The portable gaming console space has exploded in recent years and it all started with the Nintendo Switch. The versatility it brought encouraged other manufacturers to enter the market with their own versions, and this gave rise to the now very popular Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo’s Legion Go, and more. Now, the latest player to join is Zotac with its Zone handheld gaming device that is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 mobile processor.
Zotac Zone was first showcased at COMPUTEX in June, but has yet to hit shelves for customers to purchase. So, here’s everything you need to know about the Zotac Zone before you hit the retailers for the public.
Zotac Zone: design and form factor
The form factor of a portable gaming device has stagnated, with most manufacturers sticking to the “display flanked by controllers” design. While this is true for major brands like Valve, Nintendo, ASUS, Lenovo, MSI and now Zotac, brands like Ayaneo and others have launched all kinds of portable gaming formats ranging from flip screens to sliding screens and a more Game version. Boy. -as design.
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steam cover
$396 $499 Save $103
Valve’s long-awaited portable console is here and is taking the portable gaming market by storm. Valve partnered with AMD to create the custom Steam Deck APU, optimized for portable gaming. It is a Zen 2 + RDNA 2 powerhouse that offers more than enough performance to run the latest AAA games on very efficient power.
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Asus ROG Ally
$422 $500 Save $78
The Asus ROG Ally is the ultimate portable system for PC gamers. Based on the new AMD Ryzen Z1 series of processors, ROG Ally can handle any game you throw at it. The 7-inch 1080p Full HD display with FreeSync Premium on the system gives gamers a clear and smooth gaming experience. The advantage of ROG Ally is that it can run most Windows-compatible games and is compatible with Xbox Game Pass titles. It also comes with 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate. The ROG Ally also features an ergonomic design that makes gaming for long periods enjoyable.
Zotac Zone features an AMOLED display flanked by fixed controllers. It has a more aggressive shape with pointed grips, the ergonomics of which could be questionable. On the back there is a fold-out kickstand, an RGB light strip, adjustable trigger buttons, and ventilation holes. The stereo speakers are located at the bottom.
Interestingly, Zotac has opted for a symmetrical design for the joysticks, much like the Steam Deck, but unlike most other portable options. There are also dual trackpads like the Steam Deck, which makes using Windows 11 on the Zone much easier.
What’s also unique to the Zotac Zone are the radial dials below the joysticks that allow you to change system settings on the fly by simply turning these dials.
Overall, the Zotac Zone has enough advantages in the design department to set itself apart from the rest. It offers a combination of intuitive features and durability improvements that fans of this form factor are sure to appreciate.
Zotac Zone: Specifications and Performance
Zotac Zone is powered by the eight-core, 16-thread AMD Ryzen 7 8840U with AMD Radeon 780M graphics. The CPU can run between 15W and 28W, along with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor of ROG Ally 15W, so you can expect better performance than the Steam Deck in both battery and docked mode. Zotac Zone is backed by a 48.5Wh battery, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 (2280) SSD, expandable via microSD card.
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OLED Steam Cover
Steam Deck OLED is the perfect portable gaming console for gamers who want to take their games on the go. It offers the entire Steam library in a portable format that is ergonomic, manageable and easy to use. The OLED model is an upgrade from Steam Deck’s standard LCD model and features a slightly larger screen that’s brighter, sharper, and refreshes at 90Hz.
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Asus ROG Ally X
The ASUS ROG Ally X is the successor to the ROG Ally and comes with a number of improvements. It is powered by the same Z1 Extreme APU but comes with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage and the M.2 SSD has a standard 2280 form factor. There is an additional exhaust vent to keep the motherboard cool.
For connectivity, it comes with two USB 4 Type-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. There’s also a small front-facing camera and the power button also doubles as a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello secure sign-in.
What sets it apart from the rest of the competition and brings it more in line with the Steam Deck OLED and Nintendo Switch OLED is the 7-inch, 1080p AMOLED touchscreen, making them the only three portable consoles with an OLED display. It can also refresh up to 120 Hz and has a maximum brightness of 800 nits. However, the screen has large bezels around it.
Both the joysticks and triggers use Hall effect technology, so they will be very precise and more durable than standard potentiometer-based joysticks. The triggers also have two stages of actuation, which can be controlled using the buttons on the back.
To keep the Zone cool, Zotac has implemented a fan and triple heatpipe setup, which uses the array of heatsinks and strategically placed vents for efficient heat dissipation, at least on paper.
In terms of real-world performance, full reviews will tell the full story. However, the Zotac Zone has similar internal hardware to the ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, so it’s reasonable to expect the same level of gaming performance, with the added benefit of an OLED display.
Zotac Zone: Price and Availability
As mentioned above, Zotac Zone was originally showcased at COMPUTEX in June, but has yet to hit shelves. There is only one configuration and it is priced at $799. The company says it is available for pre-order in select regions, but is not yet listed at major retailers like Amazon, Newegg, B&H Photo, and Micro Center.
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Lenovo Legion Go
$599 $700 Save $101
Lenovo Legion GO takes a page from the Nintendo Switch playbook with its ability to separate the left and right controllers from the 8.8″ 2500×1600 display. The PC gaming laptop boasts one of the most powerful specs seen on a portable device, but that comes at the price of battery life. Ultimately, any Windows-based portable device has its advantages and risks. However, Lenovo has done well to give its device enough reasons to intrigue. gamers using handheld devices.
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MSI Claw
$650 $749 Save $99
MSI Claw is the company’s first portable gaming console and is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and Intel Arc Graphics. It features a 7-inch FHD (1920×1080) display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It includes 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage and comes with a Thunderbolt 4 port. The MSI CLaw is backed by a 53Wh battery and It has Hall effect technology for the joysticks and triggers.
For reference, the Steam Deck OLED starts at $549 for the 512GB model, while the 1TB model costs $649. The ROG Ally X, only available with 1TB of storage, costs $899. As for the Lenovo Legion Go, the 512GB model costs $600, while the 1TB model is priced at $750. The MSI Claw with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU and 1TBSSD is also priced at $750.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How much does the Zotac Zone cost?
The Zotac Zone is priced at $799 and there is only one configuration.
Q: Is Zotac a Chinese company?
Zotac’s headquarters is located in Hong Kong and manufacturing takes place in Dongguan City, China.