What just happened? Ayaneo, the Chinese company best known for its retro gaming handhelds, has unveiled the design of its first Android phone. You'll probably notice that it looks a lot like the old Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphone from 2011, which is by no means a bad thing.
Ayaneo first teased the Ayaneo Pocket Play back in August, but has only now unveiled its design.
Not only does it share the Xperia's name, but the Pocket Play also uses the same sliding-display design that hides the controls under the screen.
Those controls consist of a D-pad on the left, ABXY buttons on the right, and two circular touch pads reminiscent of the original Steam controller in the middle. It also comes with two pairs of shoulder buttons on the back of the phone, further imitating a traditional controller.
There's also the Ayaneo signature button on the front. On other devices, this opens the AYASpace overlay where users can adjust TDP / power limits, change performance modes, and more. The two other buttons are believed to be for an app menu and possibly a picture-in-picture mode.
The Ayaneo Pocket Play also has the usual power button and volume rockers. There's a USB-C port on the bottom, alongside what is probably a pair of stereo speakers and SIM card tray.
Elsewhere, there are two camera lenses on the rear of the phone, though we don't know any specs. They do appear to be flush against the back of the handset, which is nice to see in an era of increasingly protruding camera bumps.
Ayaneo CEO Arthur Zhang has suggested that the Pocket Play won't be sporting the most powerful mobile chipset on the market. He's probably talking about the Snapdragon 8 Elite, rather than the just-announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
The Kickstarter page for the Pocket Play doesn't reveal anything other than it is launching "soon." There isn't even a price – though we do know it comes in either black or silver.
Sony's sliding-screen patent expired in June 2025, opening the door for devices like the Ayaneo Pocket Play and Anbernic's RG Slide – a bulky $189 handheld built solely for gaming.