Zotac Zone Gaming Handheld, Mini AI PCs to be Unveiled at Computex 2024

After Asus, Lenovo and MSI, Zotac has teased its own gaming handheld PC, which will be unveiled at the upcoming Computex 2024 trade show in Taiwan. The company, best known for its Nvidia-based graphics cards and Zbox range of mini PCs, announced its upcoming handheld in a press release just a week before this year's exhibition is set to begin. While it isn't yet clear when the device will go on sale, Zotac promises that it will display "functional prototypes" of its design that industry visitors and journalists will be able to play games on.

Zotac describes the new Zone handheld as "unique", It will have a 7-inch multitouch AMOLED display and "top-end specs". It will also be equipped with adjustable two-stage trigger buttons for gaming, much like console-style controllers. Further details, including most importantly pricing and the processor that this device is based on, have not yet been announced.

The company's teasers, posted to social media, seem to indicate that there will be an RGB LED strip running along the bottom of the Zotac Zone handheld, and accents around the joysticks on the front. We can also make out the ususal ABXY button cluster on the right, which follows the Xbox template that all other Windows-based handhelds have adopted. In terms of size, shape and overall layout, this device should resemble existing options such as the Asus ROG Ally and MSI Claw.

Based on the timing of the Computex trade show, it is possible that Zotac is using an upcoming processor from AMD or Intel. Both companies will announce their latest architectures when their CEOs present keynotes on the opening days of the trade show.

Meanwhile, Asus is also expected to announce an upgraded ROG Ally X handheld on June 2. This device will not necessarily have next-gen hardware but will fix certain design-related issues with the original, such as a poorly positioned microSD card slot that led to data corruption due to overheating.

No new Nvidia graphics cards for gamers are expected to be announced at this year's show, but we can expect AI-related announcements and demos, plus showcases of game performance using DLSS image enhancement and ray tracing. Zotac has also teased a pro-grade external GPU box based on an Nvidia "RTX Ada Generation" GPU, for those who need AI inference and 3D rendering capabilities on the go. GPU servers are a new product category, allowing users to host multiple high-end GPUs and workstation-grade processors. Finally, Zotac's much-loved Zbox mini PC range will be updated with models based on the new Intel Core Ultra 100 CPU series with integrated NPUs for consumer-grade AI applications.