At the start of last year, Ayaneo kicked off its crowdfunding campaign for two intriguing clamshell devices powered by AMD Ryzen—the Ayaneo Flip handhelds. They came in two versions: the Flip DS and the Flip KB. We got an initial look at the Flip DS just a month into the campaign, but it seems like the production of these devices hit an unexpected snag and has now been halted completely.
The journey of the Flip devices appeared promising at first, with the specs getting a significant boost over time. They initially featured components equivalent to the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme, especially the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, before upgrading to the Ryzen 7 8840U. However, Ayaneo dropped a bombshell on February 25 by announcing that the production for these handhelds was no longer going forward. They gave backers until March 27 to either secure a full refund or opt to swap for another model in Ayaneo’s lineup, though any price differences would still fall to the backers to cover.
This news has left a sour taste for supporters and fans eager to own this gadget post-crowdfunding. Despite several outlets having received and reviewed the Ayaneo Flip units and a few backers getting their hands on them, Ayaneo doesn’t seem able to fulfill the larger demand from its supporters. Typically, Ayaneo has a solid track record with its crowdfunding projects, but this outcome underscores a recurring reminder: backing a crowdfunded project is more of an investment gamble than a guaranteed product purchase.
The demise of the Flip DS is particularly disappointing. As I’ve pointed out before, this model seemed poised as a modern heir to the iconic Nintendo DS and 3DS. Equipped with dual screens and powerful internals capable of running both Nintendo Switch emulations and high-end PC titles, it offered second-screen capabilities for multi-tasking or tweaking system settings in real-time. It was a refreshing entry in the handheld gaming space, dominated largely by “Steam Deck or ROG Ally but more expensive and/or worse” alternatives, except for a handful of devices with truly remarkable controllers or displays.
Yet, sometimes, things just don’t pan out as hoped. On a brighter note, the existing Ayaneo Flip DS and Flip KB units in the hands of YouTube reviewers and lucky early backers have now become highly coveted collector’s pieces. But owning one might mean parting with a considerable sum since they aren’t being produced anymore.
