Announcing AMD Ryzen Z1, Z1 Extreme processors for gaming handhelds; Asus ROG Ally confirmed as first device

AMD has officially announced its Ryzen Z1 series of ultra-low-power processors for handhelds, including gaming devices. The new processors are based on the same Zen 4 core architecture as the Ryzen 7000 series desktop processors. generation and will feature integrated RDNA3 graphics cores, around which the Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs are built. AMD hopes to create a new market for X86-compatible handheld game consoles modeled after the popular Steam Deck. Existing devices such as the Ayaneo Air series and the upcoming Ayaneo 2 are built around AMD’s low-power Ryzen U-series processors, but have so far remained niche even in gaming circles.

The Asus ROG Ally gaming handheld, which was first announced on April 1, has been confirmed as the first shipping device based on a Ryzen Z1 series processor. More specific details about its price, launch date, and other specs will be announced by Asus on May 11 at 7:30 PM (IST).

So far, two CPU models have been announced: the Ryzen Z1, featuring six multi-threaded “Zen 4” CPU cores along with four RDNA3 GPU cores, and the more powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme with eight CPU cores and 12 GPU cores. AMD promises industry-leading performance and battery life, for an “elite gaming experience” in a highly portable form factor. Using the same hardware as traditional AMD processors and GPUs means that wearables based on Ryzen Z1 processors will support the company’s Radeon Super Resolution graphics upscaling technology, along with other features like than Radeon Chill for power saving and AMD Link game streaming.

At the platform level, devices based on the Ryzen Z1 processors will support USB4, LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X RAM, and of course Windows support, which opens up an entire ecosystem of games and game stores. beyond Steam. The devices will also be able to function as full-fledged computers running everyday Windows software, especially when connected to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. According to statements from AMD, users will also be able to take advantage of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service to play on the go.

No official performance, temperature or battery life figures have yet been released, but Asus’ announcement on May 11 should shed some light on what potential buyers can expect. However, given AMD’s continued push into the thin-and-light laptop space and claims to deliver high-end graphics performance with its Ryzen 7xxx mobile processors, it will be interesting to see how that plays out and if more manufacturers are announcing gaming handhelds based on these processors. before or at the next PC-focused Computex trade show.