The latest in a long line of Ayaneo PC gaming handhelds, called the Ayaneo Next Lite, will not only be an incredibly affordable portable option, but will also change the course in terms of the operating system.
According to a statement posted on the official Ayaneo Twitter/X account, the handheld comes with Windows 11 64-bit Home Edition pre-installed instead of Linux. A great option for those who are more familiar with Windows OS than Linux-based operating system. However, for those who prefer the latter, users still have the option of the open-source HoloISO project version of Linux, which is based on SteamOS.
All this and the Next Lite is still launching at the very budget price of $299 through crowdfunding, which is much cheaper than other options on the market. It’s a switch from the Next and Next Pro, which appears to be sticking to the Linux-based operating system. And that makes more sense, since they’re both meant to compete with the Steam Deck.
Ayaneko was able to distinguish itself from the market
While I generally quite like the idea of using Windows OS for the Ayaneo Next Lite, as it is by far the most widely used operating system, PC gaming handhelds that use it in general need to be taken into account.
What makes SteamOS so excellent is that it is tailor-made for the Steam Deck, making it feel smooth and intuitive. Other PC gaming handhelds that use Windows OS such as the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Gomake the mistake of not matching said operating system to the system, resulting in a much clunkier user interface.
While we don’t know what Ayaneo plans to do with the Windows 11 operating system it’s using for the Next Lite, creating a unique user interface would be a great way to differentiate it from other handhelds that would otherwise have gotten more attention because of the brands known.
On the other hand, Ayaneko has also made some unusual decisions, such as choosing HoloISO, which hasn’t been updated in months (at the time of writing) instead of ChimeraOS for the Linux-based operating system. So it is impossible to say what the manufacturer has in mind, except that it is targeting a much larger market. We’ll have to wait and see how things work out when the handheld finally launches.