GPD will soon unleash its new flagship handheld, the WIN 5, on Indiegogo, aiming to compete with your desktop, in more ways than one. Firstly, GPD alleges performance rivaling the Nvidia RTX 4060, and also includes support for external GPU via USB 4.0. Another way its like a desktop: you can’t use it without plugging it into a wall! That is, not without forking over another bill for an external battery.
The most appealing models of the WIN 5 sport the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU, which features an impressive 16 cores and 32 threads and has a base clock of 3.0GHz (with a turbo clock of 5.1GHz). Early benchmarks point to excellent performance, allegedly outperforming the Intel i9-14900. AYANEO will feature the same chipset in its upcoming Next II. On the graphics side is a Radeon 8060s graphic card clocked to 2.9GHz. GPD claims it performs at similar levels to an NVIDIA RTX 4060 and allows for VRAM up to 96GB and a 75W (TDP).
For those looking for a “budget” model, the device is also available with a Ryzen AI Max+ 385 processor, which features 8 cores and 16 threads and turbo boost up to 5.0GHz. The lowest tier models also use a downgraded Radeon 8050S GPU.
On the outside are three USB ports, a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz AMD FreeSync-enabled display, a slightly more rational control layout than older models in the WIN series, and a premium black matte finish. Notably, the device does not come in any other colors.
In terms of inputs, the WIN 5 has capacitive joysticks with no deadline and a fancy outer ring to prevent wear-and-tera. It also features Hall effect triggers with a dual-mode switch. Long travel mode provides typical analog functions for games like racers, while short mode functions like a digital button, useful for fighting games and the like.
GPD also mentions a new haptics engine with a wide feedback range and twice the strength of the PlayStation DualSense controller. The WIN 5 will also have a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope. If that isn’t enough input, there are also mappable back buttons and an optical finger mouse.
Storage flexibility is a major focus of the marketing. The WIN 5 features a standard M.2 2280 SSD slot with configurations of 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB. The device also introduces a proprietary Mini SSD slot supporting up to 2TB cards and over 500% faster transfer speeds compared to SDXC (the device will also have a microSD card slot.)
According to the comparison image, the device is slightly smaller and lighter than a Steam Deck, crammed with clearly more power than almost any handheld we’ve seen before. That said, GPD’s decision not to include a battery in its base configuration is truly baffling.
If you intend to play the device on the go, you must purchase the 80Wh external battery pack for $93. Without the battery, the device can only be played plugged into the 180W direct power supply for the device. The “optional” battery pack is rated for 2 hours of operation for high-end gaming or normal use for up to 6 hours.
Pricing information below:
- Tier 1: 32GB RAM / Ryzen 385 CPU / 1TB SSD – $1,448
- Tier 2: 32GB RAM / Ryzen 395 CPU / 2TB SSD – $1,650
- Tier 3: 64GB RAM / Ryzen 395 CPU / 4TB SSD – $2,120
- Docking Station: $93
- 1TB Proprietary Mini SSD: $93
- 80Wh External Battery: $93
The GPD WIN 5 is available for backing on Indiegogo in three main configurations, and is expected to ship November of this year. Will you be picking one of these up? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
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