Handheld gaming PCs have turn out to be extra frequent because the launch of the Steam Deck, with vital worth variations throughout manufacturers. As a consequence of rising reminiscence and storage prices pushed by elevated demand from AI and data-center firms, AyaNeo has suspended preorders and early-bird gross sales of its upcoming Subsequent 2 handheld to handle these escalating bills.
Whereas present preorders are unaffected and shall be fulfilled, AyaNeo defined in a blog post that “vital value strain” had pressured it to rethink its launch plans. “After the Chinese language New Yr, after we communicated with our suppliers once more to verify the most recent storage procurement costs, we discovered that storage costs had elevated to a number of occasions increased than earlier than the vacation,” AyaNeo defined. “Beneath such circumstances, the general value of the product has turn out to be far increased than our present promoting worth. Due to this fact, after cautious consideration, we have now determined to droop the preorders of Subsequent 2.”
AyaNeo said it had anticipated minimal or detrimental revenue on every Subsequent 2 unit and anticipated storage costs to finally stabilize. Nevertheless, the corporate didn’t anticipate element prices reaching document highs. “At current, the whole value of the product has far exceeded our promoting worth, even approaching twice the value we initially set. Beneath such circumstances, persevering with to promote this product is not sustainable,” AyaNeo wrote. The firm confirmed it should proceed to assist backers and has ready adequate spare elements for after-sales assist.
The Next 2 is among the many costliest handheld gaming PCs obtainable. The entry-level model was priced at $2,299 for preorders and $2,699 at retail, that includes an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, 64GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The next-end mannequin with 128GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD was set at $3,499 for preorders and $4,299 at retail.
AyaNeo additionally deliberate a lower-tier model with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 385 processor for $1,999 at retail. These costs are considerably increased than these of the Steam Deck or its OLED variant, which additionally faces inventory shortages because of the ongoing reminiscence chip shortage.
The ongoing scarcity of RAM and parts has impacted practically each phase of the gaming and expertise trade. Valve delayed its Steam Machine launch to 2026 and has not but introduced pricing for the brand new {hardware}. Console producers can also increase costs; Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa instructed buyers a Change 2 worth enhance in 2026 is feasible. Sony has not confirmed one other PS5 worth enhance but, however CFO Lin Tao indicated that “monetization of the set up base thus far” stays a precedence.