AYA Neo Air is a thin and light handheld gaming PC with an OLED display

The makers of the AYA Neo and AYA Neo Next handheld gaming PCs have introduced a new model featuring an OLED display and a smaller, lighter design. The AYA Neo Air weighs less than 420 grams (15 ounces) and is just about the size of a Nintendo Switch Lite.

But unlike a Switch, this is a full-fledged Windows computer with an x86 processor and the ability to run PC games.

AYA hasn’t revealed which processor the little computer will use, but the company has released some details about the device including that it will have a microSD card reader, USB-C and headset jacks, RGB lighting effects under the analog sticks, an x-axis linear motor, and  a display with 107% NTSC color gamut.

Independent reports, meanwhile, indicate that the AYA Neo Air will have a 6 inch, 1080p display and a 12-watt AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor. And since AYA has indicated that the price will be competitive, there’s good reason to think that it could be a Ryzen 3 chip with Radeon Vega graphics rather than a higher-performance Ryzen 5 or 7 series processor.

De nouvelles images de l’@AYANEO__ Mini (en blanc). L’appareil fera moins de 500g, équipé d’un écran OLED 6″ 1080p et d’un processeur Ryzen 5xxx.

Les premières images ingame montre un TDP de 12W. Conférence de presse en Mai par @ArthurZhang_AYA pic.twitter.com/I8uU9pDaxP

— Tudo Ben (@BenjaminLesueur) April 24, 2022

Chinese PC makers have cranked out a growing number of handheld gaming computers over the past few years. But with the arrival of Valve’s Steam Deck on the scene, their value proposition has become increasingly questionable. Sure, systems like the GPD Win, AYA Neo, and ONEXPLAYER line of devices may have more powerful processors or other bells and whistles that the Steam Deck lacks, but Valve’s handheld has an affordable $399 starting price and AMD RDNA 2 graphics, which gives it the ability to offer higher frame rates in most games.

But the Steam Deck is also a big and heavy device, weighing 1.5 pounds and measures 11.7″ x 4.6″ x 1.9″. That could make it uncomfortable to hold for extended gaming sessions when compared with a more compact device like the Nintendo Switch Lite, which measures 8.2″ x 3.6″ x 1.1″ and weighs about 10 ounces.

AYA’s upcoming handheld gaming PC will have an OLED display and a smaller design than other current Windows-powered handhelds. How much smaller? That’s it hiding behind a Nintendo Switch Lite, which appears to be just a tad smaller. https://t.co/3Rr2r9Ci97 pic.twitter.com/lXqxEHzJGQ

— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) April 22, 2022

If AYA manages to truly deliver a full-fledged Windows PC that’s about the size of a Switch Lite while weighing less than a pound, then there might actually be a reason for some gamers to consider the company’s latest Steam Deck comparison… assuming the price is right.

AYA plans to officially launch the Neo Air in May, so we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out how much it’ll cost or exactly which processor will be powering the new model.

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