ZOTAC takes on Steam Deck with ZONE handheld reveal

PC component manufacturer ZOTAC is aiming to challenge Valve in the handheld market with the announcement of the ZONE.

The market for handheld gaming devices has exploded since the launch of the Steam Deck. Many different devices are now available to rival Valve’s offering, ranging from powerful premium consoles like the Asus ROG Ally, to budget options like the Ayn Odin 2. Now ZOTAC is throwing their hat into the ring with the ZONE.

Though ZOTAC has officially announced the new handheld and released some images, little is known about the ZONE. It has been confirmed that the device will feature a 7-inch AMOLED display. It will be one of the few handheld devices with such a display, giving it an advantage over other Steam Deck rivals such as the Lenovo Legion Go or MSI Claw.

The ZONE is also said to have 2-stage adjustable triggers. The rear of the device will have additional buttons and an RGB LED strip. Not much else is known about the ZONE at this stage, however, ZOTAC is expected to deliver a full presentation to showcase the device at Computex in June.

ZOTAC

In a press release Tony Wong, CEO of ZOTAC had this to say on the new announcement: “Ever since the establishment of the ZOTAC GAMING brand, we have strived to provide an unmatched gaming experience for enthusiasts worldwide. We have made considerable efforts to raise the bar with our debut handheld, tailor-made with competitive features for all gamers.”

Previously, ZOTAC released a mini-PC that primarily utilized Intel hardware, so the company will likely use Intel for its handheld as well. This will be a departure from much of the handheld market, which primarily uses AMD APUs such as the Ryzen 7 7840U.

All will be revealed when ZOTAC brings its functional prototypes to Computex.