AYANEO Air Plus

The Verdict

The AYANEO Air Plus is the budget AYANEO — a 6800U in a compact, lightweight body. It handles everything through PS2 and GameCube beautifully, dabbles in Wii U, and falls short on anything heavier. At $499-699, it's the entry point to Windows handheld emulation from a premium brand. Just don't expect it to punch above its weight class.

First Thing to Do

1. **Install AYASpace** — AYANEO's management software for TDP, fan control, and quick game launching

2. **Install Handheld Companion** — Better TDP profiles and controller mapping

3. **Install Playnite** — Your unified game launcher

4. **Update AMD drivers** — The 6800U benefits from the latest RDNA 2 driver optimizations

5. **Disable Windows bloat** — Cortana, Xbox Game Bar, search indexing. The 6800U needs every resource it can get

Emulation Setup

→**PS2:** PCSX2 — 2x-3x resolution. The 6800U handles PS2 great

→**GameCube/Wii:** Dolphin — Full library at 2x resolution, most at 3x

→**Wii U:** Cemu — Playable but demanding titles dip. BOTW at native resolution is 30fps with occasional drops. Lighter Wii U games are fine

→**PSP:** PPSSPP — 3x resolution, smooth

→**3DS:** Azahar — Full library, good performance

→**PS1:** Duckstation — Enhanced resolution, perfect

→**Everything older:** RetroArch — Flawless

Skip RPCS3 and Xenia on this device. The 6800U's Zen 3+ cores don't have the single-thread performance for PS3, and the RDNA 2 iGPU can't keep up with Xenia's demands. Switch emulation via Eden/Citron is limited to the lightest titles — think 2D games and visual novels.

Native PC Gaming

Indie games and pre-2020 AAA at 720p low-medium. The 6800U is roughly 20% weaker than a 7840U in GPU tasks. Hades, Celeste, Hollow Knight — perfect. Older stuff like Skyrim, GTA V at 720p medium. Don't expect current-gen AAA to run well.

Pro Tips

1. **Keep TDP at 8-12W for emulation** — The 6800U hits diminishing returns fast. 15W gives you maybe 5% more performance but costs 25% more battery

2. **The compact form factor is the selling point** — Lighter and smaller than most Windows handhelds. Great for travel

3. **Battery life is mediocre** — 2-3 hours for PC games, 3-4 for retro. Carry a USB-C PD power bank

4. **Use RetroArch's shader presets** — The screen isn't OLED, so CRT shaders help retro games look their best

5. **This is a PS2/GameCube machine that also runs PC games** — Set your expectations there and you'll be happy

Worth It?

The Air Plus is a tough recommendation at $699 when the Steam Deck OLED exists at $549 with better software. At $499, it makes more sense — you get Windows compatibility (Game Pass, non-Steam launchers) in a compact package. It's the right device if you specifically want a small, light Windows handheld and your emulation needs stop at Wii U. Beyond that, save for something more powerful.