Antec Core HS Gaming Handheld With Sliding Display Rocks A Real Keyboard, Starts At $499

by Paul Lilly — Friday, August 16, 2024, 09:22 AM EDT

Front and back views of Antec's Core HS handheld game console.

Just how popular have handheld game consoles become in the PC space? So much that even Antec, a company best known for its extensive lineup of computer cases and cooling accessories, is getting in on the actin with its Core HS, a Ryzen-powered handheld with a unique twist. Unlike popular contenders like Valve's Steam Deck and the ASUS ROG Ally X, the Core HS features a sliding display that exposes a physical keyboard underneath.

It's reminiscent of early smartphones, including the original Android handset, the HTC Dream (otherwise known as the T-Mobile G1). Except the Core HS is not a smartphone, nor is it an Android device. It's a reasonably powerful Windows PC in a handheld form factor.

Antec Core HS (white model) with the display slid up revealing a keyboard.

That sliding display is a 6-inch IPS panel sporting an adjustable screen angle. It features a 1080p (1920x1080) resolution, 400 nits of brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and 100% coverage of the sRGB color space (85% DCI-P3). Antec is mum on the refresh rate, though a peek around the web reveals it's likely just a 60Hz panel, compared to 90Hz on the Steam Deck OLED and 120Hz for the ROG Ally X.

It's powered by a Ryzen 7 7840U processor (8C/16T, 3.3GHz to 5.1GHz, 16MB L3 cache) based on Zen 4 with integrated Radeon 780M graphics (12 cores, 2.7GHz). There are two RAM and storage combos available, including 16GB of LPDDR5X paired with a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and 32GB + 2TB.

Black and white Antec Core HS handheld consoles being played on.

Wireless connectivity is served with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. As for the physical I/O, you're looking at two USB4 ports and a microSD card reader. Other notable specs include a six-axis gyroscope, hall-sensing joystick, RGB lighting, fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, and 46.2Wh (12,000mAh) battery wrapped in a black or white chassis that checks in at 650 grams.

Antec has the Core HS model with 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD listed on sale for $499 (down from $699), and the 32GB + 2TB model priced at $699, the latter of which is part of a launch bundle that includes a carrying case, tempered glass screen protector, performance thumbsticks, and a multi-docking station.

Tags: Gaming, Antec, handheld console, core hs

Paul Lilly

Paul is a seasoned geek who cut this teeth on the Commodore 64. When he's not geeking out to tech, he's out riding his Harley and collecting stray cats.