Boutique handheld gaming company Ayaneo has announced the Ayaneo Flip DS — a 7-inch 120Hz handheld gaming clamshell with a second screen that’s clearly inspired by the Nintendo DS, and might let it play games like one too.
According to Liliputing’s Brad Linder, who deserves kudos for calling out the company’s attempt to plant a “leak,” both the Flip DS and a similar Flip KB will be powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 7840U. That’s the same chip that’s in practically every other flagship Windows gaming handheld at the moment, including quite a few from Ayaneo itself.
The Ayaneo Flip DS… Image: Ayaneo
…vs. the Ayaneo Flip KB. Image: Ayaneo
While that AMD chip sounds like overkill for Nintendo DS titles — I’m very curious about battery life — a secondary screen to properly display Nintendo’s top-and-bottom games is a rarity in the emulation world.
Lots of handhelds (and phones) can already emulate the DS, but they often put the top and bottom screens side by side or let you switch between looking at the top or bottom at any given time.
If you’re interested in the Ayaneo Flip DS, know that it’s likely going to take a convoluted path to market. Not only does Ayaneo crowdfund all its products, but it also tends to trickle out details as slowly as it possibly can ahead of their Indiegogo debut. The company also announces new designs faster than it can ship them — by the time I’ve received one of the company’s products for testing, it’s almost always already moved on to a newer, more desirable model.
