Zone is Zotac’s first portable console

ZOTAC is best known for its powerful graphics cards, but the company seems to be looking to explore other waters. That’s because it decided to enter the portable device market once and for all, announcing the new Zotac Zone.

The portable gaming device is still in development, but is already scheduled for release in September 2024, promising to be a significant competitor with interesting hardware specifications and new design features. Check out more details!

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Zotac Zone has a 7-inch screen, but it is large

The ZOTAC ZONE will be powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, an 8-core Zen 4 chip that includes integrated Radeon 780M graphics with 12 RDNA3 Compute Units. This combination guarantees robust performance for games and other intensive applications. Although the company has not confirmed the standard TDP, it had already been revealed before that it will be 15W, reaching a maximum of 28W.

The device’s screen is AMOLED and has 7 inches, 1080p resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR support and a maximum brightness of 800 nits, providing a high quality visual experience in different lighting conditions. However, according to the information revealed, it was clear that the Zone does not support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) as it uses the MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) screen standard.

It will also be a rather large device, as it measures 31 x 13.5 x 4 cm. This makes the Zone a larger device than the Steam Deck and the new ASUS ROG Ally X (in this case, the ASUS device also has a 64% larger battery). Although the screen is 7 inches, it still has very wide edges.

Battery may leave something to be desired

In terms of memory and storage, the ZOTAC ZONE comes equipped with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Internal storage includes a 512GB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, with additional support for M.2 2280 SSDs, allowing for future expansion as needed.

Battery life may also be a concern for some users. The device is powered by a 48.5 Wh battery, which provides an estimated battery life of approximately 1.25 hours. This aspect can limit usability during long gaming sessions, a crucial point to be considered by potential buyers.

Although it has larger dimensions, its weight does not exceed 1kg, being around 700 grams. The device features 2-stage triggers, hall effect joysticks and runs on Windows 11, ensuring a user-friendly and versatile gaming experience.

Price and availability

Even though it is a notoriously initial device, without major advantages compared to those on the market, it shows that the company can evolve and really be a strong competitor in this market that only tends to grow. Still, there are some points that serve as a warning.

The ZOTAC ZONE is scheduled to be launched in September this year, as already mentioned, and its price will be US$800, that is, the same price as the ROG Ally X. This could be another problematic point for its viability, as it is an expensive value for a device that won’t even have the most current APU, which would be the Ryzen AI 300.

It seems that Zotac may be going the same way as MSI and making the same mistake that the company made with its Claw device, which is setting a high price compared to other models that are better. It remains to be seen what this reception will be like and how the company will react to it.

Fonte: videocardz