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Portable gaming consoles: five new products of autumn 2024
Hello, tekkix! Idar Tabukhov is here. Last time I talked about five interesting computer games that will be released this fall. And today we will discuss new gaming hardware. Some consoles can be bought now, while others are still being prepared for release. See you under the cut!
MSI Claw 8 AI+. Competition between Lenovo and ASUS
MSI has decided to enter the portable gaming device market to compete with ASUS, Lenovo, and other manufacturers. Meet the powerful gaming console. The manufacturer positions the device as a miniature PC "sharpened" for games.
Inside the device are Lunar Lake processors. They are 30% more productive in graphic applications than the chips of the previous generation. The display of the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is 8 inches. Apparently, the company decided to increase the screen size after criticism of the first MSI Claw model with a 7-inch screen.
Despite its size, the console is quite "charged": from 16 to 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM depending on the version. And also up to 1 TB of file space and a battery that lasts about four hours of autonomous work. Again, the previous model was criticized for a weak battery, so MSI developers decided to improve.
Test gadgets are already ready, and mass sales will begin in early 2025. The cost of the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is still unknown. The first model cost about 500 euros.
Zotac Gaming Zone: more mini-PC than gaming console
Another high-performance gaming device. Rather a mini-PC than a portable gaming console. This is also because Windows is installed as the operating system. In all other respects, the device looks quite familiar: sticks, buttons, D-pad, like consoles from other manufacturers.
The screen is smaller than the previous model — 7 inches. Resolution: 1920 × 1080 pixels, refresh rate — 120 Hz. However, the manufacturer did not skimp on LEDs, especially for the back cover.
Processor — AMD Ryzen 7 8840U with 8 Zen 4 cores and Radeon 780M graphics with 12 RDNA 3 cores. The system has 16 GB of LPDDR5-7500 RAM, an M.2 2280 drive slot, and a wireless module with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support.
The manufacturer has provided two USB-4 ports, an audio jack, and a MicroSD card slot. There is also a fingerprint sensor and an IR camera — all for quick user authorization. You can log in by fingerprint or just look at the camera. By the way, there are also programmable buttons on the back of the console, their functions can be changed.
As an addition to the console, the manufacturer also sells a docking station. It provides several additional ports and connectors, including Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and Type-A ports along with USB 3.0 Type-A.
The console will be sold for $799. Pre-order is now available.
Antec Core HS: console with QWERTY keyboard
Apparently, mini-PCs in the form of gaming consoles are an emerging trend. The Antec Core HS model is also in this category. The device is powerful, but unlike the previous two models, it is equipped with a QWERTY keyboard. You won't be able to enter a lot of text with it: your fingers and eyes will get tired. But as a tool for communication in messengers, it is quite suitable.
The console's screen is unexpectedly small — only 6 inches. The resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels. The device's processor is an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U with Radeon 780M graphics.
Interestingly, the RAM and SSD can be upgraded, thanks to the manufacturer. After all, now even some laptops cannot be upgraded, everything is soldered onto the board. The console also has two USB-4 ports, a microSD card slot, and a wireless module with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The device size is 226 × 90 × 28.5 mm.
The device price is 499 $. This is the cost of the junior model with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal memory. But there is also a more advanced option with 32 GB of RAM and a terabyte SSD. This version costs 699 $.
Nitro Blaze 7 from Acer
The first gaming portable console from Acer. And this is the first device with an AMD Ryzen 8840HS processor: a chip with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base frequency is 3,300 MHz, but Turbo Core technology support allows it to automatically accelerate to 5,100 MHz. It also has integrated Radeon 780M graphics, and the size of the 3rd level cache is 16 MB.
In addition to the processor, it has 16 GB of LPDDR5x-7500 RAM and up to 2 TB SSD, which is PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe.
The console's screen is 7 inches, with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels. The refresh rate is 144 Hz. The developers equipped the console with a fingerprint sensor, two USB-4 Type-C ports, an audio connector, and a slot for microSD cards.
There is also a wireless memory module with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The size of the console is 256 × 114 × 23 mm.
The company promises to reveal the cost of the device soon. The release date has not been announced, but test samples were demonstrated a month ago. Most likely, it will be available in late autumn.
Budget AYANEO Pocket EVO
And here we have a relatively budget console with Android OS on board. The device has a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels. The screen refresh rate is 120 Hz. The processor is Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, the battery is 8,600 mAh.
The size of the device is 261 × 100 × 17. There are sticks, a D-pad, control buttons — everything we are used to. This console is exclusively for gaming, it cannot be used as a mini-PC, like the previous few models.
The cost is 389 $. For this money, the buyer gets a device with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. You can't buy the device yet: it is only available for pre-order on Indiegogo. But you won't have to wait long. The manufacturer promises to start shipping the first consoles to buyers in November.
As we can see, more and more well-known companies are releasing their own versions of such devices. Now they are available from almost all major computer equipment manufacturers — including ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, MSI.
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