Linux-based Orange Pi Neo gaming handheld delayed due to rising RAM and storage costs

It appears that the development of the Orange Pi Neo gaming handheld has been put on hold, with its developer citing RAM and storage pricing fluctuations to be the main reason behind this predicament. The ongoing component shortages have clearly claimed many victims, with the Neo handheld being the latest.

However, the project has not been shelved and is still very much alive - the only thing that is now uncertain is the launch window. That said, considering the lack of any positive updates surrounding the supply chain issues plaguing consumer tech companies, the future appears to be quite grim for small-timers like Orange Pi.

The handheld's software side has seen good improvements

Manjaro Gaming Edition, however, has made a lot of progress, as revealed by philm of the Manjaro team. The gaming handheld's CE and FCC certifications have also been granted, which is definitely good news. It does appear that if and when the supply chain sees better days, the Neo handheld project should be back on track.

It is worth noting that the Neo handheld is almost two years old now, and is still expected to feature AMD Ryzen 7 7840U and 8840U APUs. The Zen 4-based chips are undoubtedly no slouch, but are also not quite as competitive now as they were two years ago. With further delays, it might be necessary to grant the device an APU update.

Pricing was set at $450 for the base variant with 16 GB memory and 512 GB storage, but considering the current market scenario, the Orange Pi Neo handheld will definitely cost way more than that if it does appear on shelves anytime soon. For now, folks who desperately need a gaming handheld will have to settle for something like a ROG Xbox Ally, currently available for $580 on Amazon.