Computex 2024 was a gateway for brand spanking new handheld gaming consoles, however there was one particularly that really stood out. The brand new Zotac Zone is the corporate’s first try at making a handheld console, and early impressions are fairly optimistic. Not solely does it include some distinctive options however it is usually one of many solely handhelds in the marketplace that options an AMOLED panel.
The one different machine that comes near providing such a show is the Steam Deck OLED. However how do these two handheld consoles honest in comparison to one another? Let’s take a look.
Value and availability
The Steam Deck OLED was launched in November final 12 months, and in contrast to its LCD model, it’s out there in solely two configurations: a 512GB mannequin for $550 and a 1TB mannequin for $650. Notably, the higher-storage mannequin options an etched glass show that’s stated to be extra proof against glare.
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Zotac however plans to launch its new handheld someplace by the top of September this 12 months. As of now, the corporate has confirmed a single 512GB storage variant with 16GB reminiscence and an anticipated worth of $700. The corporate says that the ultimate retail pricing can be confirmed nearer to the launch date.
If Zotac finally ends up launching its handheld on the above-mentioned worth, the Steam Deck OLED goes to be the clear winner when it comes to worth. However, it is very important think about that the Zotac Zone can have an added benefit in terms of general options, particularly because it runs on full-fledged Home windows 11.
|
Steam Deck OLED |
Zotac Zone |
|
| CPU | AMD Zen 2 CPU 4c/8t 6nm course of | AMD Ryzen 7 8840U 8c/16t 4nm course of |
| Graphics | AMD APU RDNA 2 8c 6nm course of | AMD Radeon 780M RDNA 3 12c 4nm course of |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz | 16GB LPDDR5X 7500MHz |
| Storage | 512GB/1TB SSD | 512GB |
| Show | 7.4-inch OLED, 1280 x 800 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR)-600 nits (SDR) |
7-inch AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 800 nits of brightness |
| Refresh Price | 90Hz with VRR | 120Hz |
| Connectivity | USB Sort-C
Wi-Fi 6E MicroSD card reader |
Twin USB 4.0 Sort-C Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 MicroSD card reader UHS-II |
| Battery | 50Whr | 48Whr |
| Weight | 1.41 kilos | NA |
| Dimensions | 298 x 117 x 49mm | 310 x 135 x 40mm |
Whereas the Steam Deck OLED holds up by itself, the Zotac Zone is extra high-end in virtually each side. It’s powered by the newer AMD Ryzen 7 8840U APU with eight cores and 16 threads, paired with Radeon 780M graphics. The hand-held additionally comes with quicker 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, which ought to lead to quicker efficiency, whereas the inclusion of twin USB 4.0 Sort-C ports means increased bandwidth and extra flexibility when it comes to charging.
Probably the one space the place the Steam Deck OLED could have a slight edge is that its OLED panel, regardless of having a decrease decision and refresh price, gives increased brightness and helps variable refresh price. The Steam Deck additionally comes with a slightly bigger battery on paper, however relying on varied elements, it’s extremely doable that the output, when it comes to battery backup, could not differ by a lot.
Efficiency
I received an opportunity to play with the Zotac Zone final week at Computex 2024. It managed to ship nice ends in Forza Horizon 5 and Horizon Forbidden West, however I wasn’t absolutely impressed as the hand-held will not be absolutely optimized and requires some tweaking. Now because it was a pre-production unit, I wasn’t in a position to do thorough testing that would assist in evaluating efficiency with the Steam Deck OLED.
Luckily, we do have a comparability of the Steam Deck towards the Asus ROG Ally with AMD’s Z1 Excessive chipset, which is kind of just like the Ryzen 7 8840U that can be powering the Zotac Zone.
As per testing finished by our very personal Jacob Roach, the ROG Ally is over 50% quicker than the Steam Deck, whereas the OLED variant ought to ship just some additional frames in comparison with the LCD model. Even at its increased 1080p decision, the ROG Ally with the Z1 Excessive chip delivers first rate frames and has the potential of operating between 7W and 30W, whereas the Steam Deck OLED solely operates between 4W and 15W.
It is very important word that the upcoming Zotac Zone will include LPDDR5X reminiscence clocked at 7500MHz, which is quicker than each the ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED.
Identical to the ROG Ally, the working system goes to be an important issue. Working on Home windows 11, the Zotac Zone is not going to solely supply entry to your Steam library but additionally have the choice of different companies like Xbox Sport Go, Epic Video games Retailer, and a plethora of emulators to select from.
New OLED champion?
The Steam Deck OLED will not be going to face an opportunity towards the upcoming handheld from Zotac. The Zone options all the fitting elements together with an AMOLED panel with a better decision and quicker refresh price, a extra highly effective CPU paired with quick reminiscence, and general some fascinating options like a front-facing Home windows Howdy digital camera, rotating jog dials, and twin USB Sort-C ports.
In case you are saving as much as purchase a brand new handheld console, my suggestion could be to attend for no less than a number of extra months. Aside from the Zotac Zone, Asus goes to launch the refreshed Ally X, which guarantees higher battery life and extra options. To not neglect, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ powered by Intel’s new Lunar Lake-based chipset can also be within the works.
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