AMD is reportedly working with multiple handheld gaming PC manufacturers to create competitors to the Steam Deck. Asus has hinted that its upcoming ROG Ally will feature a custom AMD part specifically designed for portability, potentially called the Ryzen Z1. Leaks suggest that the Ryzen Z1 could have up to 8 cores and 16 threads, as well as multiple RDNA3 compute units. Additionally, the Ryzen 7 7840U, a 3.3GHz chip with Radeon 780M graphics suspected to be similar to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, has been tipped for use in the Aokzoe A1 Pro, an Ayaneo 2S, and a GPD Win Mini clamshell.
This is not the first time portable PC manufacturers have attempted to challenge the Steam Deck; last year, they tried using the off-the-shelf AMD 6800U laptop chip, which was not efficient enough for a competent portable. However, Aokzoe seems confident that it can match the Steam Deck with the Ryzen 7 7840U, as demonstrated in videos posted to YouTube.
While these AMD-powered handhelds look promising, it remains to be seen whether they can achieve the right price point and whether Microsoft will help create an easy and comfortable user experience on a gaming handheld. It is also unknown when AMD will officially announce these chips.
Despite these unknowns, the news of AMD working with multiple manufacturers to create Steam Deck competitors is exciting. This suggests that the Steam Deck has already made an impact on the market and could inspire more innovation in the handheld gaming PC space. Additionally, AMD's involvement in this market could lead to even more powerful and efficient processors designed specifically for portability.