The Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5 is the latest console-focused headset from the boutique gaming manufacturer. Armed with the same 50mm TriForce Titanium drivers and HyperSense haptics as the original model, this minor revision, which features the brand’s Hyperspeed low latency wireless connectivity, makes for a solid product but doesn’t address our issues with the first Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation.
If you’re after one of the best PS5 headsets in 2023, then the Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5 could be worth considering. However, it’s a little too expensive and lacking in wow factor to wholeheartedly recommend to anyone wanting a truly premium audio experience on the PS5.
Price and Availability
The Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5 was released in March 2023 and is currently available in the US, the UK, and Australia for $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369. It’s exactly the same price as the standard Razer Kaira Pro PlayStation model from 2022; a move that makes sense since this version effectively replaces its predecessor. It’s worth noting that, while no price increase has happened, you’re paying a platform premium compared to the Razer Kaira Pro for Xbox and PC, which sells for $149 / £149 / AU$259, a noticeable mark-up that’s hard to ignore.
Design and Features
The Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed’s new addition to the established Razer Kaira Pro includes the Hyperspeed 2.4 GHz low latency dongle. It’s curved in such a way that you can slot it into the front of your PS5 console without obscuring the USB-A port to keep your controller charging or at the expense of your connection to the best PS5 external hard drives, if you’re lucky enough to have one.
Returning from the base Kaira Pro for PS5 model is the dual connectivity between the 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth connection. There are also dedicated volume and microphone-monitoring scroll wheels on the rear of the left and right cups, respectively. Little has changed with the "HyperClear Supercardioid Mic", which is detachable and comes on a flexy arm, as the brand has been doing for many years now.
The earcups are plush and feature a leatherette feel as opposed to the mesh that could be found on the Xbox variant. You’ll note that the branding is spot on here, with the blue, black and white finish complimenting the PS5 well, meaning it will slot into your setup as easily as Sony’s Pulse 3D headset does.
You won’t be shocked to hear that the Razer TriForce Titanium 50mm audio drivers power the Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5 headset. These are drivers that have appeared in over half a dozen headsets since their introduction in 2020. It’s a case of if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. That’s been the approach with the HyperSense haptics, which first appeared in the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense and the Razer Kraken V3 Pro in late 2021. Tried-and-true really is the name of the game here; nothing is new or exciting, but that’s not necessarily a problem.
Performance
What’s good about returning internals in hardware like this is that you know exactly what you’re getting with the Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5.he Razer TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers may be a fair few years old. However, they still do a great job of bringing out the distinction between the lows, mids, and highs, just as they did back in 2020 when replacing the original TriForce drivers.
The width of the 50mm drivers means that everything from the rumble of the micromachines in Hot Wheels Unleashed boosting around the orange plastic tracks, to the agonized screaming of Necromorphs mid-dismemberment in the Dead Space remake hits with the weight you would hope to hear on the platform. Thanks to the PS5 3D audio being available through every headset, the TriForce Titanium drivers do an excellent job of bringing the surround sound out in full force. They make listening to music nice, too. While no rival to some of the best headphones, spinning Cannibal Corpse’s Kill or Become and Vulvodynia’s Flesh Tailor hit with the right amount of weight in the bass and the drums.
What’s disappointed me as a fan and long-time user of the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense is how the haptics have translated here, going from wired to wireless. Regardless of which of the best PS5 games I was playing with the highest of the three settings and the volume dialed all the way up, the in-ear feedback didn’t quite live up to the intensity I was hoping for. Moments in UFC 4, such as a brutal double-leg takedown or that round-finishing spinning elbow, lacked the weight that a heavy strike should have.
While they work a good portion of the time, things are inconsistent with the haptics in Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5. There were times when the HyperSense and the 3D Audio, combined with the haptic feedback of the DualSense controller for a truly unrivalled experience. One such moment occurred when I took a tight corner in Hot Wheels Unleashed and felt the throaty roar of the engine mid-drift through the gamepad and headset at max volume. It was a truly immersive experience, but one that stood out more as an exception to the rule rather than the status quo.
The microphone and battery life have seen no improvement over the Razer Kaira Pro's base model. While Razer claims that you can expect around 30 hours of playback in total regardless of connectivity method, that’s only if you disable the RGB lighting and the HyperSense haptics entirely. The company suggests up to 11 hours with these features enabled, and that’s slightly more generous than I found in my experience. For the first few charges, I noticed around 10 hours, but I was charging this headset up between uses far more than with the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ or the Astro A30 Mandalorian Edition that I use on rotation.
The microphone on the Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5 is not great. It didn’t really matter which tweaks I made through the console’s settings or when plugged into my PC; things just sounded shrill and tinny. While completely serviceable for playing some of the best FPS games online with friends, this isn’t something that you’ll want to rely on as a replacement for one of the best microphones for streaming. It will get the job done, but I’ve heard better from cheaper gaming headsets.
Should you buy the Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5?
Buy it if…
You want a stable wireless connection
The Hyperspeed 2.4 GHz dongle included with the new Razer Kaira Pro for PS5 works incredibly well and takes up little space on the console’s front ports.
You’re after strong audio performance
While the TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers are nothing new, they sound great at delivering distinctive audio when playing games or listening to music.
You want total immersion
While the wireless HyperSense in-ear haptics can be a little hit-and-miss, when they work alongside the 3D Audio and the DualSense controller, it truly feels awesome.
Don’t buy it if…
You want a PS5 headset with leading battery life
There’s no getting around the fact that you’ll be charging the Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5 up a fair amount if you want to use the RGB and haptics regularly.
You already own the Razer Kaira Pro for PS5
There’s very little that separates this from the original version, so it isn’t worth upgrading if you have the first version.
AyaNeo is making PC handhelds as fast as you can buy them. It seems only a few weeks have passed since we looked at the gorgeous AyaNeo 2, another excellent handheld gaming PC. Yet, here we are with the all-new AyaNeo Air Plus device — available in several different configurations, no less, and all very exciting.
The flagship version I’ve been testing packs in the same AMD Ryzen 7 6800U chipset that we saw in the more-premium AyaNeo 2, but in a smaller form factor that makes it a far more comfortable device for portable play. As a result, for my money, this is currently the best handheld gaming PC on the market. It offers the same AAA performance of the AyaNeo 2, at a price point closer to the Steam Deck, but in a device that’s just simply more comfortable to play for extended lengths of time by virtue of its compact design, fronted by a 6-inch 1080p display.
The end result is something quite special — a truly portable gaming PC capable of better performance than the Steam Deck, with full-fat Windows 11 to play about in. Yes, it remains more expensive than Valve’s handheld, and the Steam Deck is the recommended option for those who want a more console-like experience. But for those that are willing to trade a degree of convenience in favor of frame rate, resolution and portability, the AyaNeo Air Plus is an incredible device.
AyaNeo Air Plus: Price and availability
How much does it cost? Starts at $599 (model reviewed RRP $979)
When is it available? Available now in Glacier Blue, Starlight Black and Classic Grey
Where can you get it? Available online direct from AyaNeo, with third-party retailers to follow soon
AyaNeo Air Plus: Specs
Here is the AyaNeo Air Plus configuration sent to TechRadar Gaming for review:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5 6400 (16GB option available)
SSD: 512GB (1TB and 2TB options available)
Size: 237mm X 91.4mm x 23.1mm
Weight: 525g
Screen: 1920 x 1080 / IPS / 6-inch / 400nits / 368 PPI / Touch-enabled
Input: Hall sensor joysticks / Hall sensor triggers / Fingerprint scanner
The AyaNeo Air Plus starts at an affordable $599 for its lower-powered models, but to get into the Steam Deck-beating territory, it stalks, you need to cough up for the premium AMD Ryzen 7 6800U model. At that point, you’ve comfortably got a machine that outperforms Valve’s model — at a significantly higher price, of course, which is fair enough, considering Valve helps to subsidize Steam Deck costs through Steam store game sales. In terms of value, you’ll likely get more pure gaming mileage with a gaming laptop of similar cost, and more functionality with keys and trackpad too. But you’ll lose the magic of it being a truly handheld machine along the way. And this is still cheaper than the premium AyaNeo 2, despite near-identical internal specs delivering the same fantastic AAA PC gaming performance.
AyaNeo also offers other variants of the Air Plus in less powerful configurations, including Intel Alder Lake Core i3 1215U builds starting at $649, and additional AMD Ryzen 3 7320U and Ryzen 5 7520U variants starting at $599. Each offers either 128GB or 512GB SSD storage, and 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR5 storage. All other specs remain the same.
Value: 3.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Design
Great size for a Windows portable
Ergonomic controls
Premium Hall sensor triggers and sticks
AyaNeo has had a fair few goes at creating handheld PCs at this point, and the refinements it’s been making along the way are really starting to pay off. While this is not as luxurious as the AyaNeo 2, instead designed to land at a more affordable price point, I’d argue this is the better machine for portable play in many ways.
That’s in large part because of the screen size. The AyaNeo Air Plus opts for a 6-inch touch display compared to the 7-incher on the AyaNeo 2. Both are gorgeous; rich IPS displays with contrast ratios and color depth to rival an OLED panel. But the smaller screen on the Air Plus facilitates an overall smaller, lighter design, making it far easier to play and hold for longer play sessions. It puts the oversized Steam Deck to shame in this respect. And, as I’ll discuss in a bit, it also helps to increase battery life. Interestingly, the brightness steps on the AyaNeo Air Plus feel a little… off? After about 30% brightness, you’re so close to max visible brightness that I rarely went above that value, so it doesn't seem worth any potential battery trade-off to go any higher. Regardless, it’s a sharper, brighter display than you’ll find on a Steam Deck, even before you hit the halfway mark.
Not every difference in design next to its pricier AyaNeo 2 stablemate is for the better: you’ve only got two USB-C ports (one on the top edge, one on the bottom) compared to the three found on the AyaNeo 2, and the sticks are inferior Joy-Con clones rather than the Xbox-like sticks on the AyaNeo 2. But again, in service of a smaller overall device, they’re smart choices, and the drift-free Hall sensors are still present in the sticks for accurate control. Each has an adjustable RGB light underneath, too.
It's ergonomically very comfortable, and more traditional in size and shape than the Steam Deck. A slight curvature to the back shell where your palms sit lets your fingers hug the AyaNeo Air Plus without cramping (though it is a fingerprint magnet on the rear), and shoulder and trigger buttons are in easy reach, with just the right amount of travel and clickiness. Those triggers are analogue compatible too, again with Hall sensors, letting you dial in fine input — perfect for, say, revving an engine at just the right speed in a racing game like Forza Horizon 5. The D-Pad pivots well, and gives you the precision you need for platformers and brawlers. Start and select buttons sit under the D-Pad on the left, and X, Y, A, and B buttons sit above the right stick — buttons a little smaller perhaps than we’d like, but again in service of added portability.
There’s a few extra buttons that you won’t usually find on a traditional console handheld here. Next to the shoulder buttons are two clicky hotkey buttons that can be configured for whatever use you see fit —say, for instance, bringing up the onscreen touch keyboard, or Task Manager. Then below the right stick are two circular buttons, one larger than the other. The bigger opens up the Aya Space game launcher and device settings software with a long press, while a short press brings up an overlay for quick settings like TDP, brightness and volume control. The smaller button is configurable, but I left it as its default ‘Show Desktop’ function, which is always handy. Up top is a power button which also doubles up as a fingerprint scanner — it’s far, far more reliable than that seen on the AyaNeo 2, thankfully.
That top edge is capped off by a thin horizontal volume rocker, a mic spot, the first of the USB-C ports and a large exhaust vent, pushing out air pulled in from a fan intake grill on the rear of the device. The lower edge houses the AyaNeo Air Plus’s stereo speakers, the second USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD slot, covered by a flap. Those speakers are reasonably loud, and won’t be drowned out when the fans need to kick in.
Design: 4.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Performance
Great AAA gaming performance
Better-than-expected battery life
Could be quickly overshadowed by a growing number of rival devices
Though it’s not packing discrete graphics, the superb performance of AMD’s Ryzen 7 6800U chipset, paired with the 32GB of RAM in our review unit, means that the AyaNeo Air Plus can handle any game I throw at it. Yes, you may need to dial the resolution down a tad, drop the graphical presets to lower settings, and accept that you won’t get Cyberpunk 2077’s ray-tracing ‘Overdrive’ mode running here. But if you’ve ever dreamed of playing Elden Ring on the toilet (or should that be the nightmare?), the AyaNeo Air Plus makes that possible at solid frame rates.
Performance in many aspects is similar to that of the AyaNeo 2: though that’s a more premium device in its external design, reflected in its pricing, the internal specs are essentially identical.
As you’d expect, indie games like Hades and Night in the Woods will easily play at 1080p / 60fps without the AyaNeo Air Plus breaking a sweat, with a sweet spot between 5W and 8W for 2D titles and retro 3D games. Cranking things up a notch, a 10W TDP and 720p resolution saw an enjoyably stable 30fps for Grand Theft Auto V on medium settings — an experience that could scale to 60fp or higher resolutions with ease at a higher TDP (at the expense of battery life). Similar fun could be had with The Witcher 3 at a 30fps cap on Low settings at a 720p resolution by pushing the TDP on the chipset up to 20W — a superior handheld experience compared to the Nintendo Switch port, for instance. Those that are wanting to dabble with emulation will have a great time, too, with upscaled PS2 and Gamecube easily achieved across the vast majority of titles, and even solid performance with platforms as demanding as the PS3.
Where the AyaNeo Air Plus beats out the AyaNeo 2; however, by some distance is in battery life. With a smaller 6-inch display, the Air Plus is less power-hungry, and given that the smaller screen size facilitates a smaller handheld overall, that, combined with battery improvements, makes for a better device all around, in my opinion. Lower-end games, such as indies or retro titles, will happily run for between 3 and 4 hours at a 1080p resolution and between a 5W or 8W TDP, while an online shooter like Destiny 2 can get upwards of two hours of play at 720p and a 30fps cap. The real top-tier titles, like the PC God of War port, is still going to push the AyaNeo Air Plus to its limits in terms of battery life. But if you’re conservative in your settings, you can still eke out close to an hour and a half of play before the battery throws in the towel.
As has become the norm with PC portables, your mileage will vary based on your stomach for lower frame rates and resolutions versus battery life. You will have to be prepared to tweak TDP settings to find the happy balance you’re comfortable with. This isn’t quite pick-up-and-play, then, though honestly, PC gaming in any form factor never has been. But the compromise feels much fairer here than with its AyaNeo 2 predecessor. In portable PC terms, this is as good as it currently gets.
Just how long the AyaNeo Air Plus sits on top of the PC gaming handheld pile is debatable. However — as AyaNeo’s own recent, busy product roadmap shows, this is a product category growing at an incredible rate. Competition is landing thick and fast, and devices like the upcoming ASUS ROG Ally will give the AyaNeo Air Plus a run for its money. For now, however, the AyaNeo Air Plus is leading the pack.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Software and features
The AyaNeo Air Plus runs full-fat Windows 11 Home, meaning you can dig around in the back end of Microsoft’s operating system with impunity. If you want to install any and every Windows application, fire up a Word document or even run your business, nothing is stopping you from doing that on the AyaNeo Air Plus.
That’s a double-edged sword, however. Despite technically supporting touch input, it’s still an operating system best navigated with a keyboard and mouse, and AyaNeo’s efforts to translate that to touch, stick and face button mappings is admirable but ultimately flawed. Likewise, its Aya Space frontend, which acts as both a game launcher and hardware setting configuration application, is better in theory than in practice. It is not quite a match for the Steam Deck SteamOS experience, let alone something as well polished and focused as the Nintendo Switch operating system. The shortcut overlay, accessed by pressing the AyaNeo logo ‘Home’ button on the device, is more useful, though, letting you quickly tweak fan settings, TDP draws to eke more power from the device, as well as resolution settings, brightness, volume and quick-launch buttons for apps or features like the onscreen keyboard.
Should you buy the AyaNeo Air Plus?
Buy it if...
You want relatively powerful PC gaming on the go
This is a handheld PC with as much power as you can currently fit into a device this size, making for a great gameplay experience.
You want your mobile devices to actually feel portable
The size and shape of the AyaNeo Air Plus makes it far easier to actually travel with, without compromising comfort.
You are comfortable with Windows
AyaNeo Air Plus gives you access to the full functionality of the Windows operating system — and all the potential that brings with it.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a tight budget
You’ll get a ‘good-enough’ handheld PC gaming experience from a Steam Deck, but at a much cheaper price.
You want a more console-like experience
The Aya Space software isn’t good enough to keep you from having to delve back into Windows constantly.
You want to be able to get real work done on your gaming PC
If that’s the case, you may want to pick up a keyboard-equipped gaming laptop instead.
Also Consider: Valve's Steam Deck
If our AyaNeo Air Plus review has you considering other options, you should consider…
How I tested the AyaNeo Air Plus
Review test period: two weeks
Gaming across Steam / Epic Games. AAA games and indie titles
Light web browsing and general Windows PC tasks
Over the course of two weeks testing the AyaNeo Air Plus, I played a range of modern, classic, indie, and AAA PC gaming titles, ranging from everything from Cyberpunk 2077 to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. I even played some retro titles via emulation software.
Though it’s pricier than the Steam Deck, the AyaNeo Air Plus justifies that by being the superior machine in many ways. For example, it’s more powerful, has a more comfortable form factor, and has better specs in key departments, including screen quality. Its only drawback is its software, which hasn’t been as perfectly optimized for handheld play in the same way that the Steam Deck equivalent has. Having said that, you get far more flexibility with the native full-fat Windows on offer here.
Working as a technology and gaming journalist for more than 15 years, I’ve tested (and in many cases owned) every major games console since the SNES, dozens of gaming PCs, and reviewed countless games along the way. I’m a regular gamer at home across Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch consoles, and I have my own gaming PC equipped with the latest generation of Intel processors and an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU. I’ve also tested many of the new wave of gaming handhelds, including devices from Ayn, Anbernic, PowKiddy, and other AyaNeo models.
AyaNeo is making PC handhelds as fast as you can buy them. It seems only a few weeks have passed since we looked at the gorgeous AyaNeo 2, another excellent handheld gaming PC. Yet, here we are with the all-new AyaNeo Air Plus device — available in several different configurations, no less, and all very exciting.
The flagship version I’ve been testing packs in the same AMD Ryzen 7 6800U chipset that we saw in the more-premium AyaNeo 2, but in a smaller form factor that makes it a far more comfortable device for portable play. As a result, for my money, this is currently the best handheld gaming PC on the market. It offers the same AAA performance of the AyaNeo 2, at a price point closer to the Steam Deck, but in a device that’s just simply more comfortable to play for extended lengths of time by virtue of its compact design, fronted by a 6-inch 1080p display.
The end result is something quite special — a truly portable gaming PC capable of better performance than the Steam Deck, with full-fat Windows 11 to play about in. Yes, it remains more expensive than Valve’s handheld, and the Steam Deck is the recommended option for those who want a more console-like experience. But for those that are willing to trade a degree of convenience in favor of frame rate, resolution and portability, the AyaNeo Air Plus is an incredible device.
AyaNeo Air Plus: Price and availability
How much does it cost? Starts at $599 (model reviewed RRP $979)
When is it available? Available now in Glacier Blue, Starlight Black and Classic Grey
Where can you get it? Available online direct from AyaNeo, with third-party retailers to follow soon
AyaNeo Air Plus: Specs
Here is the AyaNeo Air Plus configuration sent to TechRadar Gaming for review:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5 6400 (16GB option available)
SSD: 512GB (1TB and 2TB options available)
Size: 237mm X 91.4mm x 23.1mm
Weight: 525g
Screen: 1920 x 1080 / IPS / 6-inch / 400nits / 368 PPI / Touch-enabled
Input: Hall sensor joysticks / Hall sensor triggers / Fingerprint scanner
The AyaNeo Air Plus starts at an affordable $599 for its lower-powered models, but to get into the Steam Deck-beating territory, it stalks, you need to cough up for the premium AMD Ryzen 7 6800U model. At that point, you’ve comfortably got a machine that outperforms Valve’s model — at a significantly higher price, of course, which is fair enough, considering Valve helps to subsidize Steam Deck costs through Steam store game sales. In terms of value, you’ll likely get more pure gaming mileage with a gaming laptop of similar cost, and more functionality with keys and trackpad too. But you’ll lose the magic of it being a truly handheld machine along the way. And this is still cheaper than the premium AyaNeo 2, despite near-identical internal specs delivering the same fantastic AAA PC gaming performance.
AyaNeo also offers other variants of the Air Plus in less powerful configurations, including Intel Alder Lake Core i3 1215U builds starting at $649, and additional AMD Ryzen 3 7320U and Ryzen 5 7520U variants starting at $599. Each offers either 128GB or 512GB SSD storage, and 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR5 storage. All other specs remain the same.
Value: 3.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Design
Great size for a Windows portable
Ergonomic controls
Premium Hall sensor triggers and sticks
AyaNeo has had a fair few goes at creating handheld PCs at this point, and the refinements it’s been making along the way are really starting to pay off. While this is not as luxurious as the AyaNeo 2, instead designed to land at a more affordable price point, I’d argue this is the better machine for portable play in many ways.
That’s in large part because of the screen size. The AyaNeo Air Plus opts for a 6-inch touch display compared to the 7-incher on the AyaNeo 2. Both are gorgeous; rich IPS displays with contrast ratios and color depth to rival an OLED panel. But the smaller screen on the Air Plus facilitates an overall smaller, lighter design, making it far easier to play and hold for longer play sessions. It puts the oversized Steam Deck to shame in this respect. And, as I’ll discuss in a bit, it also helps to increase battery life. Interestingly, the brightness steps on the AyaNeo Air Plus feel a little… off? After about 30% brightness, you’re so close to max visible brightness that I rarely went above that value, so it doesn't seem worth any potential battery trade-off to go any higher. Regardless, it’s a sharper, brighter display than you’ll find on a Steam Deck, even before you hit the halfway mark.
Not every difference in design next to its pricier AyaNeo 2 stablemate is for the better: you’ve only got two USB-C ports (one on the top edge, one on the bottom) compared to the three found on the AyaNeo 2, and the sticks are inferior Joy-Con clones rather than the Xbox-like sticks on the AyaNeo 2. But again, in service of a smaller overall device, they’re smart choices, and the drift-free Hall sensors are still present in the sticks for accurate control. Each has an adjustable RGB light underneath, too.
It's ergonomically very comfortable, and more traditional in size and shape than the Steam Deck. A slight curvature to the back shell where your palms sit lets your fingers hug the AyaNeo Air Plus without cramping (though it is a fingerprint magnet on the rear), and shoulder and trigger buttons are in easy reach, with just the right amount of travel and clickiness. Those triggers are analogue compatible too, again with Hall sensors, letting you dial in fine input — perfect for, say, revving an engine at just the right speed in a racing game like Forza Horizon 5. The D-Pad pivots well, and gives you the precision you need for platformers and brawlers. Start and select buttons sit under the D-Pad on the left, and X, Y, A, and B buttons sit above the right stick — buttons a little smaller perhaps than we’d like, but again in service of added portability.
There’s a few extra buttons that you won’t usually find on a traditional console handheld here. Next to the shoulder buttons are two clicky hotkey buttons that can be configured for whatever use you see fit —say, for instance, bringing up the onscreen touch keyboard, or Task Manager. Then below the right stick are two circular buttons, one larger than the other. The bigger opens up the Aya Space game launcher and device settings software with a long press, while a short press brings up an overlay for quick settings like TDP, brightness and volume control. The smaller button is configurable, but I left it as its default ‘Show Desktop’ function, which is always handy. Up top is a power button which also doubles up as a fingerprint scanner — it’s far, far more reliable than that seen on the AyaNeo 2, thankfully.
That top edge is capped off by a thin horizontal volume rocker, a mic spot, the first of the USB-C ports and a large exhaust vent, pushing out air pulled in from a fan intake grill on the rear of the device. The lower edge houses the AyaNeo Air Plus’s stereo speakers, the second USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD slot, covered by a flap. Those speakers are reasonably loud, and won’t be drowned out when the fans need to kick in.
Design: 4.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Performance
Great AAA gaming performance
Better-than-expected battery life
Could be quickly overshadowed by a growing number of rival devices
Though it’s not packing discrete graphics, the superb performance of AMD’s Ryzen 7 6800U chipset, paired with the 32GB of RAM in our review unit, means that the AyaNeo Air Plus can handle any game I throw at it. Yes, you may need to dial the resolution down a tad, drop the graphical presets to lower settings, and accept that you won’t get Cyberpunk 2077’s ray-tracing ‘Overdrive’ mode running here. But if you’ve ever dreamed of playing Elden Ring on the toilet (or should that be the nightmare?), the AyaNeo Air Plus makes that possible at solid frame rates.
Performance in many aspects is similar to that of the AyaNeo 2: though that’s a more premium device in its external design, reflected in its pricing, the internal specs are essentially identical.
As you’d expect, indie games like Hades and Night in the Woods will easily play at 1080p / 60fps without the AyaNeo Air Plus breaking a sweat, with a sweet spot between 5W and 8W for 2D titles and retro 3D games. Cranking things up a notch, a 10W TDP and 720p resolution saw an enjoyably stable 30fps for Grand Theft Auto V on medium settings — an experience that could scale to 60fp or higher resolutions with ease at a higher TDP (at the expense of battery life). Similar fun could be had with The Witcher 3 at a 30fps cap on Low settings at a 720p resolution by pushing the TDP on the chipset up to 20W — a superior handheld experience compared to the Nintendo Switch port, for instance. Those that are wanting to dabble with emulation will have a great time, too, with upscaled PS2 and Gamecube easily achieved across the vast majority of titles, and even solid performance with platforms as demanding as the PS3.
Where the AyaNeo Air Plus beats out the AyaNeo 2; however, by some distance is in battery life. With a smaller 6-inch display, the Air Plus is less power-hungry, and given that the smaller screen size facilitates a smaller handheld overall, that, combined with battery improvements, makes for a better device all around, in my opinion. Lower-end games, such as indies or retro titles, will happily run for between 3 and 4 hours at a 1080p resolution and between a 5W or 8W TDP, while an online shooter like Destiny 2 can get upwards of two hours of play at 720p and a 30fps cap. The real top-tier titles, like the PC God of War port, is still going to push the AyaNeo Air Plus to its limits in terms of battery life. But if you’re conservative in your settings, you can still eke out close to an hour and a half of play before the battery throws in the towel.
As has become the norm with PC portables, your mileage will vary based on your stomach for lower frame rates and resolutions versus battery life. You will have to be prepared to tweak TDP settings to find the happy balance you’re comfortable with. This isn’t quite pick-up-and-play, then, though honestly, PC gaming in any form factor never has been. But the compromise feels much fairer here than with its AyaNeo 2 predecessor. In portable PC terms, this is as good as it currently gets.
Just how long the AyaNeo Air Plus sits on top of the PC gaming handheld pile is debatable. However — as AyaNeo’s own recent, busy product roadmap shows, this is a product category growing at an incredible rate. Competition is landing thick and fast, and devices like the upcoming ASUS ROG Ally will give the AyaNeo Air Plus a run for its money. For now, however, the AyaNeo Air Plus is leading the pack.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Software and features
The AyaNeo Air Plus runs full-fat Windows 11 Home, meaning you can dig around in the back end of Microsoft’s operating system with impunity. If you want to install any and every Windows application, fire up a Word document or even run your business, nothing is stopping you from doing that on the AyaNeo Air Plus.
That’s a double-edged sword, however. Despite technically supporting touch input, it’s still an operating system best navigated with a keyboard and mouse, and AyaNeo’s efforts to translate that to touch, stick and face button mappings is admirable but ultimately flawed. Likewise, its Aya Space frontend, which acts as both a game launcher and hardware setting configuration application, is better in theory than in practice. It is not quite a match for the Steam Deck SteamOS experience, let alone something as well polished and focused as the Nintendo Switch operating system. The shortcut overlay, accessed by pressing the AyaNeo logo ‘Home’ button on the device, is more useful, though, letting you quickly tweak fan settings, TDP draws to eke more power from the device, as well as resolution settings, brightness, volume and quick-launch buttons for apps or features like the onscreen keyboard.
Should you buy the AyaNeo Air Plus?
Buy it if...
You want relatively powerful PC gaming on the go
This is a handheld PC with as much power as you can currently fit into a device this size, making for a great gameplay experience.
You want your mobile devices to actually feel portable
The size and shape of the AyaNeo Air Plus makes it far easier to actually travel with, without compromising comfort.
You are comfortable with Windows
AyaNeo Air Plus gives you access to the full functionality of the Windows operating system — and all the potential that brings with it.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a tight budget
You’ll get a ‘good-enough’ handheld PC gaming experience from a Steam Deck, but at a much cheaper price.
You want a more console-like experience
The Aya Space software isn’t good enough to keep you from having to delve back into Windows constantly.
You want to be able to get real work done on your gaming PC
If that’s the case, you may want to pick up a keyboard-equipped gaming laptop instead.
Also Consider: Valve's Steam Deck
If our AyaNeo Air Plus review has you considering other options, you should consider…
How I tested the AyaNeo Air Plus
Review test period: two weeks
Gaming across Steam / Epic Games. AAA games and indie titles
Light web browsing and general Windows PC tasks
Over the course of two weeks testing the AyaNeo Air Plus, I played a range of modern, classic, indie, and AAA PC gaming titles, ranging from everything from Cyberpunk 2077 to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. I even played some retro titles via emulation software.
Though it’s pricier than the Steam Deck, the AyaNeo Air Plus justifies that by being the superior machine in many ways. For example, it’s more powerful, has a more comfortable form factor, and has better specs in key departments, including screen quality. Its only drawback is its software, which hasn’t been as perfectly optimized for handheld play in the same way that the Steam Deck equivalent has. Having said that, you get far more flexibility with the native full-fat Windows on offer here.
Working as a technology and gaming journalist for more than 15 years, I’ve tested (and in many cases owned) every major games console since the SNES, dozens of gaming PCs, and reviewed countless games along the way. I’m a regular gamer at home across Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch consoles, and I have my own gaming PC equipped with the latest generation of Intel processors and an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU. I’ve also tested many of the new wave of gaming handhelds, including devices from Ayn, Anbernic, PowKiddy, and other AyaNeo models.
AyaNeo is making PC handhelds as fast as you can buy them. It seems only a few weeks have passed since we looked at the gorgeous AyaNeo 2, another excellent handheld gaming PC. Yet, here we are with the all-new AyaNeo Air Plus device — available in several different configurations, no less, and all very exciting.
The flagship version I’ve been testing packs in the same AMD Ryzen 7 6800U chipset that we saw in the more-premium AyaNeo 2, but in a smaller form factor that makes it a far more comfortable device for portable play. As a result, for my money, this is currently the best handheld gaming PC on the market. It offers the same AAA performance of the AyaNeo 2, at a price point closer to the Steam Deck, but in a device that’s just simply more comfortable to play for extended lengths of time by virtue of its compact design, fronted by a 6-inch 1080p display.
The end result is something quite special — a truly portable gaming PC capable of better performance than the Steam Deck, with full-fat Windows 11 to play about in. Yes, it remains more expensive than Valve’s handheld, and the Steam Deck is the recommended option for those who want a more console-like experience. But for those that are willing to trade a degree of convenience in favor of frame rate, resolution and portability, the AyaNeo Air Plus is an incredible device.
AyaNeo Air Plus: Price and availability
How much does it cost? Starts at $599 (model reviewed RRP $979)
When is it available? Available now in Glacier Blue, Starlight Black and Classic Grey
Where can you get it? Available online direct from AyaNeo, with third-party retailers to follow soon
AyaNeo Air Plus: Specs
Here is the AyaNeo Air Plus configuration sent to TechRadar Gaming for review:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5 6400 (16GB option available)
SSD: 512GB (1TB and 2TB options available)
Size: 237mm X 91.4mm x 23.1mm
Weight: 525g
Screen: 1920 x 1080 / IPS / 6-inch / 400nits / 368 PPI / Touch-enabled
Input: Hall sensor joysticks / Hall sensor triggers / Fingerprint scanner
The AyaNeo Air Plus starts at an affordable $599 for its lower-powered models, but to get into the Steam Deck-beating territory, it stalks, you need to cough up for the premium AMD Ryzen 7 6800U model. At that point, you’ve comfortably got a machine that outperforms Valve’s model — at a significantly higher price, of course, which is fair enough, considering Valve helps to subsidize Steam Deck costs through Steam store game sales. In terms of value, you’ll likely get more pure gaming mileage with a gaming laptop of similar cost, and more functionality with keys and trackpad too. But you’ll lose the magic of it being a truly handheld machine along the way. And this is still cheaper than the premium AyaNeo 2, despite near-identical internal specs delivering the same fantastic AAA PC gaming performance.
AyaNeo also offers other variants of the Air Plus in less powerful configurations, including Intel Alder Lake Core i3 1215U builds starting at $649, and additional AMD Ryzen 3 7320U and Ryzen 5 7520U variants starting at $599. Each offers either 128GB or 512GB SSD storage, and 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR5 storage. All other specs remain the same.
Value: 3.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Design
Great size for a Windows portable
Ergonomic controls
Premium Hall sensor triggers and sticks
AyaNeo has had a fair few goes at creating handheld PCs at this point, and the refinements it’s been making along the way are really starting to pay off. While this is not as luxurious as the AyaNeo 2, instead designed to land at a more affordable price point, I’d argue this is the better machine for portable play in many ways.
That’s in large part because of the screen size. The AyaNeo Air Plus opts for a 6-inch touch display compared to the 7-incher on the AyaNeo 2. Both are gorgeous; rich IPS displays with contrast ratios and color depth to rival an OLED panel. But the smaller screen on the Air Plus facilitates an overall smaller, lighter design, making it far easier to play and hold for longer play sessions. It puts the oversized Steam Deck to shame in this respect. And, as I’ll discuss in a bit, it also helps to increase battery life. Interestingly, the brightness steps on the AyaNeo Air Plus feel a little… off? After about 30% brightness, you’re so close to max visible brightness that I rarely went above that value, so it doesn't seem worth any potential battery trade-off to go any higher. Regardless, it’s a sharper, brighter display than you’ll find on a Steam Deck, even before you hit the halfway mark.
Not every difference in design next to its pricier AyaNeo 2 stablemate is for the better: you’ve only got two USB-C ports (one on the top edge, one on the bottom) compared to the three found on the AyaNeo 2, and the sticks are inferior Joy-Con clones rather than the Xbox-like sticks on the AyaNeo 2. But again, in service of a smaller overall device, they’re smart choices, and the drift-free Hall sensors are still present in the sticks for accurate control. Each has an adjustable RGB light underneath, too.
It's ergonomically very comfortable, and more traditional in size and shape than the Steam Deck. A slight curvature to the back shell where your palms sit lets your fingers hug the AyaNeo Air Plus without cramping (though it is a fingerprint magnet on the rear), and shoulder and trigger buttons are in easy reach, with just the right amount of travel and clickiness. Those triggers are analogue compatible too, again with Hall sensors, letting you dial in fine input — perfect for, say, revving an engine at just the right speed in a racing game like Forza Horizon 5. The D-Pad pivots well, and gives you the precision you need for platformers and brawlers. Start and select buttons sit under the D-Pad on the left, and X, Y, A, and B buttons sit above the right stick — buttons a little smaller perhaps than we’d like, but again in service of added portability.
There’s a few extra buttons that you won’t usually find on a traditional console handheld here. Next to the shoulder buttons are two clicky hotkey buttons that can be configured for whatever use you see fit —say, for instance, bringing up the onscreen touch keyboard, or Task Manager. Then below the right stick are two circular buttons, one larger than the other. The bigger opens up the Aya Space game launcher and device settings software with a long press, while a short press brings up an overlay for quick settings like TDP, brightness and volume control. The smaller button is configurable, but I left it as its default ‘Show Desktop’ function, which is always handy. Up top is a power button which also doubles up as a fingerprint scanner — it’s far, far more reliable than that seen on the AyaNeo 2, thankfully.
That top edge is capped off by a thin horizontal volume rocker, a mic spot, the first of the USB-C ports and a large exhaust vent, pushing out air pulled in from a fan intake grill on the rear of the device. The lower edge houses the AyaNeo Air Plus’s stereo speakers, the second USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD slot, covered by a flap. Those speakers are reasonably loud, and won’t be drowned out when the fans need to kick in.
Design: 4.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Performance
Great AAA gaming performance
Better-than-expected battery life
Could be quickly overshadowed by a growing number of rival devices
Though it’s not packing discrete graphics, the superb performance of AMD’s Ryzen 7 6800U chipset, paired with the 32GB of RAM in our review unit, means that the AyaNeo Air Plus can handle any game I throw at it. Yes, you may need to dial the resolution down a tad, drop the graphical presets to lower settings, and accept that you won’t get Cyberpunk 2077’s ray-tracing ‘Overdrive’ mode running here. But if you’ve ever dreamed of playing Elden Ring on the toilet (or should that be the nightmare?), the AyaNeo Air Plus makes that possible at solid frame rates.
Performance in many aspects is similar to that of the AyaNeo 2: though that’s a more premium device in its external design, reflected in its pricing, the internal specs are essentially identical.
As you’d expect, indie games like Hades and Night in the Woods will easily play at 1080p / 60fps without the AyaNeo Air Plus breaking a sweat, with a sweet spot between 5W and 8W for 2D titles and retro 3D games. Cranking things up a notch, a 10W TDP and 720p resolution saw an enjoyably stable 30fps for Grand Theft Auto V on medium settings — an experience that could scale to 60fp or higher resolutions with ease at a higher TDP (at the expense of battery life). Similar fun could be had with The Witcher 3 at a 30fps cap on Low settings at a 720p resolution by pushing the TDP on the chipset up to 20W — a superior handheld experience compared to the Nintendo Switch port, for instance. Those that are wanting to dabble with emulation will have a great time, too, with upscaled PS2 and Gamecube easily achieved across the vast majority of titles, and even solid performance with platforms as demanding as the PS3.
Where the AyaNeo Air Plus beats out the AyaNeo 2; however, by some distance is in battery life. With a smaller 6-inch display, the Air Plus is less power-hungry, and given that the smaller screen size facilitates a smaller handheld overall, that, combined with battery improvements, makes for a better device all around, in my opinion. Lower-end games, such as indies or retro titles, will happily run for between 3 and 4 hours at a 1080p resolution and between a 5W or 8W TDP, while an online shooter like Destiny 2 can get upwards of two hours of play at 720p and a 30fps cap. The real top-tier titles, like the PC God of War port, is still going to push the AyaNeo Air Plus to its limits in terms of battery life. But if you’re conservative in your settings, you can still eke out close to an hour and a half of play before the battery throws in the towel.
As has become the norm with PC portables, your mileage will vary based on your stomach for lower frame rates and resolutions versus battery life. You will have to be prepared to tweak TDP settings to find the happy balance you’re comfortable with. This isn’t quite pick-up-and-play, then, though honestly, PC gaming in any form factor never has been. But the compromise feels much fairer here than with its AyaNeo 2 predecessor. In portable PC terms, this is as good as it currently gets.
Just how long the AyaNeo Air Plus sits on top of the PC gaming handheld pile is debatable. However — as AyaNeo’s own recent, busy product roadmap shows, this is a product category growing at an incredible rate. Competition is landing thick and fast, and devices like the upcoming ASUS ROG Ally will give the AyaNeo Air Plus a run for its money. For now, however, the AyaNeo Air Plus is leading the pack.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
AyaNeo Air Plus: Software and features
The AyaNeo Air Plus runs full-fat Windows 11 Home, meaning you can dig around in the back end of Microsoft’s operating system with impunity. If you want to install any and every Windows application, fire up a Word document or even run your business, nothing is stopping you from doing that on the AyaNeo Air Plus.
That’s a double-edged sword, however. Despite technically supporting touch input, it’s still an operating system best navigated with a keyboard and mouse, and AyaNeo’s efforts to translate that to touch, stick and face button mappings is admirable but ultimately flawed. Likewise, its Aya Space frontend, which acts as both a game launcher and hardware setting configuration application, is better in theory than in practice. It is not quite a match for the Steam Deck SteamOS experience, let alone something as well polished and focused as the Nintendo Switch operating system. The shortcut overlay, accessed by pressing the AyaNeo logo ‘Home’ button on the device, is more useful, though, letting you quickly tweak fan settings, TDP draws to eke more power from the device, as well as resolution settings, brightness, volume and quick-launch buttons for apps or features like the onscreen keyboard.
Should you buy the AyaNeo Air Plus?
Buy it if...
You want relatively powerful PC gaming on the go
This is a handheld PC with as much power as you can currently fit into a device this size, making for a great gameplay experience.
You want your mobile devices to actually feel portable
The size and shape of the AyaNeo Air Plus makes it far easier to actually travel with, without compromising comfort.
You are comfortable with Windows
AyaNeo Air Plus gives you access to the full functionality of the Windows operating system — and all the potential that brings with it.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a tight budget
You’ll get a ‘good-enough’ handheld PC gaming experience from a Steam Deck, but at a much cheaper price.
You want a more console-like experience
The Aya Space software isn’t good enough to keep you from having to delve back into Windows constantly.
You want to be able to get real work done on your gaming PC
If that’s the case, you may want to pick up a keyboard-equipped gaming laptop instead.
Also Consider: Valve's Steam Deck
If our AyaNeo Air Plus review has you considering other options, you should consider…
How I tested the AyaNeo Air Plus
Review test period: two weeks
Gaming across Steam / Epic Games. AAA games and indie titles
Light web browsing and general Windows PC tasks
Over the course of two weeks testing the AyaNeo Air Plus, I played a range of modern, classic, indie, and AAA PC gaming titles, ranging from everything from Cyberpunk 2077 to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. I even played some retro titles via emulation software.
Though it’s pricier than the Steam Deck, the AyaNeo Air Plus justifies that by being the superior machine in many ways. For example, it’s more powerful, has a more comfortable form factor, and has better specs in key departments, including screen quality. Its only drawback is its software, which hasn’t been as perfectly optimized for handheld play in the same way that the Steam Deck equivalent has. Having said that, you get far more flexibility with the native full-fat Windows on offer here.
Working as a technology and gaming journalist for more than 15 years, I’ve tested (and in many cases owned) every major games console since the SNES, dozens of gaming PCs, and reviewed countless games along the way. I’m a regular gamer at home across Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch consoles, and I have my own gaming PC equipped with the latest generation of Intel processors and an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU. I’ve also tested many of the new wave of gaming handhelds, including devices from Ayn, Anbernic, PowKiddy, and other AyaNeo models.
Cal Kestis, Jedi Knight, just can’t catch a break. Whether it’s his constant persecution at the hands of the Empire, the exhaustive gauntlet of tricky climbs and jumps he must face, or the yawning gulfs of emotional distance he seems compelled to place between himself and his friends, poor Cal rarely seems to be having a good day.
However, given that this is the dark second act of a potential trilogy, bleakness is very much in vogue, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is stronger for it. Available on Xbox X|S, PS5, and PC, Respawn Entertainment’s latest title delivers on the Jedi Knight fantasy, couching its mostly engaging story with a commitment to immersion that leaps from the game’s environments at every turn. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an ambitious and impressive beast, held back by a slow second act and overreliance on Uncharted-esque traversal sections.
Across the 20-hour main campaign, Cal’s adventure takes us from the planet-sized metropolis of Coruscant, to the frontier world of Koboh, and to a handful of places in-between. Following on from the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal spends the course of the adventure balancing his need to escape the long arm of the empire with his desire to save others from its pernicious boot.
Survival instincts
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a game of stark contrasts. At its best, it’s a thrilling sci-fi romp, oozing with enough Star Wars goodness to keep even the most dedicated fans happy. At its worst, though, it’s a bland pseudo-open-world monolith, reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla in its aimlessness. Much to its credit, Respawn’s latest offers far more examples of the former than the latter, even though it fails to produce an entirely perfect bouquet.
For example: early on in the game, you run into a very old force user who, finding Cal suitably unimpressive, challenges him to a duel. I won’t spoil anything, suffice it to say that the scene is a glorious and iconoclastic mix of Star Wars elements old and new, answering pressing questions but raising new ones. Also contained within one of the game’s earlier chapters was a traversal section sufficiently counterintuitive that I spent an hour bashing my head against a wall before I realized that the weathered surface I was attempting to cross could, in fact, be used for wall-running. In hindsight, it blows my mind that these two experiences came courtesy of the same game.
This is not to say that all (or even most) of Jedi: Survivor’s traversal sections are banal. At best, the platforming sections add new and interesting mechanics to the mix, forcing you to think laterally. One mountain path, in particular, required me to manage wind currents to help with my jumps, leading to lots of satisfying “aha” moments.
The presence of these more compelling traversal sections is for the best, since getting from A to B accounts for a surprising chunk of the game. Cal is consistently confronted with dizzying gauntlets of platforming puzzles and wall running with a speed and consistency that would make even Nathan Drake lose his lunch. Cal Kestis is part Jedi, part Olympic climber, and all goatee.
Across the stars
Strangely enough, there are few things more Star Wars than the contrasts that underpin Jedi: Survivor. After all, it’s a franchise that gave us both The Empire Strikes Back and Attack of the Clones: hits and misses are almost as Star Wars as The Force itself.
In this regard, Jedi: Survivor’s story is indelibly Star Wars. A thrilling opening section gives way to a meandering second act which, in turn, becomes dramatically upended through an unexpected and impressive plot twist.
The game sets up a cast of memorable and likable characters, often arming them with charm and sparkling dialogue. However, it often feels like these figures are wasted in the context of the game’s pacing. Jedi: Survivor's cast simply isn’t given enough time in the spotlight. The avuncular Greez and the brooding yet soulful Merrin are treats and I was disappointed that I didn’t get to spend more time with them. I’d have much preferred to spend more time learning about Merrin’s soul-searching journey across the galaxy or Greez’s family history than traipse through yet another treacherous swamp.
An elegant weapon
That said when Jedi: Survivor shines, it is truly resplendent. I poured over the game’s lightsaber customization menus for a full half hour before I was satisfied with my choice of weapon, and that was just the tip of the personalization iceberg. The five lightsaber stances available in combat offer meaningfully different and uniquely satisfying means by which you might dispatch your enemies. In conjunction with the game’s skill trees, you are given a wide range of tools by which you might confront the game’s tightly paced and deeply satisfying souls-like combat.
In contrast to the likes of Elden Ring, however, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor boasts a range of difficulty levels, providing a range of different experiences. You can have anything from a light, story-centric journey to a full-on Dark Souls slogfest. This sort of mutability runs through the title, allowing you to curate a Jedi adventure that’s truly your own. Despite its flaws, I finished my time with Jedi: Survivor feeling like I’d charted my own path through the game’s trials and tribulations.
By telling a Star Wars story with this personal element, Jedi: Survivor has done something special. Despite its occasional blunders, the title is a treat for Star Wars fans, even if it left me wanting more cutscenes and fewer overwrought traversal sections.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ruled against Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition deal of Blizzard Entertainment. As per the CMA, the potential deal for Blizzard Entertainment would make Microsoft a dominant player in the cloud gaming sphere while in turn stifling competition and leaving UK gamers with less choice in the years to come.
Cloud gaming needs a free, competitive market to drive innovation and choice. Microsoft already enjoys a powerful position and head start over other competitors in cloud gaming and this deal would strengthen that advantage giving it...
If we’re cutting to the chase here (and why not?) then we’ll just go ahead and say the Ruark MR1 MkII is basically all gain, no pain. It’s small enough to sit happily on any remotely tidy desk, it’s built and finished to a standard that belies its fairly modest asking price (so pride of ownership is more-or-less guaranteed) and it sounds very accomplished indeed.
Choose between walnut veneer or ‘soft’ grey lacquer. Choose between the integrated control dial or the tidy little remote control. Choose Bluetooth 5.0, digital optical (with 24bit/192kHz compatibility) or analogue inputs. Attach a subwoofer if you need some grunt. And then simply enjoy the robust, detailed and entertaining sound the Ruark serves up via its high-quality Class A/B amplification.
Naturally enough, the Ruark MR1 MkII does its best work when given some content of a decent standard to work with – but it doesn’t give up the ghost if asked to play some free Spotify stuff from the headphone socket of a standard laptop. In every circumstance, it’s an enjoyable listen that that beats out the best stereo speakers at this small size and price.
Ruark MR1 MkII review: Price & release date
Originally released in 2017
Officially priced at $379 / £349 / AU$749
The Ruark MR1 MkII is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it sells for around £349. In the United States it’s yours for $379 or thereabouts, while in Australia you’ll need to find AU$749 (or maybe a little less if you shop around.
You’re not short of choice when it comes to powered (or active) stereo speakers with lesser or greater streaming capability. But when it comes to combining affordability and small dimensions that are great for a desktop or small shelf, the MR1 MkII isn’t what you’d call overrun with competition.
Ruark MR1 MkII review: Features
Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX for high-quality wireless audio
Class A/B amplification
Crying out for a USB input
There’s a definite pecking order here. Both speakers feature a 20mm silk dome tweeter above a 75mm polypropylene mid/bass driver, both have a bass reflex port at the bottom of their cabinet – but after that it’s the right-hand speaker that is in charge.
This is the speaker where the MR1 MkII keeps its amplification. There’s a total of 20 watts (which is nothing special), and it’s of the Class A/B type (which most certainly is) – virtually every alternative to the Ruark uses Class D amplification, and the use of Class A/B here let’s you know Ruark is deadly serious where sound quality is concerned.
All physical and wireless connectivity is handled by the right-hand speaker, too. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless streaming, and there’s compatibility with SBC, AAC and aptX codecs. Physical inputs consist of a 3.5mm analogue socket and a digital optical socket – not only does the digital input mean the MR1 MkII can work as speakers for your TV (as long as it has an optical output, of course), but it’s also equipped to deal with digital audio files up to 24bit/192kHz resolution. So the Ruark is a hi-res system… but not over USB, sadly, because there's the only major connection we really miss here, though it would be nice if it supported Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, of course.
There’s a pre-out for a subwoofer on the rear of the cabinet, a power connection, and an output for the braided cable that’s in the packaging to join the right speaker to its left-hand partner. If you don’t make that connection, though, the Ruark will automatically switch to single-speaker mono operation. And if you fancy taking your single MR1 MkII speaker out and about with you, there’s an optional ‘backpack’ battery that attaches to the rear of the speaker cabinet and should be good for 12 hours or so of playback as long as you’re not going for it in terms of volume – but that's a separate purchase.
The circular turn-and-click dial that’s been a feature of numerous Ruark products makes an appearance here, and it’s a welcome appearance, because it’s a useful and actually quite satisfying way of controlling the MR1 MkII. A press powers up the system, and Bluetooth pairing begins immediately – further presses allow you to scroll through your input options, a long press powers the system down again. And, of course, turning the dial adjusts volume.
If you’re using Bluetooth to stream music, of course, then control is available via your smartphone and/or your music streaming service’s control app. Nevertheless, Ruark provides a small, slim remote control of the clicky type that covers every eventuality.
The right-hand speaker needs to be reasonably close to power, of course, and the speakers can’t be further apart than the 2m length of the cable that connects them. That will be long enough for the vast majority of people, but it will be a limitation for some, and so is one of the few potential downsides here.
Features score: 4.5/5
Ruark MR1 MkII review: Sound quality
Open and well-defined soundstage
Impressive detail retrieval
Surprising punch and muscularity
Don’t let the Ruark’s size fool you – the MR1 MkII is all business. It sounds fuller, more open and more convincing than seems remotely likely.
No matter if you’re listening to Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion streamed via aptX, or a Netflix stream of The Power of the Dog using the optical input via a TV, or sending The Smile’s A Light for Attracting Attention into the analogue socket using the output from a MacBook Pro, the MR1 MkII (broadly speaking) maintains its sonic characteristics.
Naturally, it prefers a digital signal on which it can bring its Cirrus 24-bit DAC to bear rather than the rather humdrum output of a laptop’s headphone socket – but it doesn’t get picky. It simply rolls its sleeves up and makes the best of things.
And given a fighting chance with some digital audio over Bluetooth or optical, ‘the best of things’ turns out to be very listenable indeed. The Ruark creates an open, quite spacious soundstage, with plenty of detail handed over and a very agreeable sense of clarity to its overall presentation. ‘Musical’ might seem a redundant term when describing a pair of speakers when they’re playing music, but there are some alternatives that don’t sound anything like as musical as the MR1 MkII – it’s a revealing, confident and entertaining listen.
Low frequencies are gratifyingly deep, punchy without becoming overblown or musclebound, and properly controlled, so the Ruark has no trouble motoring through recordings and expressing rhythms with confidence. There’s a degree of crunch and shine to the opposite end of the frequency range, but the sound never threatens to get unruly or in any way abrasive – overall tonality, in fact, it’s just slightly on the ‘warm’ side of neutral. And in a system of this type, that’s almost certainly a positive almost all the time.
There’s the same sort of solidity, the same level of detail retrieval and the same sense of completeness to the way the Ruark hands over the midrange, too. No matter if it’s a vocalist in a band or an actor in a movie, the MR1 MkII is distinct, positive and eloquent when it comes to the human voice.
Despite the unspectacular power rating, the Ruark is capable of decent outright levels of volume and has a fair degree of dynamic potency when it comes to shifting from ‘quiet’ to ‘loud’. And it is similarly adept when it comes to the more subtle, but no less significant, dynamic variations apparent in voices and instruments too.
Sound quality score: 5/5
Ruark MR1 MkII review: Design
185 x 130 x 145mm (HxWxD) per speaker
Walnut veneer or ‘soft’ grey lacquer
Impressively built and finished
You either enjoy a retro look or you don’t – but in any event, Ruark has contrived to keep you happy. The MR1 MkII is of desk-friendly proportions at a mere 185 x 130 x 145mm (7.3 x 5.1 x 5.7 inches) per speaker, and its elegantly curved, beautifully finished cabinet are available in either a walnut veneer or ‘soft’ grey lacquer.
Regardless of the finish you prefer, the speakers feature gray acoustic cloth grilles. The look is understatedly classy and actually quite sophisticated – certainly I felt compelled to tidy my desk up a bit during the course of this test to house them.
Build quality is well up to standard, too – the Ruark speakers feel both as good as they look and ready to last the long haul. It’s not always an easy trick to pull off when a product is necessarily small, but the MR1 MkII looks and feels the part.
Design score: 5/5
Ruark MR1 MkII review: Value
Best-in-class for the size and price
No USB input is the only major flaw
There are bigger-sounding desktop audio systems – but, without exception, they’re bigger or more expensive or, most usually, both. So the Ruark MR1 MkII represents great value for those who take desktop or bookshelf listening serious, but can't devote much space to it.
It looks and feels more expensive than it is, and it sounds that way too – as long as you don’t just hook it to the headphone socket of your laptop, anyway. As it stands, the Mr1 MkII is without meaningful competition when you keep the price/size/sound quality ratio uppermost in your mind.
If you’re after something with a smaller form factor than what we typically see from some of the best PS5 headsets then the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed for PS5 could be what you’ve been waiting for. Boasting a generous battery life, a cool design, and decent audio performance, these buds do just enough to distinguish themselves as some of the best gaming earbuds around.
Until very recently, it’s felt like achieving lossless true wireless with earbuds has been a tall order. Not so with the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed which delivers on the promise of lag-less sound without compromise.
It’s as instant as if they were plugged in, but there are some factors to take into account with popping in a pair of these as opposed to putting on a headset. Namely, the audio quality and connectivity are a little hit-and-miss at times which stops me from being able to wholeheartedly recommend them as a must-have product for PS5.
Price and Availability
The Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed (PS5) are currently available in the US, the UK, and Australia for $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$259. That’s around $30 / £30 / AU$40 more expensive than the older Razer Hammerhead True Wireless in their standard form.
Design and Features
At first glance, there’s nothing that screams “gaming” about the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed earbuds for PS5. The white chassis looks eerily similar to Apple Airpods and they even come in a comparable chargeable case via USB-C, too. Once you power them up is when everything changes, though. That’s because (to no one’s surprise) you’re greeted with an RGB Razer logo that adorns each side, and that’s one of those love-it-or-hate-it details.
As someone who happens to enjoy Razer’s Chroma RGB and has it on several gaming accessories, I think it helps the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed earbuds to stand out from the competition. Normally when these additions are included I worry about the strain on the battery life, but that’s something that the boutique lifestyle brand has already considered; you can expect around 30 hours of playback from these either through the included USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle or via Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
The case itself is small enough to fit into a sizable jacket pocket or slip into a bag and it makes storing the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed easy. A minor frustration is that there’s nowhere to store the 2.4 GHz Hyperspeed dongle when you’re out and about, but seeing as Bluetooth is the primary connection when in transit, and it works as intended, that’s not necessarily something to deduct points for.
A total of three sizes of earcups are included (small, medium, and large) which means you can get a rough fit to slot inside of your ears. I personally didn't find any of them to be incredibly comfortable for long gaming sessions, but for the short term, these were serviceable. Your mileage may vary as your tolerance with earphones may be better than mine but the fit was a little less ergonomic than some I've had my hands on in recent memory.
Performance
The Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed (PS5) earbuds pleasantly surprised me with their sound quality when gaming. As expected from 10mm audio drivers, they aren’t going to be as crystal clear as what you may expect from some of the company’s best PC gaming headsets like the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless or the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. However, there’s something really throaty in the low-end, especially when it comes to racing games and shooters.
A particular example that stood out to me was how well the engines of the many vehicles in Hot Wheels Unleashed came across through the haze of the electronica music. Getting to hear the transmissions shift and take drifts around the seemingly endless sweeping orange tracks never got old. The Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed (PS5) earbuds also did a great job of conveying the dissonant sounds aboard the USG Ishimura in the Dead Space remake. Despite their small size, I was able to fully appreciate Isaac Clarke’s Plasma Cutter and heavy footsteps roaming around the confining corridors.
One thing I noticed in my time with the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed earbuds is that the connection was a little spotty through the 2.4 GHz dongle. There were several times when, after a full charge, my review unit would occasionally stop audio playback despite being connected to the PS5 console with the Bluetooth disconnected on my iPhone 14 Pro Max. It didn’t happen often enough to be anything more than an annoyance, but it happened a fair few times in my testing to warrant mentioning.
Using the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed earbuds out and about for music was an average experience, but the ANC did help to filter out background noise during commutes. They are no rival to some of the best earbuds, such as the Sony WF-1000XM4 in terms of sound quality, but they absolutely get the job done. Most genres of music translated over well, including Sleep Token’s DYWTYLM and Hozier’s Work Song with their more simple compositions, but more intense tracks like Paradise Lost’s Darker Thoughts and Imperial Triumphant’s Alphaville sounded a little muddy and indistinct at times.
Should you buy the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed (PS5)?
Buy them if...
You want a smaller form factor way to enjoy PS5 games
The Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed (PS5) earbuds are a great way to experience some of the best PS5 games without breaking out a far bulkier headset.
You want gaming earbuds with a decent battery life
These earbuds carry an average lifespan of around 30 hours (with recharges from the case) which is in line with other leading brands.
Don't buy them if...
You want them primarily for music
While certainly not a bad choice for audio playback, the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed earbuds are geared around gaming first and foremost. If you’re after an AirPods Pro 2 or Galaxy Buds 2 Pro rival then you’ll need to keep looking.
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