This year the Windows 11 mobile gaming console wars will be intense. This is because at the Computex event, Zotac, a manufacturer famous for computer components, also launched The Zone as a competitor to ASUS ROG Ally X and MSI Claw 8 AI+.
Zotac The Zone uses a unique design because it obviously takes inspiration from the Steam Deck and other existing consoles on the market. However what is special is that it is light and has unique controls. The shoulder buttons have two different settings with built-in switches for different controls. Then the analog used is also special because not only is there a Hall Effect switch but it can also rotate to control the sound level or brightness. These analogs are called Radial Dials.
In addition, The Zone also includes two touch pads that are easy to control with the thumb. The 7-inch screen on this console is AMOLED 120Hz with a brightness of 800 nits. For the processing chip it uses AMD Ryzen 7 8840U APU, the GPU is Radeon 780M, 16GB RAM LPDDR5X-7500 memory and 512GB SSD internal storage. There are two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports for PD 3.0 charging and DP 1.4 connectivity. The Zone also integrates a webcam that can be directly connected to Discord.
For now, The Zone is still a console in beta form and it is possible that the final specifications will change. Based on what they displayed at the Computex fair, Zotac is very serious in the mobile console arena because it has prepared to provide the One Launcher, a dock with various connection ports to be used as a computer and also a durable protective frame. The console is expected to go on sale at the end of 2024.
