TL;DR
- The AYANEO Flip has been discontinued earlier than all orders have been shipped.
- The challenge was efficiently funded final yr, however order success has been delayed a number of instances.
- Backers who didn’t obtain their gadgets can request a refund or one other AYANEO product inside 30 days.
Crowdfunding is likely one of the foremost methods new retro gaming handhelds are produced, with big reductions for these keen to take the chance. These dangers don’t all the time repay, although, with the newest high-profile cancelation coming from AYANEO.
The AYANEO Flip, which was efficiently crowdfunded final Spring, raised over $850,000 on Indiegogo. There have been two variations out there, one with a second display, much like a Nintendo DS, and one other with a full keyboard. Order success has been delayed resulting from elements shortages, however the challenge has now been discontinued totally, with some backers by no means receiving their gadgets.
AYANEO didn’t clarify why the challenge was canceled, writing on the Indiegogo web page that it was to “guarantee we give attention to delivering distinctive experiences by means of our present and upcoming product traces.” It’s seemingly that elements have develop into troublesome or unattainable to supply, or value will increase have shifted the mathematics in a manner that’s untenable to provide.
Backers who have not acquired their handhelds have 30 days to say a refund or alternate.
Regardless, backers who haven’t acquired their AYANEO Flips have two choices: a full refund or an alternate for one more AYANEO product, with value variations settled accordingly. Nonetheless, the timeline set for refunds is simply 30 days, so in case you’re one of many unfortunate few, you higher act quick.
The most well-liked AYANEO merchandise are Android-based handhelds just like the Pocket DMG and Pocket EVO, each of which value considerably lower than the Flip. The corporate’s Home windows-based handhelds, just like the Kun and Slide, are extra conventional handhelds that compete with the likes of the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. The modular controls on the AYANEO 3 supply an modern different, however that’s topic to the identical crowdfunding dangers because the Flip.
This month, we’ve seen renewed curiosity within the clamshell kind issue with the Retroid Flip 2, an Android-based handheld that drops the second display and keyboard. Given the troubles confronted by the AYANEO Flip, this extra sensible strategy is likely to be the way in which to go.
