Nice. Always good to see more handhelds that run Linux.
this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
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One thing about these handheld is that i feel like they're price competitive with miniPCs and laptops with the same CPU/GPU
This and any other that will come with Linux out the box, guaranteed hardware drivers exist for everything so then it becomes about as appealing as a Steam Deck minus the price advantage Valve can do as a software store vendor. I already run a Legion Go with Bazzite.
What I'm waiting for now is a PC Handheld that weighs less than a Steam Deck that is solidly priced but is performance competitive with the Z1 extreme devices. At that point I would actually feel comfortable recommending them to people on the fence. The weight, price and minimum performance to be able to play at least Switch 2 level games. I think that'll be the UDNA generation of AMD APUs
The fact that it's not just using steamOS like lenovo is very interesting to me.
Probably using SteamOS requires conforming to Valve's standards and maybe they don't want to.
Probably for the best to have more diversity as well.
I like how the Game Gear lost hard to the Game Boy, but now their design is the standard for handheld consoles.
The Game Gear ate batteries like they were Tic Tacs, and it needed 6 of them at once. I don't think it's the design that held it back. It's the power usage, and the lack of Tetris.
It was also gigantic compared to the Game Boy. Between that and the fact you needed to carry an AC power brick or 12v cigarette lighter adapter (or both) pretty much all the time unless you were swimming in AA battery money, you ended up carrying the thing around in what was basically a damn purse, like this one (more pictures on linked page):
And that's the smallest of the several first-party SEGA cases for it!
Needless to say, despite its technological superiority to a Game Boy, I didn't play mine nearly as often as I would have had a owned a Game Boy instead, just because it was so cumbersome to take places.
That's the whole point though. These PC handhelds are also giganti (as is the switch at this point).
And that's a big reason I don't own a Steam Deck.
I would be much more likely to buy one of those tiny retro emulator handhelds. (I haven't done that either, but that's for an entirely different reason: decision fatigue.)
They are, that's true. I think there's three big differences, besides battery life. First is we already have small phones that can play simple games and provide entertainment, so we don't need an additional something like the Gameboy. Second is it's marketed towards adults mostly, which are going to have an easier time bringing it with them wherever they are, unlike kids who would have to take it to school or wherever. Third is the game selection is massive and uses your steam library, which you probably already have a lot of games for.
the lack of Tetris.
Columns was... also a game where things fell vertically...
Columns was not an interesting or addictive as Tetris. It also didn't come with the console.
Tetris and the Gameboy being sold together was a massive boon to both of them.
Yeah. To be clear, I was (also) pointing out how underwhelming Columns was. It was fun, but it's a long way from being Tetris.
Good point about Tetris bring an included game - that had to help, too.
I had family with a Sega Nomad. I thought that thing was a unit and I was so jealous of it. Now everything's significantly bigger than that. I remember how anything over 4.3" 16:9 phone display was too big to be portable. PC Handhelds go up to I think 10 inches now with GPD Win and the lightweight one soon being a Switch 2 is 7.9" 16:9 display
Had a nomad too. Thing was awesome. It was a tank but super fun.
I wonder why they choose to go with Manjaro and not Arch directly.
Orange Pi has been working with Manjaro on a steam deck clone (with touchpads). Make Zotac bought/licenced their design?
I would bet that for Zotac, they still want a support/integration contract and maybe Manjaro have setup to actually have a business plan now. SteamOS, maybe going to Valve for support is more expensive or they're not staffed well enough to onboard Lenovo, maybe Asus and any of the actual big PC vendors
They asked chatgpt and it told them that it is more stable.
Yeah, with Arch the install and initial setup is the hard part, but they do that for you so I don't get the point of going with Manjaro.
HX370 running Manjaro Linux.
"next-gen" how? Valve is getting first dibs at the next AMD SoC as far I've heard, and that's still a year or two away from release. Doubting this runs Nvidia, because Nintendo is kind of the single license for that at the moment, and it's not cheap OR very performance per-watt compared to AMD.
Unreleased product with unannounced specs beats competitor currently or about to be sold. More news at 11 Tim.
Valve is getting first dibs at the next AMD SoC as far I’ve heard
This is huge if true, as Van Gogh (the Deck chip) was a seperate "line" than all the overly CPU-heavy laptop chips other handhelds are using at the moment.
Both sides have accidentally spilled the beans on this. AMD outed a new upcoming chip for their existing "handheld wins" (aka Steam Deck), Valve has confirmed they are already working on their next handheld, but then also said there "will be no Z2 Steam Deck" after AMD already outed their work on the next chip.
So that's Valve getting a chip AMD has already confirmed they are working on, and no other manufacturers have mentioned or have the sales numbers to get AMD interested. That's it right there.
AMD outed a new upcoming chip for their existing "handheld wins" (aka Steam Deck)
Uhhh no one said that was for Steam Deck. Steam Deck did not use the Z1 chip so it would make sense they would also not use the Z2 chip.
Read my comment again. The only successful handheld as of now in this gen is the Deck. Nintendo doesn't use AMD at the moment, so it's not them, and nobody else has one.
Don't be dense.
No need, I read it the first time. Still think it's wrong. Or at least not backed up by any facts.
The only successful handheld as of now in this gen is the Deck
I don't believe that's true or they wouldn't be already into the second gen devices. Certainly at best that's just marketing from AMD.
Riiiight, so you read the part about them presenting it during their quarterly call, AND at a pressor event, and you're still in denial. Coooool 😎
What is "it"? I have no motive to deny anything. Just doesn't make any sense.
valve standalone vr headset then?
It's absolutely true.
Last I read, they're in no hurry, but Valve and AMD are both ready to create a new chip like it once the tech has advanced enough that putting one together makes for a substantial boost in what you get for the same price and power envelope.
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The AMD chip they are using has "AI" in the model name.
did they shove a strix halo in it?
Lolz no, it's just the XDNA. It's going to be minimally useful at best.
wake me up when they shove a strix halo in
Hurray, one more un-innovative Steam Deck clone.
Wider adoption of handheld PCs is nothing but good news for gamers. Especially if those PCs are running Linux.
Hey at least this one seems to have trackpads
I’m cool with that, more choices is better, even if they’re fairly similar.
Yup. Most smartphones are very similar, yet I am happy it's not just one Samsung out there.
I agree, but as a mobile dev I wish they'd leave the OS alone instead of "optimizing" it, creating new exceptions to the rule and edge cases in the process...
I mean it'd be a lot cooler if they made something that actually brought something new to the table...
This one looks like my wife could actually hold it too.
The deck is great, but it's definitely bulky and heavy.
As a SteamDeck owner I must say it doesn't feel heavy at all and the weight is really well balanced, but yes it's quite bulky compared to a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite for exemple.
As long as it brings down prices of others, competition is good.
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