Since Christmas Eve, Ayaneo has been busy teasing more details about their much-anticipated Ayaneo 3 handheld. The star of the show so far is its standout feature: swappable control modules. This new level of customization is a first in the handheld gaming sphere. While devices like the Victrix Pro BFG controller have embraced this design approach before, seeing it applied to handhelds—complete with durable hall-effect sensors on both sticks and triggers—is nothing short of exciting.
Recently, Ayaneo has been quite active on Twitter and Discord, unveiling snippets of what the Ayaneo 3 handheld will bring to the table. They’ve also released a video that gives us a sneak peek at various angles of the device and the control modules available. Back in November, we heard that the Ayaneo 3 would be powered by either the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 or the Ryzen 7 8840U. Sadly, pricing and further tech specs remain a mystery, awaiting revelation at an event slated for “Late January 2025.”
What’s intriguing about these swappable control modules is that you can even flip them or swap individual buttons to your liking. This means the Ayaneo 3 can be finely tuned for any game genre that benefits from a controller. If you’re into six-button fighters like Street Fighter or if classic Sega games hold a special place in your heart, the six-face-button module will likely win you over. For those leaning towards desktop-style gaming, especially with the help of Steam Input, the touchpad modules will be a game-changer.
We’re still in the dark about pricing specifics, so it’s tricky to determine the Ayaneo 3’s overall value. However, the features so far suggest flexibility and a potential nod to budget-friendly gamers, especially if you choose the Ryzen 7 8840U with a 7-inch LCD instead of an OLED display. Whether this trade-off will be worthwhile is still up for debate, pending price announcements. Nonetheless, it looks like the Ayaneo 3 is gearing up to hold its ground against other high-end handhelds coming out next year, thanks largely to its commitment to modular input customization.
