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We’ve noticed that a tough festival has erupted for Valve’s Steam Deck in the two years since it hit the market. While corporations like Asus, MSI, and Lenovo have made their contributions to the shape of gaming laptops, they all deviate from the original. in one main way: they run Windows instead of Linux-based SteamOS. Ayaneo, a Chinese manufacturer that was one of the first to launch a competitor to the Steam Deck, is looking to fill that niche with its newest device, the Next Lite.
Update: According to Ayaneo’s page, Next Lite runs a self-optimized edition of HoloISO, which is an open-source edition of SteamOS described as “99% of the way forward” on its Githgub page. Running an up-to-date operating formula over the network rather than one provided directly through Valve would possibly be problematic for some users, but it’s also conceivable to install Windows manually on the device.
Ayaneo also said that Next Lite runs on the Ryzen 5500U or Ryzen 7 4800U APU with more technical specs, but has yet to set a release date or price. The original story continues:
According to the company’s promotional page, the SteamOS integration is indeed the biggest differentiator for this model, which otherwise looks almost the same as the original 2022 Ayaneo Next. The promotional page states that the device uses a 7-inch 800p display. (same as the original Steam Deck) and a 47-watt-hour battery. No other major hardware points have been revealed, but it seems like a safe bet that it will run on the same Ryzen 7 5825U hardware as the Next. , or something very similar to have compatibility in the same case. More main points may be revealed tomorrow, when “subscriptions open. “
Running SteamOS might be a huge plus for prospective gamers. Integration with Steam and its ubiquitous store is a huge part of the console-style all-in-one experience of the Steam Deck. Despite needing to run many games through the Proton Linux compatibility layer, most AAA games seem to perform beautifully on the relatively low-power hardware. Having that ease of use and integration on another device could be a big mark in its favor. Valve has been developing SteamOS since 2013, when it tried and failed to make Linux-based “Steam Machines” competitors to consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation.
Ayaneo is really stressing the “Lite” part of the device’s name here, saying that it’s a “cost-effective choice” and it’s “lowering the entry barrier.” But consider the context. The Ayaneo Next currently costs $1,315 from the company’s official store, and according to promotional graphics, that’s already “$966 off.” So however little the Next Lite costs, it seems extremely unlikely that it’ll be competitive with the Steam Deck or other handhelds from major players, all of which are well below the $1,000 USD mark.
Michael is a former graphic designer who’s been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.
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