Ayaneo, the Chinese company that manufactures handhelds and mini PCs for gaming, is entering the smartphone market.

The company teased across social media a new product, the Ayaneo Phone, that it said will be «a mobile phone truly made for gamers.»

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A YouTube video showing only the back of the device revealed it to be a black smartphone with two cameras, an LED light and what appear as dual shoulder buttons that could be used when the phone is held horizontally. The video and the caption text didn’t include any details about the phone’s features, release date or pricing, only a QR code for the company’s Discord server.

A representative for Ayaneo did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

CNET’s review of Ayaneo’s Android-based Pocket S gaming portable was positive, but found the pricing, lack of a headphone jack and fan noise to be dealbreakers for a device starting at $559.

Commenters on YouTube said some of the features they’d like to see most on the Ayaneo phone include a 3.5mm headphone jack, an SD card slot and stereo speakers.

What to expect from the Ayaneo Phone

A mobile phone focused on gaming could be a natural progression for a company that’s been experimenting with a wide array of form factors — including some with full keyboards — for its handheld products.

«Ayaneo moving from the gaming handheld market into phones might actually make a lot of sense,» said CNET Senior Editor Mike Sorrentino. «The company already makes Android-based gaming devices and making one a true phone could make it a more natural companion.»

Sorrentino pointed out that to get into the mobile phone space, Ayaneo will need to do more than deliver games on good hardware.

«A common issue with the current gaming phone market is software and security support, which is especially critical for keeping your phone secure. So I hope that a new gaming phone hitting the market prioritizes that and not just its hardware specs,» he said.

CNET Senior Reporter David Lumb added that gaming phones have not traditionally sold well, with only a few companies, such as Asus and Red Magic, having achieved some modest success. 

Lumb said that while Ayaneo is using higher-end Snapdragon processors in some of its Android devices, retro games in a smartphone may not need that much power. 

«While this could and likely does mean better performance, a lot of older games on such handheld devices don’t need that muscle, only when emulating more relatively recent consoles,» he said.

Nintendo has released a mobile app for its storefront, the on-the-nose-named NIntendo Store app, for iOS and Android. And while it does a good job of making it easier to browse and purchase games for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, the most compelling feature may be one that lays out your Nintendo gaming history by year.

Buried at the very bottom of your Profile page (you can get to it by tapping the icon with your Mii at the bottom right) is an option called Play Activity. At the top, your Recent Activity will display games you played recently and for how long. But scroll down through All Activity and you’ll find games and console apps stretching back years and years.

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For me, it was a shock to see Wii U and NIntendo 3DS titles I’d forgotten all about, such as a game my daughters enjoyed — Art Academy: Home Studio — and Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash, which I played in 2015 for 10 days. I have no recollection of playing Steel Diver for Nintendo 3DS, but there’s evidence to prove that happened on March 28, 2011.

Why Play Activity matters

If the feature were just nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, that would be one thing, but for anyone who has a long history across multiple Nintendo console generations, this is good information to have. In an era of remakes and re-releases, it’s helpful to know what games you actually have played before, what console you played them on and whether you spent much time on them. My Play Activity history is littered with games I only played for less than an hour, such as Ridge Racer 3D, and abandoned for others.

It reminds me that I played Nintendogs, the cute dog simulator, for a full four years, from 2011 to 2015. Why hasn’t Nintendo rebooted that franchise? 

It’s useful that you can sort the play history by most recently played, date first played, total time played and by game system. I was surprised by how many titles I played on the Wii U, but it probably paled in comparison to the number of games I played on the GameCube or the original Wii. The Play Activity doesn’t appear to go back that far; for me, it stops at 2011 with the Wii U and 3DS. Games on the Switch appear to show more detail, showing you how much you played for each gaming session.

But most of all, it’s nice to have a document that charts your relationship with Nintendo’s systems and software, whether it’s to see how much time you spent watching Netflix on your Switch or to see how many hours you’ve logged in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

What else is in the Nintendo Store app?

If Play Activity were the only feature in the Nintendo Store app, it would still be worth a download for longtime gamers. However, that’s just a nice-to-have feature, not the main attraction.

The best reason to download the Nintendo Store app is the store itself, which becomes much easier to navigate and search through than the version on the Switch, which can be slow and cumbersome. You can make purchases for your Switch or Switch 2 directly in the app, use Nintendo Points, do GPS check-ins and view events, promotions and game news from the company. 

There’s also merchandise available, including game soundtracks, clothing and toys. Being able to quickly navigate which games have demo versions and being able to send a digital download to your Switch from your phone is handy.

An Ask the Developer tab is a nice area to browse in the News section of the app; recent stories discuss the making of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Using the Nintendo Store app requires linking your Nintendo account.