- AYANEO indefinitely postpones the start of the AYANEO Pocket PLAY crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.
- The company prioritizes improving support, logistics, and customer service, especially outside of China.
- The mobile gaming project is not cancelled and will continue in development, with a new window planned towards the end of January or the beginning of February.
- AYANEO wants to depend less on crowdfunding and boost direct pre-sales from its official online store.
The long-awaited AYANEO Pocket PLAY gaming smartphone, called to compete in the mobile gaming niche and among lovers of portable retro consoles, It won't arrive as soon as we thought.The Chinese company has decided postpone the start of their Kickstarter campaignthus halting a launch that had been generating considerable buzz among the enthusiastic community of portable devices.
Far from hiding, AYANEO has publicly explained that This pause aims to address internal service and customer support issues. before taking another important step. The firm He confirms that the AYANEO Pocket PLAY project is still alive and under development.but prefers to dedicate its resources to improving the experience of its current users, especially in international markets such as Europe and other regions outside of Chinawhere complaints about shipping and support have accumulated.
A spiritual successor to the Xperia Play that's been a long time coming.
A few months ago it was revealed that AYANEO wanted to give the leap into the smartphone market After making a name for themselves with handheld consoles and retro gaming machines, their first major attempt is the AYANEO Pocket PLAY, a device that revives, with a modern approach, the idea they once proposed. the legendary Sony Xperia Play from 2011: an Android mobile phone with physical controls designed for comfortable and extended gaming.
The device's design had generated considerable interest because It aims to combine a phone and a portable console. in a single team, with a design clearly geared towards gaming and emulatorsFor many European fans of classic video games, this type of proposal is especially appealing, since It allows you to carry a retro and current catalog in your pocket. without sacrificing the functionality of a full smartphone.
Following the brand's usual strategy, the AYANEO Pocket PLAY was planned to be financed through a crowdfunding campaign on KickstarterThe project even I already had a profile created on the platform and it was nearing 6.000 pre-registered followers, users interested in becoming backers as soon as the campaign officially launched. The movement pointed to an imminent start, with particular attention from the gaming community in Spain and the rest of Europe.
However, the company has pressed the brakes at the last minute, making it clear that the priority is... to strengthen the confidence of customers who already have AYANEO products in their handsThis change of course means that, for the time being, those who were hoping to pre-order the Pocket PLAY from day one will have to wait a little longer than expected.
Indefinite delay of crowdfunding and reasons for the change of plans
From its official website, AYANEO has announced that the beginning of Pocket PLAY crowdfunding It is postponed indefinitely.Although there was initial talk of a very imminent launch, the company acknowledges that it is not in the ideal position to handle another large project based on international reservations and shipments.
In a message signed by his CEO, Arthur ZhangThe brand admits that it carries a lot of weight. "critical service-related issues"These incidents have been reported primarily by customers from outside Chinawho have reported problems with shipping times, order management, and incident resolution after participating in previous crowdfunding campaigns.
The company explains that several of these complaints focus on delivery delays and order errors managed through platforms like Kickstarter. For a product as visible as the AYANEO Pocket PLAY, which aspires to have a global impact, repeating those mistakes would pose a considerable risk of losing trust, especially in European markets where consumers are particularly demanding regarding delivery times and after-sales service.
Given this scenario, AYANEO maintains that he wishes Listen to your users and focus on the problems they are really experiencing.Zhang's message underscores the need to reorganize internal resources and allocate more staff and budget to strengthen customer service, logistics and the quality of technical support, before adding a new device to the catalog.
This decision may be frustrating for those who were expecting the Pocket PLAY to be one of the year's standout releases in the mobile gaming segment, but at the same time it is interpreted as an attempt to avoid repeating old mistakesThe brand itself insists that the delay is intended to ensure a more polished experience when the Kickstarter campaign finally launches.
Strengthened support, logistical changes, and less dependence on crowdfunding
Looking ahead to 2026, AYANEO has announced a continuous improvement plan for your serviceThis plan encompasses both direct customer service and speed of response, the quality of the solutions offered, and the optimization of the entire process. shipping and returns logistics chainThis is key for European buyers who often face customs procedures, long transit times, and potential additional charges.
As part of this strategy, the company has announced that will reduce the weight of crowdfunding platforms in their business model. Although they don't completely abandon Kickstarter or other similar websites, the idea is that Sales rely more on direct pre-sales through their own official online store, where they can better control deadlines, communication, and incident management.
That doesn't mean they're closing the door on future crowdfunding campaigns, but it does mean that when they do use them, They will focus on ensuring faster and more reliable deliveries.In this way, AYANEO wants to avoid repeating situations of accumulated delays or lack of information about the status of orders, something that has damaged the brand's image among some of its international users.
For buyers in Spain and the rest of Europe, this internal reorganization could translate, in the medium term, into clearer purchasing processes, better organized technical support, and more predictable after-sales serviceThe goal is that anyone who chooses a device from the company doesn't have to keep an eye on forums or social media to find out what's happening with their order.
AYANEO emphasizes that this improvement plan is more than just a simple one-off adjustment: It aims to become a sustained policy throughout the year.with progressive changes that will refine the overall user experience. Therefore, in the short term, the decision was made to sacrifice the immediate launch of Pocket PLAY in favor of a structural reinforcement of the service.
The future of AYANEO Pocket PLAY: a living project and a new window of opportunity
Despite the delay, the company insists that AYANEO Pocket PLAY is not cancelledIn his statement, Arthur Zhang assures that the smartphone's development is progressing and that the team continues working on the product with the idea of presenting it to the public when things are more organized in terms of support and logistics.
The new forecast that AYANEO is working with points to relocate the start of the Kickstarter campaign from Pocket PLAY between the end of January and the beginning of February of 2026. If this timeline is met, supporters who have already pre-registered on the platform, including many users in Europe, would only have to wait a few additional weeks to be able to officially support the project.
The company argues that it wants First, fulfill the needs of your current users.By resolving outstanding orders and improving internal processes, they are asking new customers to trust them to reserve a product that is not yet in anyone's hands. In a way, it's an attempt to rebuild trust and show that the brand learns from past mistakes.
The interest this gaming phone has generated, especially among fans of the retro scene and emulators, suggests that Expectations could remain high despite the delayIt's not common to see proposals that seek to recapture the spirit of devices like the Xperia Play with an updated approach, something that can be attractive in a smartphone market that often suffers from a lack of originality.
In any case, AYANEO will have to prove that it is capable of delivering on that promise with a solid, well-finished device backed by a top-notch after-sales service of what European and other international buyers demand. If it manages to put all the pieces together, the Pocket PLAY could become one of the benchmarks to follow in the mobile gaming niche.
With this move, AYANEO makes it clear that Prioritize customer satisfaction and service reliability Being first to market can be more important. The AYANEO Pocket PLAY remains a mobile device for gamers and retro enthusiasts, but its launch has been postponed to ensure that, when it finally launches, both current and future users will find a more polished experience throughout the entire process, from pre-order to after-sales support.
I am a technology enthusiast who has turned his "geek" interests into a profession. I have spent more than 10 years of my life using cutting-edge technology and tinkering with all kinds of programs out of pure curiosity. Now I have specialized in computer technology and video games. This is because for more than 5 years I have been writing for various websites on technology and video games, creating articles that seek to give you the information you need in a language that is understandable to everyone.
If you have any questions, my knowledge ranges from everything related to the Windows operating system as well as Android for mobile phones. And my commitment is to you, I am always willing to spend a few minutes and help you resolve any questions you may have in this internet world.