The current crop of PCIe Gen 5 based M.2 NVMe SSDs run scorching hot to deliver sequential transfer speeds of 10 GB/s, requiring some massive cooling solutions with tiny fans. All this might change, as Phison, a leading SSD controller manufacturer, unveiled three new controllers at the 2024 International CES. One of these that stands out, is the PS5031-E31T, which is built on the 7 nm node, and could power the first Gen 5 SSDs delivering 10 GB/s without elaborate cooling solutions. This is a big upgrade from the 12 nm node used by their first Gen 5 controllers. The PS5031-E31T is a DRAMless controller meant for mainstream Gen 5 SSDs. This controller has a 4-channel flash interface (16 CE), a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, supports capacities of up to 8 TB, and is claimed by Phison to offer sequential transfer rates of up to 10.8 GB/s, and up to 1500K IOPS random access; exceeding the fastest Gen 4 SSDs.

Phison also updated its high-end controller lineup with the new PS5026-E26 Max14um. This is a variant of the E26 that's designed for the upcoming Micron B58R NAND flash chip that offers 2400 MT/s per channel transfers. Over the 8-channel interface of the E26, this finally unlocks sequential transfer speeds exceeding 14 GB/s reads, and 12.7 GB/s sequential writes. This is merely a revision of the existing E26 with updated power-optimized firmware, the underlying silicon is identical. The E26 Max14um is the first controller to surpass 1000 MB/s in all three PCMark 10 storage tests. We have a sample of an SSD powered by the E26 Max14um in our labs, and will post our review soon.

Chinese company Sipeed has introduced the Lichee Pocket 4A, one of the first handheld gaming devices based on the RISC-V open-source instruction set architecture (ISA). Sipeed positions the device as a retro gaming platform capable of running simple titles via software rendering or GPU acceleration. At its core is Alibaba's T-Head TH1520 processor featuring four 2.50 GHz Xuantie C910 RISC-V general-purpose CPU cores and an unnamed Imagination GPU. The chip was originally aimed at laptop designs. Memory options include 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 32 GB or 128 GB of storage. The Lichee Pocket 4A has a 7-inch 1280x800 LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, and an array of wired ports like USB and Ethernet. It weighs under 500 grams. The device can run Android or Linux distributions like Debian, Ubuntu, and others.

As an early RISC-V gaming entrant, performance expectations should be modest—the focus is retro gaming and small indie titles, not modern AAA games. Specific gaming capabilities remain to be fully tested. However, the release helps showcase RISC-V's potential for consumer electronics and competitive positioning against proprietary ISAs like ARM. Pricing is still undefined, but another Sipeed handheld console retails for around $250 currently. Reception from enthusiasts and developers will demonstrate whether there's a viable market for RISC-V gaming devices. Success could encourage additional hardware experimentation efforts across emerging open architectures. With a 6000 mAh battery, battery life should be decent. Other specifications can be seen in the table below, and the pre-order link is here.

We have had to wait a bit longer for the launch of a lesser ASUS ROG Ally variant—the Windows 11 handheld gaming PC was officially revealed sporting an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU. A non-Extreme variant was teased to launch at a later date, which appears to be within the last couple of days—emerging first in North America. The more affordable—$599—offering has popped up for sale on Best Buy, and the ASUS store has a listing although it is currently "out of stock." This non-Extreme model's (RC71L-Z1512) arrival at retail coincides with Valve running a 20% price reduction on its Steam Deck handheld gaming range.

The $100 saving over the ROG Ally Extreme ($699) nets the customer largely identical features and specifications, apart from the main choice of APU. The Z1 non-Extreme chipset was analyzed earlier this month, with its "Phoenix 2" origin revealing usage of Zen 4c cores. The standard Z1 seems to be very similar in makeup to the mobile series Ryzen 5 7540U APU. The AMD Ryzen Z1 is a six-core Zen 4/Zen 4c APU with four RDNA 3 compute units, which is nowhere near as fierce as the "Phoenix 1" Ryzen Z1 Extreme—sporting eight cores (all Zen 4) and twelve RDNA 3 compute units.

The rumors of Nintendo's next-generation Switch handheld gaming console have been piling up ever since the competition in the handheld console market got more intense. Since the release of the original Switch, Valve has released Steam Deck, ASUS made ROG Ally, and others are also exploring the market. However, the next-generation Nintendo Switch 2 is closer and closer, as we have information about the chipset that will power this device. Thanks to Kepler_L2 on Twitter/X, we have the codenames of the upcoming processors. The first generation Switch came with NVIDIA's Tegra X1 SoC built on a 20 nm node. However, later on, NVIDIA supplied Nintendo with a Tegra X1+ SoC made on a 16 nm node. There were no performance increases recorded, just improved power efficiency. Both of them used four Cortex-A57 and four Cortex-A53 cores with GM20B Maxwell GPUs.

For the Nintendo Switch 2, NVIDIA is said to utilize a customized variant of NVIDIA Jetson Orin SoC for automotive applications. The reference Orin SoC carries a codename T234, while this alleged adaptation has a T239 codename; the version is most likely optimized for power efficiency. The reference Orin design is a considerable uplift compared to the Tegra X1, as it boasts 12 Cortex-A78AE cores and LPDDR5 memory, along with Ampere GPU microarchitecture. Built on Samsung's 8 nm node, the efficiency would likely yield better battery life and position the second-generation Switch well among the now extended handheld gaming console market. However, including Ampere architecture would also bring technologies like DLSS, which would benefit the low-power SoC.

In the weeks leading up to Gamescom 2023 all sorts of Nintendo-related rumors started to spew forth—the boldest being a public unveiling of their much anticipated Switch successor during the conference segment. This did not transpire—of course—with Nintendo choosing to showcase existing games and hardware on the trade fair floor in Germany. Post-event murmurs proposed another highly unlikely circumstance—claims posted to social media and on forums pointed to a top secret demo session of "Switch 2" hardware occurring "behind closed doors" at Gamescom, with an elite set of development teams in attendance. These rumblings were largely dismissed due to unsubstantiated information coming from less than reliable sources.

Eurogamer and Video Games Chronicles (VGC) reached out to their cadre of industry insiders to find out more—newly published articles seem to align with recent leaks. The former understands that: "Developer presentations for Switch 2 took place behind closed doors, with partners shown tech demos of how well the system is designed to run. One Switch 2 demo is a souped up version of Switch launch title Zelda: Breath of the Wild, designed to hit the Switch 2's beefier target specs. (To be clear, though - this is just a tech demo. There's no suggestion the game will be re-released." An insider familiar with the games industry in Spain alleged, a few months ago, that Switch 2 development kits had been delivered to a notable local development partner.

Tencent Games, the global leading video games platform, expects the market for cloud gaming and mobile devices to grow rapidly in the near future. Mobile and cloud gaming have experienced significant growth in the MENA region and Asia, and Tencent Games is strategically positioned to further bolster the burgeoning European market. In a strategic collaboration, Tencent Games has partnered with Logitech to introduce the Logitech G Cloud Handheld Console. This innovative handheld gaming device was officially launched in Europe in May 2023, marking an exciting milestone in the world of gaming. At IFA Berlin, Germany's largest consumer electronics trade show, Daniel Wu, General Manager of Tencent Games Innovation Lab says: "We are witnessing a growing preference for instant play. Handheld devices may very well emerge as the next significant gaming platform in the future. And we see great potential for cloud gaming."

Gameplay is witnessing continuous improvement. Players look for an ever more immersive gaming experience, with features such as 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution, smooth 60 Hz refresh rates, and cutting-edge Ray Tracing technology. As a result, requirements for game devices have increased significantly, and will continue to do so. Tencent Games expects that handheld devices will catch up to game development and will ultimately provide the best sound and graphics quality to player.

Lenovo's Legion Go handheld gaming system was uncovered by Windows Report over a week ago following a series of minor leaks emerging throughout the summer. Key points of discovery included an AMD Ryzen Z1 APU, detachable Joy-Con-esque controllers and Windows 11 being the operating system of choice. The news site has today divulged even more details, thanks to a trusted anonymous source sending in an official product press release. It seems that Lenovo is planning to unveil the Go and matching accessories (AR glasses & headphones) at next month's IFA 2023 trade fair in Berlin. The handheld gaming device could launch in early October, with the base model starting at $799 (MSRP).

According to the leaked document, Lenovo's Legion Go is specced with an 8.8 inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel 144 Hz refresh rate IPS LCD touchscreen display—its maximum brightness is allegedly rated at 500 nits. AMD's Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU—that debuted with the ASUS ROG Ally—appears to run the show. The leak also indicates that 16 GB of LPDDR5X-7500 memory is soldered to the Go's mainboard, alongside a user-replaceable PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2242 SSD. The document infers that Lenovo is prepping variants with 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB SSD storage configurations.

Razer, the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers, has once again set the mobile gaming world alight with their latest lineup additions. Spearheading this launch is the widely available Kishi V2 Pro, the extended reach of Razer Edge across Europe and Asia, and the new Xbox Editions of Kishi V2 for iPhone and Kishi V2 Pro for Android.

"At Razer, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what's possible in mobile gaming," said Alvin Cheung, Senior Vice President of Razer's Hardware Business Unit. "With the Kishi V2 line and the extended availability of the Razer Edge, we are empowering gamers to enjoy the full potential of what mobile gaming has to offer."

Back in May Sony officially revealed what was then known as Project Q, its first streaming only handheld gaming device. Since then, there have been multiple rumours about the specs and what the device will deliver and now, Sony has finally decided to launch the device as the PlayStation Portal. However, it appears that Sony is still keeping things under wraps, as not much new was announced in terms of the actual specs of the device, although we now know that the 8-inch, 1080p60 display is a touch display and it can act as a virtual touchpad. Other details that Sony shared in today's announcement was that the device will feature a 3.5 mm headset jack. With a US$199.99 MSRP it might end up being a popular accessory though, as Sony is asking for far less than the rumours suggested the PlayStation Portal would cost.

Sony also unveiled a pair of new headsets for the PS5, the Pulse Elite and the Pulse Explore. The latter was shown back in May. What was not known back then, was that Sony will be adding a new wireless audio specification to the PS5 called PlayStation Link. This will require a new USB dongle that ships with the headsets and can apparently also be used with PCs and Macs in a rather unusual move for Sony. PlayStation Link is said to be a low latency and lossless wireless audio solution, but the good news is that both headsets also support Bluetooth connectivity and can connect to a PlayStation Link dongle and a Bluetooth device simultaneously. Both the the Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore will feature planar magnetic drivers, which is a not common in gaming headset and even less so for earbuds like this. The Pulse Elite has a US$149.99 MSRP and the Pulse Explore will retail for US$199.99 when they launch later this year.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the all-new Snapdragon G Series handheld gaming portfolio, built to meet the unique performance and feature demands of dedicated gaming devices. The new Snapdragon G Series unlocks a range of options for playing the most sought-after games, offering boundless ways to play virtually any game, anywhere.

"Dedicated handheld gaming devices are the best way to experience mobile games. But gamers want to be able to play all their favorite games across devices and ecosystems, be it their console, PC, or on a cloud service" said Mithun Chandrasekhar, senior director of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "The new generation of Snapdragon G Series powered devices will be the best place for gamers to play their favorite titles, offering them the ability to choose from the cloud, console, Android, or PC while on-the-go."

After a couple of speculations, rumors, and leaks, the latest one confirms that Lenovo is indeed working on a handheld gaming console, the Legion Go, and it could be launching pretty soon. The latest leak shows it powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 APU and featuring detachable JoyCon-like controllers. It will run on Windows 11 OS and could be paired up with the Legion AR Glasses.

Unfortunately, the leak over at Windowsreport.com show does not include specifications, but according to pictures, it will feature dual speakers, two mics, microSD card reader, a couple of USB-C ports, dedicated FPS switch, a mouse wheel, integrated kickstand, and AMD Ryzen Z1 APU, same as the ASUS ROG Ally. Unfortunately, it is not clear if it will be the Ryzen Z1 or the Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU.

Competition in the handheld gaming PC space is heating up yet again with AYA NEO releasing more teaser material for its upcoming NEXT II model - an estimated late 2023 launch is touted. This model was first revealed last year, with the company choosing to drip feed information since then. We know that it will sport an 8-inch IPS display and be powered by an AMD Ryzen 7000 series APU, plus an unspecified discrete GPU. The ASUS ROG Ally handheld is similarly equipped with AMD mobile chipsets (albeit in slightly "Z1" and "Z1 Extreme" customized forms), but an integrated GPU takes care of graphics processing. In contrast the AYA NEO NEXT II has been designed to temper an APU and dGPU combination that can pull up to 100 W of power, so this package will offer far less portability when compared to the competition.

AYA NEO appears to be branching out in the creation of larger handheld gaming computers - the NEXT II is the chunkiest example so far - with more sizable options marked for release in the future. Comparisons to Valve's Steam Deck have been made due to AYA NEO's debuting of touchpads for this model - yet this new contender is a different beast thanks to a more traditional control layout and the system's reliance on a power outlet being nearby to sustain lengthy gaming sessions. The "semi-portable" nature of the NEXT II (plus proposed successors) is a curious prospect - will its unparalleled performance potential be enough to attract buyers or will its appeal be limited by being anchored to indoor environments?

Earlier today Nintendo released its financial/earning reports for the fiscal year ending March 2023, and company president Shuntaro Furukawa has briefed investors about sales forecasts, according to a report published by Bloomberg. Furukawa-san predicts that the Switch gaming console will only sell 15 million units over the next fiscal year - sales have been slowing down for a while according to Nintendo's figures, with almost 18 million units purchased throughout 2022-23. The numbers are still very impressive when you consider that Nintendo's flagship gaming platform has been on the market for just over six years - across that span of time, total unit sales have hit the 125.62 million mark.

Furukawa also informed shareholders about the prospect of a Switch console successor arriving within the next fiscal period - Bloomberg's article brings the bad news at this point - it seems that Nintendo is not anticipating a new hardware launch within that time frame. Nintendo's software release schedule - especially in regards to first party titles - looks very threadbare for the rest of the year. The much anticipated Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives on Friday (May 12) followed by Pikmin 4 in July, but things look to be quiet after that - unless Nintendo has a few surprises lined up for June's preview event season. Rumors of a next generation Switch have been doing the rounds since 2020, back then a "Pro" model was often touted - fans later found out that Nintendo had simply refreshed the system with an OLED panel, some tweaks to chipset efficiency, and updated the docking system to modern output standards - this premium model hit the market in late 2021.

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.

Asobo Studio and Focus Entertainment have announced via Twitter that their smash hit survival adventure game - A Plague Tale: Requiem - is now officially verified on Steam Deck. Valve has bestowed a verified badge upon the critically acclaimed sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019), and the official Twitter for the series posted about that confirmation yesterday, along with a witty tagline: "They say "keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer", so make sure to bring the rats with you wherever you go!"

A Plague Tale: Requiem has been granted "Great on Deck" status, but early user feedback indicates that the survival horror game is still not fully optimized for Steam Deck's hardware - stuttering in-game performance and crashes are being reported by early adopters. Asobo's flagship title has been quite demanding on home console systems and PCs alike - so it is not surprising that Valve's handheld is struggling through the technical showcase. Many hope that the development team will get onto optimization work, pronto.