Zotac Teases ZONE PC Gaming Handheld With OLED Display Ahead Of Computex
The PC gaming handheld console market continues to expand, both with refreshed consoles like the Steam Deck OLED and upcoming ASUS ROG Ally X, and with more newcomers joining the fray. As it pertains to the latter, Zotac is getting ready to announce its first gaming handheld, called ZONE, at next week's Computex 2024 event.
We know this because Zotac is teasing the device, along with several other products that it plans on showcasing at the annual event. Details about the ZONE are sparse at the moment, though Zotac did reveal that it will boast a 7-inch AMOLED display with multi-touch support and a "high" refresh rate, which we suspect will shake out at 120Hz.
The only other detail Zotac is sharing at the moment is that the ZONE will employ 2-stage adjustable triggers "so gamers can bring their A game on the go."
Zotac's entrance into handheld gaming is notable not only because it represents the growing popularity of portable PC consoles, but also due to the company's experience in developing miniature gaming PCs. The company's been cranking out potent Zbox mini PCs for many years now, and it's bringing that experience to an adjacent market segment.
ZOTAC returns to COMPUTEX 2024 to showcase new product categories from Handheld Gaming, External GPU Box, Healthcare, Embedded, AI-focused computational hardware, and more.
— ZOTAC (@ZOTAC) May 29, 2024
Learn more - https://t.co/4u1NhVoBRg#Zotac #Zotacgaming #Computex2024 #computex pic.twitter.com/WHkcDIJH63
"Leveraging Zotac Gaming's passion for creating premium experiences and Zotac's expertise in creating small and compact computing devices, this product marks the brand’s venture into an exciting category of product, imbued with the brand’s pure pursuit to elevate the gaming experience for enthusiasts worldwide," Zotac says.
Zotac CEO Tony Wong added that the company made "considerable efforts to raise the bar with our debut handheld, tailor-made with competitive features for all gamers." It will be interesting to see if the marketing hype translates into anything unique.
The last detail that Zotac confirmed is that the ZONE will employ an AMD Ryzen APU. This likely means a custom Ryzen Z1 and/or Z1 Extremen like the ROG Ally and Legion Go. It also rules out embracing Intel's Core Ultra processors based on Meteor Lake with Arc graphics like MSI went with on its Claw handheld. We'll find out exactly what's inside the ZONE when Zotac unveils "functional prototypes" at Computex.
Zotac won't be alone in showing off a gaming handheld. It's possible that there will be several new handhelds on display at Computex, but one that will for sure make a debut is the refreshed ASUS ROG Ally X. In a post on X/Twitter, ASUS ROG said it will be "live on June 2 to tell you everything you need to know" about the upcoming console.
Meanwhile, Zotac teased a bunch of other showcases that are headed to Computex, including a new Zbox powered by Intel's Core Ultra lineup, AI experiences powered by NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 40 Super series GPUs, and more.
