For those of us who have been pining for years for a true successor to the legendary Xperia Playthe latest images shared by AYANEO are, to say the least, hopeful. The Chinese brand, known for flooding the portable console market with Windows, seems determined to try its luck in mobile telephony with the AYANEO Pocket Play. Although the device has not yet been officially and definitively presented, a recent promotional video has revealed its final design: a sliding screen that hides the physical controls, thus avoiding the need to carry external controls.
The proposal seeks to solve the eternal dilemma of gaming on Android: On-screen touch controls are imprecise and obscure vision. This terminal would recover that format slider nostalgic, integrating a D-pad, action buttons and, instead of the classic joysticks, a pair of touch trackpads that have generated some debate among the community. All this in a body that would inevitably sacrifice the thinness of a modern smartphone in favor of ergonomics.
Preliminary technical sheet of the AYANEO Pocket Play
- Screen: 6.8″ OLED panel, 165 Hz and FHD+ resolution expected
- Performance: would have the MediaTek Dimensity 9300
- Controls: sliding system with crosshead, ABXY buttons, two trackpads and rear triggers
- Battery: unknown capacity, fast charging via USB-C is planned
- Launch: Kickstarter campaign pending
Power and specifications: what to expect under the hood
According to the leaks and preliminary data that the brand itself has been releasing, the AYANEO Pocket Play would not exactly come barefoot in terms of performance. The heart of this hybrid is expected to be the MediaTek Dimensity 9300a high-end processor that, although it is not the latest trend in 2026, would offer plenty of power for heavy emulators and demanding native games. This chip would be accompanied by a OLED screen of 6.8 inches that would reach 165Hzan ideal refresh rate for the fluidity required by competitive titles.
However, you have to keep your feet on the ground. As it is a product that will seek financing through Kickstartermany of these specifications could dance until the moment of mass production. Additionally, the design shown suggests considerable thickness and, unfortunately, the apparent absence of a 3.5mm jack port, a critical flaw for a gaming-focused device where Bluetooth audio latency can be annoying.
Seeing that the sliding format adds weight and thickness, would you be willing to sacrifice the comfort of a thin mobile phone to have physical buttons always available?
