the device? Seems like the paint would eventually wear off and also come off via drops.

[@PerfectlyFriedBread]

I'm backing it right now basically because of the touchpads I really want something with more punch than the steam deck but hearing about their finicky nature and the start/select placement has put me off a little. Personally touch pads are the number 1 thing I miss on the rog ally coming from the deck. You're the first reviewer I've seen have such a negative reaction to the device so I guess I'll think a bit about if I want to cancel or not. I should have a while still till they get to my unit.

[@jessejames5081]

Why though, with out an oled screen and another 7800 chip...its like rewarding a bad waiter with a 50% tip

[@kennethd4958]

Go all out on every spec and costs that much money but no OLED and only 60hz?

[@chingoedw88]

Wild Review appeared!!

[@JayColor]

Arigato gozaimasu Ayaneo-kun!

[@Old_HUNGRY-Gamer]

how did you get 54 watts in games? I can turn on any game but after 1 minute the consumption in the statistics drops to exactly 30 watts

[@henrydrago]

Why using any resolution above 1080p to play on this device? Just why?

[@shyrory]

What’s up with circle trackpads on a rectangular screen?

[@johnmcashill9919]

I don't see the point of this device, the lenovo legion go is better and cheaper.

[@LeeLee-fi7mx]

The battery life on the Legion go is pretty small considering it's screen is even bigger than the Kun as well I don't think there is an option for 32gb of ram.

[@johnmcashill9919]

@@LeeLee-fi7mx 16 go of ram is enough for video games, and the battery I don't care as I play at home, or in planes or trains. But for someone who would need a strong baterry, there are better handled (but not the ayaneo kun neither) I agree

[@jcyumar]

​@@johnmcashill9919but LCD screen!!!! Why?

[@unsuspectingvisitor]

​@@jcyumarLenovo legion go has 8.8″ QHD Display by the way.

[@jessejames5081]

@@jcyumar exactly. I think they do it on purpose to milk the market. If they put out a system that is awesome across the board they wont make as much. I cant see why any of these company's are still using lcd at these prices. But people keep buying it so the companies can do whatever they want.

[@TheRubsi]

I am just speechless, how could they put such a horrible panel in there

[@PalpusThoughts]

11:50 any of the corners of a circle... right...

[@hugevibez]

I feel the Kun is just introduced as a stopgap model to later introduce the Aya Neo Next II for a >2000USD pricetag. This way people get used to paying more for a handheld device.

[@MrNeosantana]

I wish their sales numbers were public because I can't imagine anyone buying their massively overpriced handhelds unless it's for a review

[@anshuman2121]

Which MINI pc you are using or prefer? I am looking for device which run Switch Games

[@michaelmodernsonicfan5341]

completely off topic but youtube blocking ad blockers ruins my day every time i click a video

[@CaliforniaRaisens]

Why no pocket test? I'm sure it would fit in cargo pants.

[@WheeledHamster]

Or you can buy a Switch, a Steamdeck and an ROG Ally all the price of what this cost.

[@JohnGregoryGarza]

What’s the battery life like relative to other handhelds. Heard it’s good

[@oo--7714]

Better than the steam deck oled at 18 watts and belwo just due to the massive battery.

[@marxcam75]

Hi Russ, would you recommend Ayaneo kun or Lenovo Legion Go?

[@SimplyIta]

I know it's unrelated but what keyboard are you using and do you recommend it?

[@reignofswords6575]

What's the heat like how hot does it get? Only issue with these.

[@bryandelmond]

Thanks for the review but I'll wait for the AYANEO CHAN, which is a more budget-friendly version, or the AYANEO SENPAI, which has a more buffed up GPU. I won't get both, though, because if they meet each other things might get bloody.

[@sukrasiyoga9875]

Rog ally vs ayaneo kun.. which one the best?

[@michaelbenny659]

If you dock this, would it replace your rog ally as your Windows desktop?

[@RetroGameCorps]

In docked form I think it can replace an everyday PC, but not a gaming PC. I would still prefer the ROG Ally + XG Mobile setup that I have.

[@jcyumar]

But why LCR screen???? 😢

[@JohnGregoryGarza]

How long did it take to ship

[@retrohandhelds]

It's ok Russ, I'm also a professional body builder, I could hold that KUN for at *least* 4 minutes - Stubbs 😎

[@BennyWhatever]

Today I learned that Russ moonlights as a professional bodybuilder.🤣

[@javigp4953]

Hi, release date ayaneo slide?

[@ColinRowlands]

Am I missing some joke with the Antartica plug comment for what looked like a UK plug?

[@RetroGameCorps]

With every AYANEO device review I pull out a random plug and declare that it's for Antarctica.

[@robertsmith20022]

Thanks for this. The trouch pad is a deal breaker for me. Nkt because i want it but because its in a messed up place.

[@a9udn9u]

I know it's not comparable but I spent less to build my desktop PC. 13700K + RTX 3090.

[@jvtvarchives6790]

is that bluestacks (android emulator) compatibles for ayaneo kun?

[@realist3556]

yeah

[@jvtvarchives6790]

@@realist3556 i plan to buy that handheld device, but i love android games using bluestacks esp. coc, mobile legends, and nba android games

[@AntonioRodriguezSilver]

Aroused by the d-pad, blue-balled by the touchpads. Not sure about the screen. 60 Hz? The Ally has spoiled me.

[@RueLangston]

The price of this thing is ridiculous. It's the price of two Lenovo Legion Go devices +100$, hell you could get 3 PS5 and a Switch Lite for 1700$, what are they even thinking 😭😭

[@starmorpheus]

Well that’s the fully maxed version. While I agree the price is heavy on the wallet, I can’t see any handheld with 4TB of storage with 64GB of Ram for anything under that price.

[@jesusbarrera6916]

@@starmorpheus 64GB of RAM are really useless... and the 4TB can be added for much cheaper in other devices

[@greggy16d]

When is this thing actually shipping?

[@tonieja8444]

Is it possibile to get a version of this advice with 64 GB RAM?

[@johnburch8607]

Yes

[@GAz0Line]

for the colour of the screen you can change from windows settings

[@technologyaddict1857]

Do you use Final Cut Pro ?

[@harleyn3089]

AFAIK, Russ uses Davinci Resolve as his primary editor.

[@alancurson8009]

This device seems more like its for someone that wants to spend the big bucks for the bragging rights... Don't get me wrong this is a pretty cool device and it has a the latest APU and decent amount of options and fully kited out it could be a creatives laptop replacement if your willing to carry the keyboard and mouse plus a 16-17 portable monitor but by then your spending so much that its more practical to spend the money on a high end fully speced laptop. However if you are looking for purely a handheld game system your better off looking at something else, like the ally or maybe the up and coming Legion Go which comes out very soon, which as almost the same specs but at half the price.

[@mr-iz8cx]

What's the point of something that large? I could only imagine using it on long-haul flights, but even then I can imagine it being tiring to hold. Otherwise I'd just switch on a console at home rather than that behemoth

[@MegaOverclocked]

I understand that many people love and were happy with their Steamdeck but I just never got the hype. Idk if my device was faulty or what but everything I played just ran so badly. Nearly constant stuttering no matter how big or small the game was plus 800p is just not looker; games just end up looking extremely blurry. I know people hate the "Windows" experience but I think it's well worth learning and just spend the little extra scratch on devices like Ally or upcoming Lenovo; being cheap can only carry a device so far.

[@qwerty6789x]

Hoping for The Lenovo Legion Go review

[@voddybull]

LCD for 1700$? No thanks, for this price i expect an OLED.

[@TinkerTaverns]

3:39 Plug for antartica? Looks like a good ol bri'ish adapter to me

[@Harlod814]

Wow, you can watch a whole one Kojima cutscene in one battery charge in Death Stranding on this thing. (All jokes aside I’m envious of how long I’d be able to play Wind Waker Hd in one charge on this compared to my ROG Ally.)

[@Vicioussama]

the KUN part sure makes me cringe lol Do gotta say, I love your reviews. The details, the break down order, the little jokes and such you make matter of factly, etc. Good times.

[@darkknightredius9936]

the dpad here better than vita?

[@90s_sascha]

Some day i get mine used as all of my Ayaneo devices . Never pay that much money 😊

[@jinx20001]

pretty nuts that a premium product like this with that premium price tag is still only rocking a 60hz display, games like hades probably would run at 120hz even at that 1600p display and if it didnt quite get there thats where between 60 and 120 with VRR would be perfect, soooo many indie games are available that can clear 60hz on these devices but these ''premium hardware'' handsets restrict it. Its like the manufacturers have a one track mind when in the design phase, like hey AAA games wont run over 60 anyway so why have a screen over 60 when the games that really shine on these handhelds really really shine because they will often run way over 60. Ayaneo missing the mark here but hey, no need to worry, will be a new one out in a few weeks.

[@unchartedsinger9019]

I wish this had an oled variant, the oled on the air 1s is not the optimal size

[@crisrobertraymundo8390]

Personally would have preferred OLED Screen at only 1200p

[@TheVoyagers.]

1.5 starting price lol