Something to look forward to: Add Zotac to the growing list of handheld gaming PC makers. At Computex 2024, the Hong Kong-based hardware manufacturer showed off a compelling alternative to the Steam Decks, the ROG Allys, the Lenovo Legion Gos, and Nintendo Switches of the world.
The Zotac Zone certainly looks the part, at least on paper. It features a seven-inch 1080p AMOLED display (120 Hz, 800 Nits) that is driven by an AMD Ryzen 7 8840u CPU with Radeon 780M graphics, and will ship with 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory. A 512 GB NVMe solid-state drive also comes standard, although Zotac says it will be user replaceable with any standard 2280 M.2 drive. A microSD card slot can be found on the bottom of the machine for expanded storage.
Zotac only has one SKU right now, so these specs are locked in unless something changes between now and later this year when it ships.
Zotac zone handheld close up photos. Looking to be a solid device.
Specs: AMD R7 8840u
7″ 1080p AMOLED display
16Gb LPDDR5X RAM
Hall effect joystick/triggers (joysticks looks like gulikit)
Dual track pads
USB4
Triggers stops??
48whr battery#handhelds #handheldgaming #Zotac pic.twitter.com/lKK5pnH85e– OKestGamer (@OKestGamer) June 4, 2024
Other goodies include Hall Effect thumbsticks (and triggers) in a symmetrical layout, programmable jog wheels around both thumbsticks, a clicky D-pad, dual touch pads, dual bottom-mounted speakers alongside a USB 4 port, and a Windows Hello camera for quick logins.
Across the top of the handheld, you will find vents for the active cooling solution (sorry, no Frore AirJets here) as well as another USB 4 port, an audio jack, a volume rocker, and a power button – plus the triggers and bumpers. Interestingly enough, the trigger throw can be adjusted to better suit individual games or your preferred play style.
The back of the handheld features two back buttons, a small cutout for the intake fan, and a flimsy kickstand. Fortunately, the model shown at Computex is pre-production so there is time to make improvements.
Zotac is still hammering out the final design and will have more to share soon ahead of a planned Q3 launch. No word yet on pricing, but expect it to be competitive with similar handhelds already on the market.
Image credit: Pierre Le Goupil