At the start of last year, Ayaneo took a leap into crowdfunding with its two innovative clamshell designs: the Ayaneo Flip DS and Flip KB. These handhelds, powered by AMD Ryzen, garnered quite a buzz, especially after we shared our initial thoughts on the Flip DS. But then, out of the blue, full production for these devices came to a halt.
Initially, everything seemed promising. The device was decked out with internals that got beefed up from the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme-equivalent AMD Ryzen 7 7840U to the Ryzen 7 8840U. However, on February 25, Ayaneo pulled a surprise move by announcing they would stop producing any more Ayaneo Flip handhelds. They gave the backers until March 27 to opt for a full refund or make a swap for another Ayaneo product—though any price differences would still come out of their own pockets.
This unexpected announcement has left fans and investors in a bit of a lurch. Many were eagerly anticipating the chance to own this gadget after the crowdfunding finished. Especially since numerous outlets have already tested and shared their reviews on the Flip units, and with some backers reportedly receiving theirs, it’s a shame Ayaneo couldn’t fulfill all the backer’s requests. It’s a tough reminder that when backing a crowdfunding project, it’s more about investing with no absolute guarantee that a product will land in your hands.
I’m truly disappointed by this turn of events. The Flip DS, as explored in our initial coverage, seemed like a promising modern-day successor to the much-loved Nintendo DS and 3DS.
With its dual-screen layout and potent internals, the Ayaneo Flip DS was more than equipped to emulate the Nintendo Switch, handle AAA PC games, and offer second-screen multitasking or system adjustments in real-time. At a time when the handheld gaming market felt saturated with devices essentially boiling down to “a more expensive or inferior Steam Deck or ROG Ally,” the Flip DS was a standout contender due to its unique features.
Still, not every promising idea reaches fruition. The upside? The few Ayaneo Flip DS and Flip KB units that did make it to YouTubers and some backers are now hot commodities for collectors. But if you’re itching to add one to your collection, be prepared to pay a premium, as no new units will hit the market.
