Zotac’s exciting new Gaming Zone handheld runs Manjaro Linux with powerful Ryzen AI 9 chip
Zotac is preparing to unveil its next-generation Gaming Zone handheld gaming PC at Computex 2025 in Taiwan, featuring a surprising software shift and significant hardware upgrades. The device will ship with a Linux-based operating system instead of the more commonly used Windows or Valve’s SteamOS, setting it apart from most other handheld gaming PCs.
Manjaro Linux replaces Windows
Unlike its first-generation model, which ran on Windows, the new Zotac Gaming Zone will come with a custom version of Manjaro Linux, a lightweight and performance-focused Linux distribution. This variant has been tailored specifically for handheld gaming, marking a major step for the Manjaro team, whose work was previously seen only in development for the delayed Orange Pi Neo. Zotac’s decision to go with Manjaro Linux is seen as a strong endorsement of open-source software in the handheld space.
Although the new device won’t use SteamOS, the same operating system found on the Steam Deck, it will still support a large library of games thanks to Valve’s Proton compatibility layer. Proton allows many Windows games to run on Linux with little to no tweaking, meaning gamers shouldn’t have to worry too much about compatibility.
Big upgrade with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
At the heart of the new Gaming Zone handheld is the powerful AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor. This Strix Point chip includes 12 Zen 5 CPU cores and 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU compute units, a significant boost from the previous model’s Ryzen 7 8840U, which came with 8 Zen 4 cores and 12 RDNA 3 cores.
It also features a next-gen Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI-based tasks, suggesting that the handheld could benefit from more intelligent system management and possibly upscaling or performance optimisation during gaming sessions.
Other specifications include:
- 7-inch OLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate
- LPDDR5x memory for fast performance
- PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD slot (M.2 2280) for storage expansion
- Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity
- Two USB4 ports
- 48.5Wh battery, aiming to deliver better battery life
Related News: Zotac’s Gaming Handheld The Zone Is Coming Soon
First shown at CES, refined model to debut at Computex
Zotac first gave the world a glimpse of this Gaming Zone handheld at CES 2025 in January, but the version to be shown at Computex later this month is expected to be much closer to the final design. The first-gen Gaming Zone was released in mid-2024, but this upcoming model looks to improve nearly every aspect—from performance and battery to software experience.
By pairing high-end AMD hardware with a Linux OS tailored for handheld gaming, Zotac is clearly aiming to compete with the likes of the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go—but with a unique software identity.
