If you already have the Aya Neo Pro, upgrading to the Nextprobablydoesn’t make much sense.
This article is intended to detail the improvements found in the Next.
Exceptional ergonomics
The Aya Neo Next has a stellar form factor.
It’s like you’re gaming on a Switch with a form-fitting grip attached.
Previous Aya Neo models were flat across the back and had more angular edges.
The back of the Next has a rubberized, grippy feel to it.
While I thought those models were comfy, the Next takes it to, well, the next level.
The stellar feel extends to the handheld’s controls, most notably the triggers and analog sticks.
The triggers and sticks are actually quite novel in design.
The Next is the first handheld gaming console to use “Hall Effect” sensors.
In that sense, Hall Effect components aren’t subject to normal wear and tear.
Out of the box, the Next has concave stick grips, similar to Xbox controllers.
The Next has slight differences elsewhere in terms of design.
The various menu and setting buttons have been reduced from eight to four.
On the right side, there are two unlabeled buttons.
Aya Space is available on all models of the Aya Neo, but the Next has it preinstalled.
The Next only has two USB-C ports, which is one fewer than previous Aya Neo models.
Improved performance
As mentioned, the Aya Neo Next offers moderate performance improvements over its predecessors.
The Next’s performance improvements, on the other hand, are certainly noticeable.
Some outliers included Control and Halo Infinite, which hovered in the high 30s while still being playable.
That’s the case here.
The significantly overhauled form factor and performance improvements make it worth the extra money.
Specifications
Steven Petite tested the Aya Neo Next for more than 30 hours.
Aya Neo provided a sample unit.
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