Competition in the Windows handheld space is about to heat up in a big way. ASUS isn’t the only company announcing a new handheld during Computex 2024, as the ZOTAC Zone was also unveiled.
The Zone is ZOTAC’s first foray into the handheld market, as it kind of looks like a different version of the Steam Deck. The most notable addition that the Zone brings to the market is its screen. It uses a 7-inch AMOLED display, with an FHD resolution, and a 120Hz refresh rate.
Credit: @ZOTAC
However, it also provides dual touch pads, one placed below the thumbsticks to the left and right of the screen. Surprisingly, ZOTAC even integrated a selfie camera, which could come in handy for streaming.
ZOTAC Zone Specs
- Display: 7-inch AMOLED, FHD (1920 x 1080), 120Hz
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 8840U
- Graphics: AMD Radeon 780M
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X
- Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe 2280
- I/O: 3.5mm Headphone Jack, 2x USB-4 w/ DisplayPort 1.4 & Power Delivery 3.0, UHS-II microSD Card Reader
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
- Battery: 48.5Wh
- Extras: Built-in Front Camera, 2-Stage Adjustable Triggers, Radial Dials, Dual Touch Pads
- Dimensions: 310 x 135 x 40mm
- Weight: 700g
As for what’s powering the Zone, there’s not really too much to be surprised by. It’s using the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U, paired with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD.
The ZOTAC Zone does have another trick up its sleeve, besides the display, that should help it stand out. It uses “2-stage adjustable triggers,” giving you “granular control on the fly.” Basically, there’s a switch on the back below each trigger, allowing you to control the amount of travel.
The Zotac Zone. This one is shaping up nicely! I love the sticks, face buttons, touch pads, and that AMOLED screen. I don’t love the battery life, but it’s also super lightweight at 700g. pic.twitter.com/3SEhSqGMIy
— Retro Handhelds (@RetroHandhelds) June 4, 2024
Stubbs managed to get some hands-on time with the Zone, and his first impressions seem to be pretty great. However, it’s pretty clear that there’s still work to be done if the ZOTAC Zone wants to compete with the ROG Ally X and Steam Deck on battery life.
Although announced at Computex 2024, we don’t yet know when the ZOTAC Zone will be released or how much it will cost. Rumors suggest that it could arrive sometime in September for around $800. In the meantime, you can hit the link below to stay updated.
Learn more about the Zotac Zone
What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
This page may contain affiliate links, by purchasing something through a link, Retro Handhelds may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.