AYANEO: Nothing Has Changed

👉 Six weeks ago, I made a video called "I'm Done with AYANEO." It sparked a community-wide response where other creators spoke up, fans demanded answers, and AYANEO's CEO published a 4,600-word apology with a detailed Service Improvement Plan. They paused a product launch. They promised to slow down, fix shipping delays, improve quality control, and stop relying so heavily on crowdfunding. For a brief moment, it looked like real change. Then, barely a month later, they launched the Pocket S Mini with a battery 22% smaller than advertised, resumed teasing the Pocket Play they'd paused as a goodwill gesture, and put the AYANEO Next 2 on Indiegogo for up to $4,299. The "pause" lasted all of two weeks. In this video, I walk through the full timeline: AYANEO's initial response blaming critics for acting "in bad faith," the CEO's turnaround apology, every promise they made in the Service Improvement Plan, and how quickly each one started to unravel. I also compare the Next 2 head-to-head with the ASUS ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition: a convertible laptop with the exact same Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor and 128GB of RAM for significantly less money, available at retail, from a company with actual customer support. If you backed an AYANEO product in 2025 and you're still waiting, or if you're thinking about backing the Next 2, this is the video to watch first. 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 💵 Save with our hand-picked gaming & handheld deals: https://handheld.deals 🔎Browse our curated weekly deals: https://rh-go.link/DILLS ✨Became a Member or Patron👇 🌐All Our Links: https://rh-go.link 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 🎵 Music by Jim Gray (https://ourghosts.bandcamp.com) and SoundStripe 🎞️Production & Editing by SonyWWDD30 (and Gary for Zu's vids...sometimes) ⚠️ Disclaimer This description contains affiliate links. By purchasing something, RH may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This video is for education and entertainment purposes only, and is not intended for kids. All opinions are our own. #emulation #retrohandheld #retrogaming #ayaneo #AYANEONext2 #RetroHandhelds #ZuReviews #HandheldGaming #Indiegogo #ServiceImprovementPlan #ASUSProArtPX13 #StrixHalo #RyzenAIMax395 #SteamDeck #GamingHandheld #HandheldPC #CrowdfundingFail #AYANEOReview #PCHandheld #GoPro #RetroGaming #HandheldReview #ConsumerAdvocacy 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 ⌚Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 01:44 - The Recap 03:00 - The Response 05:19 - Back to Old Habits 07:28 - The Next 2 and Crowdfunding 10:40 - What Does Four Grand Get You? 13:32 - What Did We Learn? 16:42 - Thanks for watching!