The Ayaneo Next Lite was one of the great protagonists of the sector gaming in the first days of the year. The new portable console generated a lot of attention among the public and the press because it would supposedly arrive with SteamOS preinstalled, which would make it the first to use Valve software outside of the Steam Deck. However, controversy broke out shortly after because it became known that this was not true. And the manufacturer has now chosen to take a turn in its strategy and turn to Windows 11.
In a statement published on X (Twitter)Ayaneo announced that the Next Lite will finally reach the public with Windows 11 Home Edition 64-bit pre-installed. A momentous change that will surely take away a lot of appeal from this device, considering that the portable console market is full of options with Microsoft software.
When the Ayaneo Next Lite was announced, the big surprise was the mention of the use of SteamOS as the operating system. After all, no one thought that Valve would offer official support for said platform outside of the Steam Deck. The manufacturer’s own website said: “The Ayaneo Next Lite arrives for the first time with the SteamOS gaming system preinstalled.” something completely false.
However, the lie was soon revealed and Ayaneo had to clarify that, in reality, the Next Lite used a fork of SteamOS called HoloISO. Valve had nothing to do with this story, ultimately. And, as you can imagine, The public reaction to this situation was mostly negative.. Something that, evidently, the creators of the console have now tried to remedy.
The Ayaneo Next Lite arrives with Windows 11, but does not forget HoloISO
While Ayaneo has opted for a more conventional approach for the Next Lite with the adoption of Windows 11, has not forgotten HoloISO. The company informed players that it will continue to offer them the possibility of installing the fork of SteamOS on its own.
Console buyers will be able to access HoloISO images directly from the Ayaneo website, as commented. The company continues to insist that those who choose to use that software will get an experience similar to that of a Steam Deck.
“Ayaneo’s official website provides HoloISO system images, which are officially ported and supported, for players to download. Players who download and install it can get a SteamOS-like experience,” indicates the official portal of the manufacturer.
It remains to be seen if the change to Windows 11 continues to make the Ayaneo Next Lite an attractive product for the public. The console comes with AMD Ryzen 5 4500U or Ryzen 7 4800U processors, with 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of internal storage. In addition, it supports SSD drives of up to 8 TB and has a 47 Wh battery.
Regarding controls, The device maintains the typical configuration of this type of proposals. Two sticks, a directional pad, ABXY buttons, triggers and shoulder buttons. An interesting point is that the joysticks have Hall effect sensors, which promise not to suffer from the always annoying drift (drift).