ZOTAC ZONE: Future ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck rival shown with twin trackpads in first real-life pictures

Andreas Schilling, Editor at Hardware Luxx, has shared what appear to be the first hands-on photos of ZOTAC's inaugural gaming handheld. Unfortunately, Schilling has intentionally blurred all the images posted on X. Nonetheless, more details about the ZOTAC ZONE can inferred than at any earlier opportunity.

For example, ZOTAC has positioned both analogue sticks right next to the ZONE's display. As a result, its ABXY buttons and d-pad sit right against the device's front edge. Incidentally, ZOTAC has decided to make the d-pad white, which contrasts with the rest of the ZONE's grey exterior. Surprisingly, the ZONE appears to have a pair of trackpads, the outlines of which we can be seen just below its analogue sticks.

In other words, the ZONE borrows from the design of not only the ASUS ROG Ally (curr. $477.99 on Amazon) but also the Valve Steam Deck. Currently, ZOTAC has only confirmed that it intends to exhibit prototype units next week at Computex 2024 in Taipei. However, a recent VideoCardz leak suggests that ZOTAC is targeting a Q3 2024 release, which could be as soon as just over a month away. For context, the ZOTAC ZONE is rumoured to contain the following specifications while weighing less than 700 g:

• 7-inch AMOLED display, 1080p resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate
• AMD Ryzen 7 8840U APU
• 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM
• 512 GB PCIe 4.0 SSD (M.2 2280)
• Hall effect joysticks
• Hall effect and two-stage adjustable triggers
• 48.5 Wh battery