Zotac Zone 2: OLED and trackpad-wielding gaming handheld to launch with 'all-new Manjaro Linux-based OS'

The Zotac Zone arrived pretty late to the party with regards to the release of AMD Ryzen 7 8840U-powered gaming handhelds. For context, the current model finally made it to market in September 2024, some eighteen months after Asus opened pre-orders for the ROG Ally (curr. $499 - renewed on Amazon). Unfortunately, it looks like the same could be true for the Zone 2 too, which Zotac initially teased in December before showcasing a prototype in January during CES 2025.

Four months later, it seems that Zotac is still prototyping its next gaming handheld. As it stands, the company has provided no clarity about when the Zone 2 will be available. Instead, it has buried the following in a press release concerning Computex 2025:

The ZOTAC GAMING ZONE Handheld returns with an updated prototype variant, powered by the AMD Ryzen™ AI 9 HX 370 APU, and running an all-new Manjaro Linux-based OS specifically designed for Handheld PCs.

Hence, we should see more of the next Zotac Zone next week between May 20 and May 23 in Taipei. Hopefully, Zotac shares more details about its switch from Windows to Linux and what exactly this 'all-new Manjaro Linux-based OS' is. In the meantime, the company's dedicated Computex 2025 microsite underlines that the Zone will complement AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU with an OLED display and broadly the same design as the original model.