They should add another version of the Zone that has ChimeraOS installed on there, it would be for people who couldn't deal with Windows 11 on a handheld.
From a functionality perspective, this looks like a handheld of dreams, but a 780m based APU this late in the game is such a dealbreaker. Hopefully this gets a Strix refresh asap!
A better start than the MSI Claw at least. Still it's incredible that PC Handhelds are upgrading rapidly like their larger pc counterparts. We might even get PS5 level output in 2~3 mobile APU generations.
The 780m Vs 880m have no real difference in terms of FPS but for me the real deal break is being limited to 16GB RAM, I don't get why these companies won't learn that 16GB is not enough for an APU build in 2024
@@AdmiralBisonthat would be absolutely terrible for battery life if we ever got PS5 level power in a handheld with x86, the only way I see this working is if we ditch x86 and go to arm and compatibility follows as Apple's m series arm based chips and Qualcomm's has showed everyone you can have super powerful chips while still having super great efficiency and battery life and low power draw. arm matters a lot better in mobile devices and we stop Intel gaslight and lying to our faces saying x86 can be efficient as arm because we all know it's a bold face lie 😅
@@NotebookcheckReviews yes and no - legion go has trackpad too low and it doesnt work like trackball -no cursor inertia. This is why i returned mine and went with steamdeck oled :) i'm still thinking about diy controller for go but problem is with parts :/
Finally, another handheld with SYMMETRICAL JOYSTICKS! Jesus Christ why is that so hard for these other companies to just DO! And it’s a Windows OLED! Man, about time lol
I feel you, brother! Asymmetrical for a heavy handle hold device is a fking torture during long play sections. One of the major reasons I play more often on my steamdecks than Rog Ally. Everyone, I mean every fking one of those hardware makers and their mother come up with the asymmetrical design just mind boggling! The weight distribution and keep the screen straight without incline alone are tiresome!
This thing sounds incredible. Really hoping they wait for the next cpu generation, switch the speakers to front-facing, and add either a 32 or 24 gb ram option and maybe an oculink port. If they could do that they would have the best handheld on the market
Someone finally had the sense to design a Windows handheld PC with symmetrical front controls in line with our symmetrical human hands but the touchpads seem redundant and battery too small. This is the closest we've gotten to an high power x86 PS Vita successor. I really hope Zotac are working quickly to fix these quirks!
Yeah, the battery capacity is a bit of a bummer, but I bet almost the entire industry was taken by surprise when Asus decided to put an 80Wh battery inside the Ally X.
I WANT the track pads. I'm specifically interested in them. This is for PC players, not console players. Go buy an MSI claw or ally or something, I like the track pads and won't buy a handheld without trackpads
7:20 While i understand why most people would want performance profiles, i find that they are often counter intuitive with most of the "performance" and "turbo" profiles reducing performance because of a CPU power bias. What would be nice is if there was a way in software to drop down to 4 cores and lock the frequency to under 3Ghz allowing most of the power to go to the GPU, MCLK, and FCLK as many of these handhelds are running in 2:1 and even 4:1 with the memory. And its not a limitation of FCLK, my 8700G can run to 8800 in 1:1 with MCLK and 2:1 with FCLK/UCLK and thats under a Noctua NHP1 passive cooler. I think a happy medium would be a battery life slider, and a CPU/GPU power bias slider with a little toggle for 'auto' that just picks something that performs best for most games, or maybe uses the NPU to test different profiles as you play a game to find whats best for that game. If i didnt need the special features of the Lenovo Legion GO this would be my top pick just for the buttons and controls.
Remember unlike in steamos, you CAN NOT freely change screen refresh rate to match frame rate in windows which makes any non vrr screen unusable becuase of vsync judders...I like some of the design ideas of the zotac zone but because the ally x has set the bar too high, im not gonna buy another handheld thats not better both in terms of specs and features
You can use an app, custom utility resolution app and set custom hzs and or resolutions.I don't know if it will work on this handled tho I havent seen one yet or had hands on but it works on every other windows PC's I tried
Ally X became the standard handheld PC specially now that OS can be booted from windows to bazzite to steam OS which valve already confirmed. Once a new handheld enters it will be compared with the ally not having 80wats batter or faster and more ram or even VRR 1080p screen. If a handheld PC did not meet ally X specs it will not be competitive. Probably the only competitor on ally X will be the MSI claw AI. Hoping that Alienware UFO will enter once again and surprise us with a better specs.
That was my plan when this eventually comes to the us I currently own the lcd steam deck and didnt want to upgrade until something vastly better came out. How is the performance? I would love to see how it compares to the deck.
It is unfortunate hwever i wonder if you could replace the thumbsticks and run bazzite and get this feature down the road? Also its worth noting that the trade off is you have the rotating dials on the button of the joysticks.
7:30 For overlays i prefer the steam big picture mode overlays for telemetry which usually works on windows but can have some issues with various hardware combos.
These handhelds REALLY need VRR support. This one does not have that. What's the point of 120Hz screen on a handheld if you will probably just be locking your games to 30 or 60 FPS due to no VRR?
To the manufacturer or our written review? Well, here you have both! ;) www.zotac.com/us/page/zotac-gaming-zone-portable-handheld www.notebookcheck.net/Zotac-Zone-review-Display-galore-with-class-leading-inputs.895001.0.html
Controllers buttons haven't changed for 20 years. Time for controllers to evolve additional standards: - 2 x trackpads, 4 x back buttons/pedals - 4 x shoulders L4/R4, 6 x macro (M) buttons top
Not everyone wants that level of customization, and with so many games sticking to traditional layouts, you would have to do quite a bit of tweaking to get all of the buttons working.
I don't want too many buttons. Maybe add 4x back paddles and that's it. What I want for innovation is a scrollwheel, or two. Or, like on the new iPhone, touch sensitive bumper buttons (the LB and RB.) That way, you can slide your finger on them and they will act as scrollwheels (just like on a mouse.) Or, maybe rotating wheel (like in digital cameras) around the right analog stick. When I play with a mouse and keyboard I really like the fact that we can use the mouse scrollwheel to quicky change weapons, or choosing menus, etc. Having that option on a controller would be cool I'd guess.
@@NotebookcheckReviews these are Handheld PCs that will primarily play PC games. There's genres that could do with extra buttons. - Real Time Strategy and DOTA like games. These are added buttons not modified or taking away buttons. Example. Lots of PC games that use number keys for item/weapon and control group selections So number keys can be assigned: M1: 1 M2: 2 M3: 3 Etc.. - Games that use 'shift & ctrl' Back button L: Shift Back button R: Ctrl Games that use running/accelerating, steering/aiming and shooting all simultaneously. E.g. GTA driving, shooting and steering Red Dead Redemption horse, aiming and shooting. The right thumb can only press a button or hold the right thumb at a time, stick to aim or press a run button assigned to 'a'. So a back left button can also be assigned 'a' to run therefore freeing up the right thumb to aim while the right index finger can shoot all simultaneously.
Pc games use number keys. 1 2 3 4 etc.. Having 6 x M buttons, they dont have to be big buttons, just nubs to indicate theyre number keys, on top of the controller will allow for this. So players can switch items/weapons and control groups just by pressing the M buttons like they do a KB/M. It will be more real time and less having to depend on a display wheel. E. G. Mass Effect on controllers you have to bring up a weapon wheel that ends up pausing a game and obstructs the view. On PC you can just assign weapons, items, powers etc to the number keys. If a controller had those 6 x M buttons players can just select or switch out what they need on the fly without having to open a menu or pause the game. The M keys can be laid out this way. Each M key is next to a shoulder and trigger. M1 is next to L1 M2 is next to R1 M3 is next to L2 M4 is next to R2 M5 is next to Left trigger M6 is next to right trigger People don't have to use the M buttons are they are just number keys. Why they're called 'M' instead of 1,2,3..etc is because they stand for Macro like the M buttons on the Lenovo Legion Go, Ayaneo Handhelds and X1.
@@davidsentanu7836 that's what the dual trackpads are for. Can't you just implement the scroll wheel haptics on the trackpads? Also wouldn't it be easier just to have additions clearly defined buttons than having to remember current buttons having dual functions?
I hope they release with a more powerful cpu. This will be my next upgrade. The dock is a great bundle. I've been using my Ally like a console connecting it to any tv available and enjoyed it a lot.
Love ❤ it, especially the 2 touchpads and OLED screen. Wish it had at least 4 programmable back buttons though. Not sure why more handhelds don't have at least 4 programmable buttons like Legion Go & Steam Deck.
@@NotebookcheckReviews Not all games will benefit from 4+ back buttons, but most shooters (3rd person and first person) and action/adventure games will. For most games, I bind to the back buttons: run (left thumbstick), change weapon (Y/triangle), jump (A/cross) and reload (X/square). With this or similar mapping, you will rarely ever need to take your thumbs off the thumbsticks. Thanks for the detailed review btw!
HdR content can only be used when the Zone is plugged in which is weird . That's a big minus . Looks good otherwise though it's apparently quite heavy too .
Hey Is Zotac really loud? In every review I saw that they complained about Zotac's poor work culture, that it was too loud, and in one review one person measured the volume at about 52 decibels
right away to small if you want a small gaming hand held get a switch or steam deck, the xoneplayer is going in the write direction by giving us an 11 inch screen
I don't understand one thing - what's the point of a dock NOT having USB-C connector at the bottom, if we already have a port for it on the device itself?! This way we simply leave one port unused, effectively blocking it from any use. I don't like that at all. Is Nintend the only company that can do a docking station right?! That complaint aside - it looks like a very solid device, though a competition from Ally X is definitely tough with bigger battery and VRR.
@@crestofhonor2349 Legion GO has an official dock? I didn't even know there is one! Though, I could kinda see the reasoning behind it - Legion's bottom port is not at the center of the device, so it's imbalanced weight could cause issues. But Zotac? That's completely different story...
It is apparently a full sized 2280 that is supposed to be servicable. Is there a newer CPU for this kind of device? You kind of have to keep in mind that these things are in development for a while, and with AMDs less than stellar track record in working with their partners, and considering that zotac might be a relatively small player in the handheld game, I think its pretty awesome that they got their hands on a 2024 chip....
I am not sure if Strixpoint would be a good handheld fit; they need a bit too much power to perform well. If they axed a few CPU cores and beefed up the GPU instead, it would be a great chip for handhelds. But let's see what the successor to the Z1 Extreme offers and how well Lunar Lake will perform in handhelds.
It doesnt matter how nice oled looks until VRR exists for it. It is the single biggest thing that will give you a smooth gameplay experience on handhelds that can barely run these AAA games.
I think it really depends on the types of games you play. For example, if you gravitate towards Spectacle Fighters (DMC, Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising, etc.) or multiplayer games, then I can see VRR really coming in handy. But if you’re more into RPGs, open world games or even horror games, then OLED is probably going to matter more to you.
Its good but, Not interested for handheld without detachable controllers.. its a standard nowadays. Hopefully Steamdeck 2 got detachable ones like the Switch 2
Cpu performance may not be crucial for gaming it is very important to me for emulation! Its a shame because I really like the zotac zone button layout.
To be honest Zotec don't have to change a thing but put the next generation hardware of chips in it guaranteed I will buy one. Also offer a white variant or better yet a clear see through back panel one with rgb that will be killer
As usual, the Apple code of turbocharging inputs and interfaces goes a long way towards making very strong impressions. Overall, if I were in the market for a handheld I would probably seriously consider this one.
They like 7-9 month late... Z1 extreme is just not worth selling for this device.... such a shame but good with the OLED 120hz bump for the comptetition
This would be amazing and I probably would buy this with a Variable refresh rate. It’s just a no without it, and everyone’s feedback was variable refresh rate and larger battery. I could deal with the small battery but the no native vrr is a deal breaker.
To me, the biggest frustration I have with the handheld market right now is that these companies really don't seem to be paying attention to the gaming market. Or seem to understand that iGPU/APU based devices really need good quality, speed and capacity RAM. 16GB just isn't enough for an iGPU handheld. Most games need 16GB RAM now and ideally you want 4GB minimum assigned as VRAM (With a few exceptions) so there just isn't enough memory to go around. Zotac desperately need to make a 32GB model too
I will say as someone that has ally x & legion go.if this and I’m sure it’s not possible. But if this zotac comes out with a purchase price of 650, id buy it. Anything over it’s it’s an automatic no for me only cuz my other two handheld expecially the legion go is still going strong.
did u just say just 120hz pwm diminig? if so then it's awful, unfortunately i have issues with low pwm , even a 2000hz pwm phone from nothing felt a bit , the only phone i can use it's from honor with 3840hz pwm dim , the main issue it's if u let it to 100% brightness sometimes it's fine but on s24 was not fine and had to return it
Why do these companies fear having analog sticks at the top of the controllers? Its so comfortable and steamdeck proves this. Then they could easily have trackpads be higher and useable. This is a positive start to finally have someone add 2 track pads but it will be useless for in game mouse mincing being that low. Needs to be hirer and like steamdecks trackpads they are high enough to be amazing for in game use
Constructive criticism for Zotac. I think Zotac ought to have just copied the SD layout. Trackpads maybe too low, thumbs are bending more Sticks are too directly below dpad/facebuttons. It's ok copying the Steam Deck layout because Valve may have done the work already to figure out ergonomic problems. In regards to price, I wouldn't just follow ROG Ally for the sake of keeping prices down. ROG Ally is functional but no features, no thrills. Market the extra features, as it will justify higher prices and target pc games that want more and not just a ROG Ally derivative.
I still don't understand the problem some of you guys have with Windows handhelds ... is it as streamlined as SteamOS? No, definitely not. Do you have to deal with Windows once you are in a game? Nope, not really. And given the added flexibility, I would prefer a Windows handheld any day. But we have options, so you can always opt for a Steam Deck, which is fantastic in its own right.
Most hardware developers don't have the ability to make their own custom Linux Distro nor are they wishing to sell to a potentially smaller audience. Valve could do it because of their stance and long time support of Linux. They've been trying to get into Linux since the Steam Machines of the mid 2010s. They're also the ones who made Proton with the help of Wine to get windows games working
Valve has clearly stated they would help set up steam os for their competion if they so want. So companies like this would not need to work for their own linux os.
If the touchpads are as good as the steamdeck's I might just just give this a shot. I think the touchpads in general are severely underrated. It allows me play whatever game I throw at it. I just need to know the price point.
@@NotebookcheckReviews Not really for games but to use them to navigate through the windows settings like Disk cleanup, Defragments you know the normal Windows optimizations. I don't want ot wear out the thumb sticks too fast to get the stick drift.
I got this, I literally can’t play games even the crappy games for some reason it says run out of memory and I literally added VRAM through the settings. The fact this only has 16 GB of ram frustrates me.
There are companies on eBay that are upgrading Brand new Steam Decks to 2 Terabytes with anti Glare Screens, and the Aya Neo Kun is 4 Terabytes, unless if this model can Beat 2 Terabytes Minimum, Its Already Redundant
I don't know about this device. It has an oled display and that's a good thing but it's only 7 inch.... The Steam Deck Oled's display is 7.4 inch and it makes text read more easy. The Rog Ally is also 7 inch and it's a pain in the b*tt to to read text on it. I don't like the silver buttons. It makes it looks cheap. It askingprice S€800+ is way too much. Next year the "Z2 exteme' chip will release in next gen handhelds....
As someone who had the original ally and now has the ally x anything under what the ally x has for ram is a deal breaker for me.. 1 percent lows/stuttering is far less with the ally x on aaa titles because you aren’t starving the os of ram..u can a lot the gpu 8 and the os 16 u literally never have to touch the ram allocation setting in armory crate on the original ally u always had to fiddle between auto 4gb 6gb 8 gb was not recommended.
Hey guys, at 0:59, we meant 692g and not kg ... that would be one beefy handheld!
ahahahaha
Damn I wanted a 692 kg handheld. Sad to see it's only grams.
Lol it’s all good brodie😂
and not mentioning me by noticing that early lol
How did you get that handheld already?
That screen is gorgeous, but at this point it's smarter to wait for a proper gen 2. Props to Zotac for pushing the competition, though.
Well, you knows when those will come out, and which company will be able to get new chips at launch ...
@@NotebookcheckReviews I got intel in my rig, I'm used to waiting, lol.
Agree, new chipset, 24 gb ram, and bigger battery and I think this thing would be perfect
@NotebookcheckReviews next year and all major companies.
They should add another version of the Zone that has ChimeraOS installed on there, it would be for people who couldn't deal with Windows 11 on a handheld.
From a functionality perspective, this looks like a handheld of dreams, but a 780m based APU this late in the game is such a dealbreaker. Hopefully this gets a Strix refresh asap!
A better start than the MSI Claw at least.
Still it's incredible that PC Handhelds are upgrading rapidly like their larger pc counterparts.
We might even get PS5 level output in 2~3 mobile APU generations.
The 780m Vs 880m have no real difference in terms of FPS but for me the real deal break is being limited to 16GB RAM, I don't get why these companies won't learn that 16GB is not enough for an APU build in 2024
@@AdmiralBisonthat would be absolutely terrible for battery life if we ever got PS5 level power in a handheld with x86, the only way I see this working is if we ditch x86 and go to arm and compatibility follows as Apple's m series arm based chips and Qualcomm's has showed everyone you can have super powerful chips while still having super great efficiency and battery life and low power draw.
arm matters a lot better in mobile devices and we stop Intel gaslight and lying to our faces saying x86 can be efficient as arm because we all know it's a bold face lie 😅
@@betablockrrit's down to power consumption unfortunately.
Wish more handhelds had trackpads like steamdeck - combined with 8 inch screen (looking at you legion go) would be winning combinationt.
Well, there is the Legion Go and the Ayaneo for example.
@@NotebookcheckReviews yes and no - legion go has trackpad too low and it doesnt work like trackball -no cursor inertia. This is why i returned mine and went with steamdeck oled :) i'm still thinking about diy controller for go but problem is with parts :/
Trackpads take up too much real estate making the device bigger than it needs to be.
@@emperorbraphomet then analogs should be removed :P
@@truenetgmx No
Finally, another handheld with SYMMETRICAL JOYSTICKS! Jesus Christ why is that so hard for these other companies to just DO! And it’s a Windows OLED! Man, about time lol
Тоже предпочитаю симметричные джойстики ))
I feel you, brother! Asymmetrical for a heavy handle hold device is a fking torture during long play sections. One of the major reasons I play more often on my steamdecks than Rog Ally. Everyone, I mean every fking one of those hardware makers and their mother come up with the asymmetrical design just mind boggling! The weight distribution and keep the screen straight without incline alone are tiresome!
This thing sounds incredible. Really hoping they wait for the next cpu generation, switch the speakers to front-facing, and add either a 32 or 24 gb ram option and maybe an oculink port. If they could do that they would have the best handheld on the market
Well, that is quite the list! :D
u cant hot swap with oculink. tb5 should be better
@@JerwinAngeloI'm not even sure that there's any tb5 egpu docks right now
How long do you think the wait will be for at least the ram and cpu upgrade?
Someone finally had the sense to design a Windows handheld PC with symmetrical front controls in line with our symmetrical human hands but the touchpads seem redundant and battery too small. This is the closest we've gotten to an high power x86 PS Vita successor. I really hope Zotac are working quickly to fix these quirks!
Yeah, the battery capacity is a bit of a bummer, but I bet almost the entire industry was taken by surprise when Asus decided to put an 80Wh battery inside the Ally X.
Trackpads are must have if you play games design around mouse and keyboard.
I WANT the track pads. I'm specifically interested in them.
This is for PC players, not console players. Go buy an MSI claw or ally or something, I like the track pads and won't buy a handheld without trackpads
That's true, I use steamdeck trackpad almost all the time @@Masaliantiikeri
Loving to see all you handheld coming! The future is good , honestly my Lenevo legion go replaced my laptop
That is awesome!
That touch pad is real clicks unlike Steam Deck's simulated tactile click which is a very convincing and satisfying feeling.
7:20 While i understand why most people would want performance profiles, i find that they are often counter intuitive with most of the "performance" and "turbo" profiles reducing performance because of a CPU power bias.
What would be nice is if there was a way in software to drop down to 4 cores and lock the frequency to under 3Ghz allowing most of the power to go to the GPU, MCLK, and FCLK as many of these handhelds are running in 2:1 and even 4:1 with the memory.
And its not a limitation of FCLK, my 8700G can run to 8800 in 1:1 with MCLK and 2:1 with FCLK/UCLK and thats under a Noctua NHP1 passive cooler.
I think a happy medium would be a battery life slider, and a CPU/GPU power bias slider with a little toggle for 'auto' that just picks something that performs best for most games, or maybe uses the NPU to test different profiles as you play a game to find whats best for that game.
If i didnt need the special features of the Lenovo Legion GO this would be my top pick just for the buttons and controls.
Battery makes this a non-starter for me.
Deck OLED was the gold standard until ROG dropped an 80wh atom bomb.
We need an 32gb ram model
No you dont…these dumb comments everywhere without knowing a single thing about hardware allocation are sad
I'm glad it went with the steam deck/Playstation layout. I hate the xbox layout on ROG Ally and Lenovo GO.
Xbox layout just doesn’t work for handhelds. Looking at you Nintendo.
@@badmoose01it certainly does, thats why they basically all use it
@@bryanmiller476 they're all just scared of the competitors and uninnovative, thats why xbox layout is used
this with lunar lake could be a good gaming combo with the single core performance and igpu
Let's see what the upcoming MSI Claw will bring to the table!
That’s a gorgeous design
Remember unlike in steamos, you CAN NOT freely change screen refresh rate to match frame rate in windows which makes any non vrr screen unusable becuase of vsync judders...I like some of the design ideas of the zotac zone but because the ally x has set the bar too high, im not gonna buy another handheld thats not better both in terms of specs and features
You can use an app, custom utility resolution app and set custom hzs and or resolutions.I don't know if it will work on this handled tho I havent seen one yet or had hands on but it works on every other windows PC's I tried
Been waiting for the first early or proper review about this product since its appearance at CES 2024. Wish the bezels are thinner though.
So you would prefer the zone to be smaller or have a bigger screen?
Ally X became the standard handheld PC specially now that OS can be booted from windows to bazzite to steam OS which valve already confirmed. Once a new handheld enters it will be compared with the ally not having 80wats batter or faster and more ram or even VRR 1080p screen. If a handheld PC did not meet ally X specs it will not be competitive. Probably the only competitor on ally X will be the MSI claw AI. Hoping that Alienware UFO will enter once again and surprise us with a better specs.
Not with an Intel Chip.
No matter the performance Intel driver's are a trash 🔥
Add Bazzite and that's the Steam Deck right there
Are you running it?
I am. Not bad at all.
I like your idea.
That was my plan when this eventually comes to the us I currently own the lcd steam deck and didnt want to upgrade until something vastly better came out. How is the performance? I would love to see how it compares to the deck.
The premium looks is crazy,which other can you compare with this
I wish the thumbsticks had capacitive touch sensitivity. It’s such an underrated feature of the Steamdeck. This does have gyro, right?
It is unfortunate hwever i wonder if you could replace the thumbsticks and run bazzite and get this feature down the road? Also its worth noting that the trade off is you have the rotating dials on the button of the joysticks.
7:30 For overlays i prefer the steam big picture mode overlays for telemetry which usually works on windows but can have some issues with various hardware combos.
I want one, but I have no clue when it’s releasing in the US
Same as soon as its availible im ordering one as a replacement ffor my lcd steamdeck.
I will see if I can get that info from Zotac!
@@NotebookcheckReviewsany updates ?
Witch better ROG Ally x Lenovo?
I have been fantastic - thank you. 😁
Wonderful! ;)
These handhelds REALLY need VRR support. This one does not have that. What's the point of 120Hz screen on a handheld if you will probably just be locking your games to 30 or 60 FPS due to no VRR?
I think ROG Ally is the only one with VRR right now
@@ChemGuy1611one of the GPD has one VRR too
@@ChemGuy1611as already mentioned, GPD Mini has it. Also, the upcoming MSI Claw 8 will have it. Next year, I'm sure they'll all have it
You can use fractional vsync though, and have 40fps as another option
Where can i purchase that docking station.
Trackpad position is a bit low. The position of trackpad on steamdeck is perfectly designed, it is better to copy the design.
Where is the link to the handheld? I’ve been looking through the caption and nothing was posted
To the manufacturer or our written review?
Well, here you have both! ;)
www.zotac.com/us/page/zotac-gaming-zone-portable-handheld
www.notebookcheck.net/Zotac-Zone-review-Display-galore-with-class-leading-inputs.895001.0.html
When this stuff release global?
Controllers buttons haven't changed for 20 years.
Time for controllers to evolve additional standards:
- 2 x trackpads, 4 x back buttons/pedals
- 4 x shoulders L4/R4, 6 x macro (M) buttons top
Not everyone wants that level of customization, and with so many games sticking to traditional layouts, you would have to do quite a bit of tweaking to get all of the buttons working.
I don't want too many buttons. Maybe add 4x back paddles and that's it.
What I want for innovation is a scrollwheel, or two.
Or, like on the new iPhone, touch sensitive bumper buttons (the LB and RB.) That way, you can slide your finger on them and they will act as scrollwheels (just like on a mouse.)
Or, maybe rotating wheel (like in digital cameras) around the right analog stick.
When I play with a mouse and keyboard I really like the fact that we can use the mouse scrollwheel to quicky change weapons, or choosing menus, etc.
Having that option on a controller would be cool I'd guess.
@@NotebookcheckReviews these are Handheld PCs that will primarily play PC games.
There's genres that could do with extra buttons.
- Real Time Strategy and DOTA like games.
These are added buttons not modified or taking away buttons.
Example.
Lots of PC games that use number keys for item/weapon and control group selections
So number keys can be assigned:
M1: 1
M2: 2
M3: 3
Etc..
- Games that use 'shift & ctrl'
Back button L: Shift
Back button R: Ctrl
Games that use running/accelerating, steering/aiming and shooting all simultaneously.
E.g. GTA driving, shooting and steering
Red Dead Redemption horse, aiming and shooting.
The right thumb can only press a button or hold the right thumb at a time, stick to aim or press a run button assigned to 'a'.
So a back left button can also be assigned 'a' to run therefore freeing up the right thumb to aim while the right index finger can shoot all simultaneously.
Pc games use number keys.
1
2
3
4 etc..
Having 6 x M buttons, they dont have to be big buttons, just nubs to indicate theyre number keys, on top of the controller will allow for this.
So players can switch items/weapons and control groups just by pressing the M buttons like they do a KB/M.
It will be more real time and less having to depend on a display wheel.
E. G.
Mass Effect on controllers you have to bring up a weapon wheel that ends up pausing a game and obstructs the view.
On PC you can just assign weapons, items, powers etc to the number keys.
If a controller had those 6 x M buttons players can just select or switch out what they need on the fly without having to open a menu or pause the game.
The M keys can be laid out this way.
Each M key is next to a shoulder and trigger.
M1 is next to L1
M2 is next to R1
M3 is next to L2
M4 is next to R2
M5 is next to Left trigger
M6 is next to right trigger
People don't have to use the M buttons are they are just number keys.
Why they're called 'M' instead of 1,2,3..etc is because they stand for Macro like the M buttons on the Lenovo Legion Go, Ayaneo Handhelds and X1.
@@davidsentanu7836 that's what the dual trackpads are for.
Can't you just implement the scroll wheel haptics on the trackpads?
Also wouldn't it be easier just to have additions clearly defined buttons than having to remember current buttons having dual functions?
I hope they release with a more powerful cpu. This will be my next upgrade. The dock is a great bundle. I've been using my Ally like a console connecting it to any tv available and enjoyed it a lot.
Zotac zone looking good 🔥
It sure does, apart from the base color.
But that might also just be me ;)
Love ❤ it, especially the 2 touchpads and OLED screen. Wish it had at least 4 programmable back buttons though. Not sure why more handhelds don't have at least 4 programmable buttons like Legion Go & Steam Deck.
What do you usually put on your back buttons?
@@NotebookcheckReviews Not all games will benefit from 4+ back buttons, but most shooters (3rd person and first person) and action/adventure games will. For most games, I bind to the back buttons: run (left thumbstick), change weapon (Y/triangle), jump (A/cross) and reload (X/square). With this or similar mapping, you will rarely ever need to take your thumbs off the thumbsticks. Thanks for the detailed review btw!
HdR content can only be used when the Zone is plugged in which is weird . That's a big minus . Looks good otherwise though it's apparently quite heavy too .
Hey
Is Zotac really loud? In every review I saw that they complained about Zotac's poor work culture, that it was too loud, and in one review one person measured the volume at about 52 decibels
right away to small if you want a small gaming hand held get a switch or steam deck, the xoneplayer is going in the write direction by giving us an 11 inch screen
Does the screen have VRR?
From what I can tell, no.
I don't understand one thing - what's the point of a dock NOT having USB-C connector at the bottom, if we already have a port for it on the device itself?! This way we simply leave one port unused, effectively blocking it from any use. I don't like that at all. Is Nintend the only company that can do a docking station right?!
That complaint aside - it looks like a very solid device, though a competition from Ally X is definitely tough with bigger battery and VRR.
Lenovo did the same thing and their official dock doesn't use the bottom USB C port for some reason even though they should
@@crestofhonor2349 Legion GO has an official dock? I didn't even know there is one! Though, I could kinda see the reasoning behind it - Legion's bottom port is not at the center of the device, so it's imbalanced weight could cause issues. But Zotac? That's completely different story...
It looks really promising. Sadly I can't find any shop that will be getting it in my country. :(
That is too bad; let us hope they can scale availability in the coming months!
Legion go owner. Waiting for 8" or bigger OLED! Hopefully with higher specs. Probably late next year!
design language reminds me SO much of my OneXFly device, honestly so do the specs lmao
Ill get it just to add to my gaming handheld collection
why cant they make the screen bezel-less the bezels look awful.
I did not even notice the bezel before :D
They're not that bad😊
I wish some reviewers could mention steamOS/bazzite/linux compatibility of these devices if it's not too much hassle to test them.
If it has amd it has support for linux.
Does it have gsync?
seriously?
I live in Germany where can i order the Zotac Zone Deck ?
I love the Zone and thank you for your Video it is very good on information keep going
If I didn't own a Rog Ally I would definitely buy it when it releases.
What do you like about the zotac? Jw
What about that ssd m2 slot inside the device? Releasing it with outdated cpu is meh really
It is apparently a full sized 2280 that is supposed to be servicable.
Is there a newer CPU for this kind of device?
You kind of have to keep in mind that these things are in development for a while, and with AMDs less than stellar track record in working with their partners, and considering that zotac might be a relatively small player in the handheld game, I think its pretty awesome that they got their hands on a 2024 chip....
@@NotebookcheckReviews Intel Core 200s and Ryzen AI 300s are great CPUs. But we need to wait for that. Both are limited supply right now
I am not sure if Strixpoint would be a good handheld fit; they need a bit too much power to perform well.
If they axed a few CPU cores and beefed up the GPU instead, it would be a great chip for handhelds.
But let's see what the successor to the Z1 Extreme offers and how well Lunar Lake will perform in handhelds.
Battery not finalized? um, okay. I foresee 50w max.
It doesnt matter how nice oled looks until VRR exists for it. It is the single biggest thing that will give you a smooth gameplay experience on handhelds that can barely run these AAA games.
I think it really depends on the types of games you play. For example, if you gravitate towards Spectacle Fighters (DMC, Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising, etc.) or multiplayer games, then I can see VRR really coming in handy. But if you’re more into RPGs, open world games or even horror games, then OLED is probably going to matter more to you.
1:00
"692kg"
yeah, it looks heavy as hell
Another handheld that's kept away from the majority of the world. I was really excited for this, too.
Its good but, Not interested for handheld without detachable controllers.. its a standard nowadays. Hopefully Steamdeck 2 got detachable ones like the Switch 2
To be honest, I would not exactly call it a standard, but rather two very different concepts with their own unique pros and cons.
Cpu performance may not be crucial for gaming it is very important to me for emulation! Its a shame because I really like the zotac zone button layout.
I'll wait till they upgrade the battery life. I really want to get the Ally X mainly because of the battery life.
Makes sense! :)
Hoping the next gens come out with a 10in oled 144hz vrr screen.
Need VRR, 120 hertz is nice but without the GPU power or battery behind it the use is more situational.
We are 10-20 years from 120hz being relevant on handhelds. If even then.
@@hornantuutti5157No, not really
To be honest Zotec don't have to change a thing but put the next generation hardware of chips in it guaranteed I will buy one. Also offer a white variant or better yet a clear see through back panel one with rgb that will be killer
As usual, the Apple code of turbocharging inputs and interfaces goes a long way towards making very strong impressions. Overall, if I were in the market for a handheld I would probably seriously consider this one.
They like 7-9 month late... Z1 extreme is just not worth selling for this device.... such a shame but good with the OLED 120hz bump for the comptetition
Yeah, very interesting product 😮
Sure is! ;)
@@NotebookcheckReviews :3
This would be amazing and I probably would buy this with a Variable refresh rate. It’s just a no without it, and everyone’s feedback was variable refresh rate and larger battery. I could deal with the small battery but the no native vrr is a deal breaker.
It is definitely one of the biggest disadvantages almost all handhelds have against the ROG Ally (X)
does it have vrr tho?
Unfortunately not, I think VRR and OLEDs is still a bit of a technical problem as of today.
To me, the biggest frustration I have with the handheld market right now is that these companies really don't seem to be paying attention to the gaming market. Or seem to understand that iGPU/APU based devices really need good quality, speed and capacity RAM. 16GB just isn't enough for an iGPU handheld. Most games need 16GB RAM now and ideally you want 4GB minimum assigned as VRAM (With a few exceptions) so there just isn't enough memory to go around. Zotac desperately need to make a 32GB model too
I will say as someone that has ally x & legion go.if this and I’m sure it’s not possible. But if this zotac comes out with a purchase price of 650, id buy it. Anything over it’s it’s an automatic no for me only cuz my other two handheld expecially the legion go is still going strong.
did u just say just 120hz pwm diminig? if so then it's awful, unfortunately i have issues with low pwm , even a 2000hz pwm phone from nothing felt a bit , the only phone i can use it's from honor with 3840hz pwm dim , the main issue it's if u let it to 100% brightness sometimes it's fine but on s24 was not fine and had to return it
yes 120hz is cool but can it really run games on 120hz?
Some, but in general you are right.
I still love steam deck design this device looks like sega mega drive controller with oled screen
Why do these companies fear having analog sticks at the top of the controllers? Its so comfortable and steamdeck proves this. Then they could easily have trackpads be higher and useable. This is a positive start to finally have someone add 2 track pads but it will be useless for in game mouse mincing being that low. Needs to be hirer and like steamdecks trackpads they are high enough to be amazing for in game use
The handheld Era has begun … hopefully a mid tier arises too with smaller form factor and based on steamOS
Great ideas but AMD is releasing new handheld chip in January. I’m going to wait and see. ROG Ally 2 will likely come next spring
Might be a sensible thing to do, if you can wait.
There might also be a few sales coming up ....
great device, wish they can give us at least 24gb ram version. 16gb shared memory is just not flexible
I thought this got canceled?!
Well I'm glad it seems like it didn't.
they messed up with that dpad
120hz oled is super compelling
but it would need 100% flawless bazzite support
i love they put playstation controller layout for their held
Really sucks they couldnt go for 880M graphics for this. Otherwise good handheld
I think Strixpoint is simply not widely available to OEMs ...
Constructive criticism for Zotac.
I think Zotac ought to have just copied the SD layout.
Trackpads maybe too low, thumbs are bending more
Sticks are too directly below dpad/facebuttons.
It's ok copying the Steam Deck layout because Valve may have done the work already to figure out ergonomic problems.
In regards to price, I wouldn't just follow ROG Ally for the sake of keeping prices down.
ROG Ally is functional but no features, no thrills.
Market the extra features, as it will justify higher prices and target pc games that want more and not just a ROG Ally derivative.
I think the Zone aligns with the Ally X pricing.
Having used this one for a bit, I would say they did they homework when it comes to ergonomics.
To bad it runs Windows 11
I still don't understand the problem some of you guys have with Windows handhelds ... is it as streamlined as SteamOS?
No, definitely not. Do you have to deal with Windows once you are in a game? Nope, not really.
And given the added flexibility, I would prefer a Windows handheld any day.
But we have options, so you can always opt for a Steam Deck, which is fantastic in its own right.
Most hardware developers don't have the ability to make their own custom Linux Distro nor are they wishing to sell to a potentially smaller audience. Valve could do it because of their stance and long time support of Linux. They've been trying to get into Linux since the Steam Machines of the mid 2010s. They're also the ones who made Proton with the help of Wine to get windows games working
Valve has clearly stated they would help set up steam os for their competion if they so want. So companies like this would not need to work for their own linux os.
If the touchpads are as good as the steamdeck's I might just just give this a shot. I think the touchpads in general are severely underrated. It allows me play whatever game I throw at it. I just need to know the price point.
That d-pad going to get annoying real quick being so clicky
I'm happe to see 2 trackpads on a handheld I must have them.
For which games do you use them?
@@NotebookcheckReviews Not really for games but to use them to navigate through the windows settings like Disk cleanup, Defragments you know the normal Windows optimizations. I don't want ot wear out the thumb sticks too fast to get the stick drift.
I wish it was 8", VRR and 32GB of RAM. A missed opportunity.
I got this, I literally can’t play games even the crappy games for some reason it says run out of memory and I literally added VRAM through the settings. The fact this only has 16 GB of ram frustrates me.
It's not even out yet, you must be on crack. 😂
The huge screen borders are not appealing to me...
8 inch oled please
I guess there aren't that many OEMs making custom OLEDs for handheld (for now).
Maybe we get lucky next year!
There are companies on eBay that are upgrading Brand new Steam Decks to 2 Terabytes with anti Glare Screens, and the Aya Neo Kun is 4 Terabytes, unless if this model can Beat 2 Terabytes Minimum, Its Already Redundant
Can it play cod at 120hz ? That’s all I really care about haha
Trigger stops and clicky Dpad ❤
Right? There so good!
I don't know about this device. It has an oled display and that's a good thing but it's only 7 inch.... The Steam Deck Oled's display is 7.4 inch and it makes text read more easy. The Rog Ally is also 7 inch and it's a pain in the b*tt to to read text on it.
I don't like the silver buttons. It makes it looks cheap. It askingprice S€800+ is way too much. Next year the "Z2 exteme' chip will release in next gen handhelds....
Plot twist! It’s the Switch 2
The Switch 2 is what?
that's what I called a Steamdeck 2
Some Steam Deck Users might disagree with you here ;)
Thumbnail says peak handheld but the actual content says it's worst than the current competition. 😂😂😂😂
Not really to be honest, it may lack in quite a few areas, but during gaming, with the OLED it is actually a lot of fun!
no matter how good of a hardware, all mobile devices suffer one fatal flaw. the battery is still very limited.
glad pick oled
16gb memory is underspeced
24gigs of ram is a must
I am not sure it would give you that much more performance, considering we are talking about 1080p here ...
@@NotebookcheckReviews , I have the rog x , I play wow and elder scrolls online , and the addons eat up that ram fast
fair point, it is definitly nice to have a bit more RAM.
As someone who had the original ally and now has the ally x anything under what the ally x has for ram is a deal breaker for me.. 1 percent lows/stuttering is far less with the ally x on aaa titles because you aren’t starving the os of ram..u can a lot the gpu 8 and the os 16 u literally never have to touch the ram allocation setting in armory crate on the original ally u always had to fiddle between auto 4gb 6gb 8 gb was not recommended.
you wont open as much app on handheld gaming wont you?
If this is not 80watts no one will buy this it's the standard now
Steamdeck is still better 💯
Who's the presenter?
Hi, I'm Alex ;)
dammit add oculink make it black and its perfect