Popular gaming hardware content creator, ETA PRIME, yesterday teased that his ASUS ROG Ally preview unit was seemingly running Valve's Steam Deck operating system - the short YouTube video provided a glimpse of basic UI functionality as well as in-game performance (Forza Horizon 5). He promised that a full video was incoming, thus providing a full explanation of his modification process and a more in-depth exploration of more games running on the formerly Windows 11-based example. ETA PRIME has delivered on his earlier pledge - the first look/early impressions video was released only a few hours ago (at the time of writing). He reveals that his test platform ROG Ally is not running on Valve's Steam OS.

He has resorted to installing a gaming-focused Linux distro called Chimera OS - he notes that the similar HoloISO platform was not booting up on his handheld unit. On-board audio is reported to be non-functional - the Ally is connected to an external USB-C hub that outputs sound via the in-built 3.5 mm jack. Wi-Fi performance is reported to be inconsistent, ETA PRIME says that he has to reset the system in order to re-establish online connectivity. He was largely impressed with the Ally's gaming performance in a Linux-based environment, but prefers the Steam Deck's power efficiency. He will look into lowering the Ally's TDP, but there is no sure-fire way of making optimizations within the Chimera OS test build.

The ASUS ROG Ally handheld games console emerged last month and it was revealed to pack some impressive "custom" AMD hardware - the two companies have boasted that the collaboration has resulted in two special SoCs - the Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme. Silicon enthusiasts were quick to point out that the Z1 series sported similar specifications to mobile/ultra-portable chipsets in AMD's 7040U family - in particular the Ryzen 7 7840U looks almost identical to its gaming equivalent (Ryzen Z1 Extreme). Andrew E. Freedman at Tom's Hardware was curious and motivated enough to request clarification (about this situation) from AMD. Team Red were happy to respond and acknowledged the apparent similarities between the gaming and laptop chipset ranges, but also stated that Z1 APUs have been tweaked by company engineers to a certain degree.

Matthew Hurwitz, a client PR manager at AMD, provided a response to the Tom's Hardware-issued query: "The Ryzen Z1 series are purpose-built with handheld gaming in mind. To accomplish this, AMD engineers had to validate entirely new power ranges and optimize the voltage curves specifically for this use case - this optimization and validation work should not be trivialized. So while the technology building blocks (like 'Zen 4' and RDNA 3) are similar between the 7040 and Z1 series, the resulting models have very distinct characteristics customized for their use cases. In addition, the AMD Ryzen AI engine is not available on AMD Ryzen Z1 series processors." Hurwitz also confirmed that AMD's XDNA AI engine is merely disabled (so not removed at hardware level) on the two Z1 APUs - this feature is only enabled on the range-topping Ryzen 7 7840U model and mid-range Ryzen 5 7640U. So yes, there are small differences but AMD and ASUS have probably saved some money on development costs by creating and adopting the "slightly adjusted" Z1 SoC series.

Update May 6th: Tom's Hardware has amended their article (as of May 5, 5:03 p.m. ET) - another source within AMD has informed them about the Z1 and Z1 Extreme APUs having configurable TDPs of 9 W to 30 W. The original story - and AMD's website - claimed a range of 15-30 W.

AOKZOE is trying to drum up interest for its latest handheld gaming console - the A1 Pro - with a countdown to a type of early bird sale starting tomorrow. Early adopters will be offered a special starter price of just $799 for the baseline version, and that cost of entry will climb to $999 later on at retail. AOKZOE boasts that the A1 Pro is the first handheld gaming device to pack an AMD 7 7840U APU - a customized version of this SoC (AMD Z1 processor series) is set to debut as part of the ASUS ROG Ally handheld system. The current AOKZOE A1 model is powered by an older AMD Ryzen 7 6800U APU, which sat at the heart of various laptops and mobile gaming devices in 2022. This year's A1 Pro models are powerful enough to take on Valve's Steam Deck (and the previously mentioned ROG Ally) thanks to impressive internal specifications - AOKZOE reckons that the Pro upgrade offer a 20% performance leap over previous gen devices (6800U).

The Zen 4-based Ryzen 7 7840U APU, part of the "Phoenix" range of mobile processors, is available in all configurations of the A1 Pro - the base model gets 32 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage, and the headliner has 64 GB of memory and 2 TB of storage. AOKZOE states that the A1 Pro utilizes the LPDDR5-6400 RAM and PCIe 3.0 x4 standards - their handheld system is also capable of running M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 drives. The A1 Pro features an 8-inch FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS display - its nearest rivals have smaller 7-inch screens. Hardcore game controller enthusiasts will be happy to discover that hall effect sensor technology has been integrated into the new handheld's pair of analog sticks.

AYANEO hosted a product showcase stream on their YouTube channel which went deep into the technical details of their upcoming AYANEO 2S refresh to last year's AYANEO 2. The new handheld console features some major improvements under the hood which include AMD's Ryzen 7 7840U with Radeon 780M graphics, LPDDR5X-7500 and a cooling system redesign. The Ryzen 7 7840U is similar to the recently announced Ryzen Z1 Extreme that the ASUS ROG Ally can be equipped with, both SoCs bringing 8 "Zen 4" cores and a 12CU RDNA3 graphics engine down to a TDP of 15 W. The cooling system for this SoC has been upgraded to a triple heatpipe array soldered to a copper heatspreader which AYANEO is dubbing their "3+1" cooling design. They claim the new design drops SoC load temperatures by as much as 11.6C, and that it has 33% more surface area compared to the previous generation AYANEO 2. AYANEO also claims optimizations to the fit and finish with the body and trigger assemblies being improved to better fit the hand as well as aid in ease of disassembly. Other specifications have remained mostly unchanged such as the 7-inch 1920x1200 IPS display, 16 GB RAM, and 512 GB base configuration SSD.

Today, AMD introduced the new Ryzen Z1 Series processors, the ultimate high-performance processor for handheld PC gaming consoles. The Ryzen Z1 Series features two high performance processors, the Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme, both offering industry-leading gaming experiences, uncompromising battery life, and featuring AMD RDNA 3 architecture-based graphics. AMD is partnering with Asus to launch the first Ryzen Z1 Series device with the Asus ROG Ally, a premium handheld PC console, featuring up to a Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor.

"At AMD, we're continually advancing the next generation of gaming experiences, from consoles to desktops to on-the-go handheld devices," said Jason Banta, corporate vice president and general manager, Client OEM at AMD. "Ryzen Z1 processors deliver gamers an elite gaming experience and extreme portability in exciting gaming form factors."

An intriguing entry has appeared on the Geekbench Browser site, the information was uploaded with a timestamp from this morning (11:07 am on April 20 to be specific) pointing to a mobile ASUS device that was tested in GeekBench 5. The archived info dump reveals that the subject matter of the benchmark was the ASUS ROG Ally handheld gaming console, which has received a lot of attention in recent weeks - with it being touted as a very serious alternative to Valve's Steam Deck, a handheld gaming PC that is quite popular with enthusiasts. The ROG Ally will need to offer a potent hardware package if it stands to compete directly with the Steam Deck, and the latest information confirms that this new contender is very promising in that department. Geekbench 5 awarded an impressive OpenCL score of 35498 to the RC71L variant of the ROG Ally, an RC71X-assigned model is known to exist but details of its exact nature have not been revealed. This particular ROG Alloy unit was running Windows 11 Home (64-bit) under the operating system's performance power plan.

The new entry on Geekbench Browser shows that the Ally is packing an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU, which appears to be a customized version of the Ryzen 7 7840U APU mobile platform chipset - previous rumors have indicated that the latter would be in the driving seat. Both Phoenix range SoCs share the basic 8 cores and 16 thread makeup, but the Z1 Extreme is capable of boosting up to 5.062 GHz from a base frequency of 3.30 GHz. AMD's Radeon 780M iGPU (RDNA 3) is expected to deal with the Ally's graphical aspect, but the benchmark info dump only provides scant details about the GPU (codenamed "gfx1103") - most notably the presence of six computer units, an 800 MHz max frequency, and access to 8.20 GB of video memory. Number crunching boffins have calculated that the Ally could field 768 FP32 cores, courtesy of the dual issue SIMD design inherent to RDNA 3.

Rumors have circulated about a secret development at Sony's PlayStation division - a handheld games console is apparently in the works, but it was previously thought to be a cloud gaming device (similar in function to the Logitech G Cloud). This week, Insider Gaming has published an article that outlines insider information about a Sony project that is identified by the codename "Q Lite". Insider Gaming understands that this handheld will only offer Remote Play, and it will be entirely dependent on the PlayStation 5 games console as a host system. Sony has been touting this remote play feature via plenty of advertising in recent times - it is encouraging its PS4 and PS5 userbase to utilize the PS Remote Play app on compatible platforms including PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

The Q Lite is speculated to offer an adaptive streaming system with resolutions going up to 1080p and a maximum of 60 frames per second. This new gaming handheld requires an uninterrupted connection to the internet in order to function via remote play with the PlayStation 5. The inside source claims that the Q Lite prototype unit shares aesthetic elements with the official PlayStation 5 controller, although it will be larger in size - in order to accommodate a generous 8-inch touchscreen LCD system, placed in a central position. The insider mentioned that adaptive triggers and internal haptic feedback motors are notable features, as well as traditional fitting being multiple loudspeakers, volume controls and an audio input jack.

Last weekend ASUS ROG started to tease a handheld gaming system, called the Ally. On April 1 the company uploaded an expensive looking trailer, that bordered on being a total spoof in the latter half. People were quick to dismiss the announcement as an April Fool's Day prank, but since then the company has continued to post preview material and has even highlighted a Best Buy interest page. The ROG Ally has been confirmed to be an entirely real bit of gaming hardware that runs via Windows 11. AMD has been revealed as collaborating with ASUS on a custom Ryzen APU for the handheld system, which is advertised as the "fastest AMD APU yet" in the reveal trailer. Exact specifications for this chipset have not been listed, so expect those details as part of a future announcement.

ASUS ROG looks to be pitching the Ally as potential alternative to the Steam Deck, but it is too early to speculate about its exact method of operation (always online, local vs. cloud, etc.). Games journalists and gaming communities have also compared the Ally to the AYANEO 2 and GPD WIN 4. ASUS has informed various web influencers that it is promising "competitive pricing" for the upcoming handheld gaming system. The ROG Ally features a Full HD display and a dual fan cooling system tuned to operate quietly via the ROG Intelligent System. A new version of Armoury Crate offers the user access to various games library sources (including Xbox Games Pass) and custom-mapping of control inputs. Extra graphical grunt can be provided by the external and proprietary ROG XG Mobile eGPU platform.

It has been one year since we launched Steam Deck, and in celebration we're offering Steam Deck for 10% off! The discount will last for the duration of the Spring Sale, until March 23rd at 10am Pacific time. The sale applies to all shipping regions, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong via Komodo.

Steam Deck wouldn't be such a success without everyone in the community, so we've put together a little celebration video with highlights from Steam Deck's first year, with an emphasis on all of YOU.

Handheld Group, a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, today announced the release of the all-new Algiz 10XR, an ultra-rugged 10-inch Windows tablet that combines durability with robust field performance, 5G and future-proof features. The Algiz 10XR is a smaller, lighter, 10-inch Windows tablet that achieves more even while taking up less space. It brings two times better graphics and measurably faster performance. Future-proof 5G communication can handle live video streams and bandwidth-heavy tasks like mapping. The Algiz 10XR was developed for field work or other challenging environments within logistics, mining, public transport, public safety, waste management or GIS and has also been designed with modulization and customization in mind.

"The Algiz 10XR will bring some great performance gains for our partners and customers who rely on Windows tablets in the field," says Johan Hed, Handheld chief product officer. "We've worked with this segment for decades now and are confident that we've developed a device with not only great specs, but a complete accessory package to help our customers with their fieldwork."

Expected to be announced later today, Logitech's G Cloud handheld gaming device has been leaked courtesy of Amazon Canada. Although the full specs are yet to be revealed, we now know a lot more about the device. For starters, it'll have a 7-inch 1080p touch screen with 60 Hz refresh rate. The G Cloud weighs in at 463 grams and is said to offer 12 hours plus battery life. Other hardware features include dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1 and USB-C connectivity.

On the software side, it appears that the G Cloud runs custom version of Android with support for not only Google Play apps, but also NVIDIA's GeForce Now and Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming services. The G Cloud also supports haptics, remappable controls and it has a built in gyroscope which suggests that the entire device can be used for controlling supported games. According to Amazon Canada, the release date is the 18th of October.

AOKZOE, an emerging gaming & tech company based in Shanghai, has now announced the world's first AMD 6800U handheld console with the AOKZOE A1. The much anticipated 6800U powered console will surely bring advancement to the gaming experience. With the combination of AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, Radeon 680M graphics, along with LPDDR5X memory, AOKZOE A1 is able to deliver Elden Ring at 60 FPS and Forza over 100 FPS.

The AOKZOE A1 is equipped with pure aluminium cooling fins, pure copper heat pipes, fans and intelligent temperature control to ensure efficient heat dissipation. Being compatible with both Windows 11 and SteamOS, AOKZOE A1 allows the players to access their gaming library on the go, from AAA titles to emulating their favorite retro games.

PowerA, a leader in enhancing interactive entertainment with officially licensed gaming accessories, today announced the availability of the MOGA XP7-X Plus, the newest controller in their popular mobile and cloud gaming line. The XP7-X Plus delivers precision gameplay on PC and mobile devices. Featuring an integrated charge-while-you-play wireless power bank, two mappable Advanced Gaming Buttons, and a detachable playstand for Tabletop mode, the versatile XP7-X Plus is now the preeminent controller for serious gamers-on-the-go. Designed for Xbox, the XP7-X Plus is engineered to extend and expand the Game Pass Ultimate experience on Mobile and PC platforms.

Staying true to PowerA's mantra of "Play Your Way", the MOGA XP7-X Plus boasts an ergonomic design, allowing users to game in comfort while playing in one of two ways. Handheld mode puts a cinematic gaming experience in users' hands. The telescoping center section is compatible with phones as large as 7.13 in. (18.1 cm). In Tabletop mode, a thoughtfully integrated playstand that supports phones and tablets lets users sit back and play anywhere. The XP7-X Plus connects wirelessly to compatible Bluetooth devices and features a USB port for wired PC play. Perhaps best of all, the controller features a 2000mAh rechargeable power bank, letting users wirelessly charge their phone while gaming with the flip of a switch.

GPD have recently unveiled the pricing for their upcoming 10.1" Win Max 2 handheld gaming PC with the entry level model coming in at 899 USD. The GPD Win Max 2 comes equipped with either an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U or Intel Core i5-1260P processor paired with 16/32 GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The device features a 2560×1600 10.1" IPS touchscreen with a peak brightness of 400 nits along with a backlit QWERTY keyboard and dual hall effect sensor analogue sticks. The Win Max 2 includes WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 as standard with an optional 4G LTE modem available for an additional 79 USD in addition to USB4/Thunderbolt 4 ports and a spare internal M.2 slot.

The device is equipped with a 67 Wh battery that supports USB Power Delivery up to 100 W alongside active cooling with double heat pipes. The 899 USD Indiegogo model is limited to 50 units and features the Ryzen 7 6800U, 16 GB RAM, and a 128 GB SSD while the base retail model will regularly cost 1159 USD and features an upgraded 1 TB SSD. The base model is also available with the Intel Core i5-1260P for the same price. The onboard memory can be increased to 32 GB for an additional 200 USD and the storage to 2 TB for a further 100 USD while a customized M.2 2230 1 TB SSD is offered for an additional 139 USD.

The relatively new handheld gaming console company AYN has recently teased what they claim to be 'The Most Affordable Windows Handhelds Ever Created' with the AYN Loki series. The company has previously released the ARM-based Odin handheld that could run Android and Windows for ARM. The Loki is the company's first Windows handheld launching with five initial variants including a single entry-level Loki Mini model featuring an unspecified Alder Lake U processor and 64 GB of storage costing 299 USD. The next three models each feature the AMD Ryzen 6600U paired with between 64 GB and 512 GB storage coming in at 499 USD to 699 USD. The AYN Loki MAX will feature an AMD Ryzen 6800U paired with 512 GB of storage costing 799 USD.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announces the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, a purpose-built platform that allows gamers the best place to play their favorite games. The platform delivers cutting-edge performance to run all Android games, play content from cloud gaming libraries, stream games from your home console or PC, and enjoy entertainment from your favorite Android apps. Amassing the entire arsenal of Snapdragon Elite Gaming technologies together to create a premium category of dedicated consumer gaming products, the platform is designed to power incredible experiences for gamers on-the-go.

To showcase the platform, Qualcomm Technologies partnered with Razer to build the first Snapdragon G3x Handheld Gaming Developer Kit, which is available exclusively for developers starting today. Razer is a global leader in gaming hardware and has already constructed one of the world's largest gamer-focused ecosystems of hardware, software, and services.

The Nintendo Switch family of systems is about to gain a new member. On Oct. 8, Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will launch at a suggested retail price of $349.99, giving people another option for how they want to play the vast library of games on Nintendo Switch. Click here to view the video announcing the new system.

Nintendo Switch (OLED model) has a similar overall size to the Nintendo Switch system, but with a larger, vibrant 7-inch OLED screen with vivid colors and crisp contrast. Nintendo Switch (OLED model) also features a wide adjustable stand for tabletop mode, a new dock with a wired LAN port, 64 GB of internal storage, and enhanced audio for handheld and tabletop play. Just like Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch (OLED model) allows players to play on the TV and share the detachable Joy-Con controllers for right-out-of-the-box multiplayer fun. And just like both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, with Nintendo Switch (OLED model), the system can be taken on the go to enjoy its play-anywhere versatility. A carrying case and screen protector set for Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will also be available.

AMD in 2020 set out on an ambitious project to develop Wi-Fi modules under its own marquee. This was catalyzed in part by the company's Ryzen PRO line of mobile processors, to better compete with Intel's Core vPro processors, which included Intel's own vPro-ready WLAN modules as part of a package to notebook OEMs. Come 2021, and AMD's module is ready, and is debuting with a handheld game console.

The new AMD RZ608 WLAN module is cutting-edge, in supporting Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax over 6 GHz) in addition to a plethora of older Wi-Fi standards; and Bluetooth 5.2. 6 months seem like an awfully short amount of time for AMD to whip up a WLAN product portfolio from scratch, especially with the IP tangles involved. The company instead chose to partner with MediaTek, which has access to all the IP needed to develop such a product. The WLAN PHY appears to be a MediaTek design, specifically based on the MT7921K chip. We'll hear a lot more about the RZ608, as it might start showing up in notebooks powered by Ryzen 5000 "Cezanne" processors. It remains to be seen if the chip makes it to desktop platforms, too.

The GDP WIN Max is the latest handheld PC from GDP, described as an all in one product that combines the portability of a handheld and the graphics performance of a gaming laptop. The GDP WIN Max has smashed its Indiegogo funding goal of $25,000 currently sitting at over $1,300,000 USD, the handled PC features vastly upgraded internal from the GDP WIN 2 now featuring a 10th generation 10 nm Intel Core I5-1035G7 CPU with Iris Plus Graphics 940, paired with 16 GB of DDR4 3733 MHz ram, 512 GB M.2 SSD and 8" HD screen. The GDP WIN Max is on sale at a special crowdfunding price of $779 USD.

Remember the SMACH Z? Me neither. It was a long attempt in the making, with multiple Kickstarter campaigns that finally resulted in an actual product coming to market later this year. The SMACH Z is a handheld gaming PC with an x86 processor, that was originally supposed to use a 5" 720p screen powered off an AMD G-series SoC (System on a Chip). It was then updated to use an AMD Merlin Falcon (Excavator) R-Series RX-421BD clocked at 2.1 GHz SoC with an integrated Radeon R7 series GPU at 800 MHz to run a 6" 1080p display, that was in turn embedded in a handheld gaming console, effectively making it a portable gaming PC. Perhaps it was a good thing that the product took its time, since they have now decided to use updated internals for the final product- once more from AMD- in the form of the Ryzen Embedded V1605B SoC with AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics.

eBOM reports that AMD has announced it will be showcasing the SMACH Z in their booth presence at the Tokyo Game Show which commences later this week. This marks yet another gaming platform that AMD will be powering, although it is less powerful than the other ones. The SMACH Z isavailable for pre-order in three different variants (Z, Z Pro, and Z Ultra) which have different starting configurations, but can be customized as with most pre-built PCs. All variants can run off the Linux-based SMACH OS or Windows 10, retain the 6" 1080p touch screen, support up to 16 GB of dual channel DDR4 memory and 256 GB of solid state storage, and have an optional camera as well. Prices begin at $699 and go up to $1199, with a 10% discount for pre-order for the console expected to be available December, 2018. For those interested, there are some preliminary benchmarks released by SMACH from earlier this year.

Handheld Group, a fast-growing manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, PDAs and smartphones, today announced the launch of the new version of its highly popular Algiz XRW rugged notebook. The updated Algiz XRW is considerably faster than its predecessor, and has twice the amount of RAM.

The new Algiz XRW is a slim, lightweight, compact and fully rugged notebook that delivers unprecedented performance in the field. Its 10.1-inch touchscreen display features MaxView technology, providing spectacular screen clarity and brightness in any outdoor condition, even direct sunlight. The Algiz XRW is one of the lightest and most compact rugged notebooks on the market, weighing in at a mere 1.6 kilograms, or 3.5 pounds.

Handheld Group, a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computers and smartphones, today announced the launch of its new rugged mobile device for field professionals: the Algiz 10X rugged tablet PC. The powerful Algiz 10X can withstand tough weather elements and harsh handling, and its large, 10.1-inch touchscreen provides the best screen visibility on the market.

"The new Algiz 10X is perfectly suited for field professionals who need a rugged tablet computer that is lightweight and built to withstand the harsh conditions that come with all kinds of industry fieldwork, and that can display detailed maps and other visuals even in bright sunlight," said Jerker Hellström, CEO of Handheld.