Ayaneo has built a name for itself as a handheld gaming PC company, with five devices developed with the ability to play games in a Nintendo Switch-like form factor. It’s a good idea and it has been growing in popularity – the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go are all capable of playing Windows games, though Ayaneo’s devices, like the rest of these, have had a mixed reception, to put it best. However, the company’s new device, the Ayaneo AM01, ditches the handheld form factor entirely – and is instead pitched as a portable, small console-like PC. It’s the first non-handheld device Ayaneo has planned.
Here’s the reveal video for the Ayaneo AM01. You’ll notice that it looks very Macintosh, and it’s clear that is the point, but it also has a passing resemblance to the Nintendo NES.
It’s hard for me to not be excited for the computer; I’m a retro tragic. There’s something about that eggshell plastic that draws me in, and the big boxy designs that computers from the 90s and early 2000s used. Unlike the Macintosh, but more like the NES, it doesn’t sit upright like in the lead image of this article – instead, it lays back flat.
The computer is designed to fit into a small bag, and from the short trailer above, it looks absolutely tiny on a desk. Ayaneo appears to be marketing it as an all-purpose device and not just as a gaming system, which makes tonnes of sense considering… Well, we’re not talking about a handheld PC here, we’re just talking about a PC. But a small PC at that! And a gorgeous one.
“As a new product line for Ayaneo, the Mini PC series holds significant breakthroughs for this category. Boldly incorporating the Ayaneo Remake concept, it leverages the latest technology to recreate and reconstruct the experiences of numerous classic products, bearing the name ‘Retro Mini PC’,” Ayaneo said.
“As the first product in this series, the Retro Mini PC AM01 pays homage to the revolutionary Macintosh, a product that truly changed the computer industry.”
From the images and video Ayaneo has shared, it appears that the rainbow badge on the front can be swapped out for other badges.
Apart from that, there are ports on the back of the device, including what looks like an HDMI port, Display Port, ethernet, four USB-A ports, and what could be a circular power cable port. That black rectangle isn’t a display, it’s just aesthetic – it’s not an all-in-one PC.
…. Were you expecting specs? Yeah, me too, but nope – Ayaneo is yet to announce them, though the company claims that it’ll be good for “Steam OS gaming” and light video/audio editing.
Additionally, a release date hasn’t been marked, but Ayaneo has announced that the Indiegogo campaign for the AM01 will kick off sometime in November. This is how Ayaneo launches most of its tech, by gauging interest from enthusiasts on crowdfunding platforms. Although the computer could simply never materialise due to a lack of demand from early adopters, I just wanted to gush about it. It’s gorgeous. Ayaneo, please, if you don’t end up making this thing, please at the very least make the case for enthusiast PC builders to create small builds with (similar to the Fractal Ridge).
Image: Ayaneo
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