Ayaneo Pocket Play Faces an Uphill Battle for Success in Today’s Market

I’m always on the lookout for devices that offer portable gaming, but when Ayaneo unveiled the Pocket Play last week, I had my doubts. After spending the past year testing the top gaming phones out there, I realized I never missed the physical buttons reminiscent of the Sony Xperia Play. Mobile gaming has evolved past that point, and now Ayaneo seems eager to revive a piece of that past. Sometimes, though, it’s best to leave nostalgia where it belongs.

The Ayaneo Pocket Play reintroduces a sliding screen design to the smartphone arena, concealing a compact physical control panel beneath it. This design will feel familiar to anyone who remembers the early mobile phone days, when devices had a mind of their own.

This time around, the controls feature a recessed d-pad, full face buttons, two touch pads that function as thumbsticks, and a set of bumpers and triggers on top. It looks sleek, but it feels like it’s arriving 14 years too late.

Back in 2011, Sony brought its face buttons to mobile gaming with the Xperia Play, while a Rhode Island audio brand launched the iCade Mobile. ION created a third-party controller that allowed users to house their touchscreen devices and enjoy those coveted buttons.

The iCade Mobile debuted at $69.99, a far cry from the Xperia’s roughly $500 price tag. By then, dedicated accessories were already providing controls for existing systems at a fraction of the cost of purpose-built devices. Sony was already late to the game in 2011; in 2025, Ayaneo will face the same challenge with even less leverage.

Mobile gaming is thriving now, and the demand for physical buttons is stronger than ever. While AAA titles and classic emulations benefit from these controls, the fundamental question remains: why invest in a new phone for its buttons when you can simply enhance the device you already carry?

1. GameSir G8 Galileo | $79.99

2. Razer Kishi V3 Pro | $149.99

3. Scuf Nomad | $38.99

The top mobile controller we’ve tested is the GameSir G8 Galileo, priced at $79.99. It features full-sized, Hall effect thumbsticks, comfortable ergonomic grips, and larger triggers, all while working seamlessly with your existing iPhone or Android device. While I have my uncertainties about 2025, one thing is clear: the Ayaneo Pocket Play won’t be priced at $80.

There is definitely a market for an all-in-one device. For those who prefer not to carry an extra controller, the idea of a single device is appealing. However, we’ll need to see the specs to determine if the Pocket Play can meet those expectations.

Ayaneo hasn’t revealed the internal specs yet, but given the need to fit that second control panel, it may struggle to match the performance of devices like the RedMagic 11 Pro or Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. If it does manage to deliver, it will likely come at a much higher price than Nubia’s $699 MSRP. If it falls short, you might end up with all the controls but none of the power.

We’ll have to wait and see how Ayaneo develops the Pocket Play concept. The phone/gaming handheld is set to launch on Kickstarter soon, and I hope my concerns will be addressed. For now, I’m keeping my PSP and iPhone distinctly apart.