hen last year's portable console sold for $999.99, buying it required serious thought, but now the manufacturer has raised the stakes to $1,299.99 for a special version celebrating the division's anniversary, while the full bundle with virtual reality glasses reaches a staggering $2,499.99. Is it worth paying an extra three hundred dollars for an OLED screen and new sticks if games run exactly the same way as on last year's console?
For this money, the buyer gets the exact same AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip that powered games on the previous version without the slightest speed boost. The manufacturer asks for a solid $300 markup over the price of the old model solely for hand comfort and a punchy picture, leaving the hardware untouched.
Transparent plastic and real upgrades
Handling the anniversary version raises questions from the very first second because the transparent plastic body looks like a cheap toy and lets excess light from the indicator LEDs bleed right above the screen, ruining the premium feel of a top-dollar device. At the same time, the engineers did actual work on ergonomics: the back grips received rubberized coatings, and the new TMR sensor joysticks should last longer and resist wear over time. The screen itself grew to 7.4 inches and swaps the old IPS panel for OLED, making dark scenes in games look genuinely deep and colors noticeably richer.
The $1,299.99 gaming handheld ($2,499.99 if you get it in a bundle with XR glasses, a Pelican case, and a Dbrand Killswitch case) doesn't change performance at all.
The original model stays on the market at $999.99, and the base version offers the exact same gaming performance without the anniversary status tax. If you are shopping from scratch and ready to drop a hefty sum for a gorgeous screen and improved grips, this modification delivers on its promise outside of the price tag. For anyone who already owns last year's machine, upgrading makes zero sense.
A straightforward surcharge for design and a display panel without a single extra frame in games.
Editorial analysis
What exactly justifies a three-hundred-dollar price hike over last year's model? The anniversary edition costs $1,299.99 for an OLED screen and revised sticks, yet keeps the identical AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor without any performance gains. The company previously pushed panels into affordable tiers: in late August we reviewed its ZenScreen OLED MQ16FC monitor, delivering a 16.1-inch screen for well under $300. Microsoft took a similar commemorative path when later that month we noted its $899 price tag for an Xbox Series X clad in translucent green plastic. A cosmetic display refresh disguised as a milestone edition without extra processing muscle.
We covered this: August 24, August 26