Nintendo Switch is dominating the handheld market but, it is about to see some competition in the form of SMACH Z. The AMD Ryzen with Radeon Vega graphics powered Steam handheld console is confirmed for 2019 release.
For those who don’t know, SMACH Z is a Steam handheld console powered by AMD Ryzen Embedded CPU with Radeon Vega 8 graphics.
This Steam handheld console is capable of running Steam titles with the flexibility of a PC. Meaning players will be able to tweak graphical setting like on PC to balance visuals and FPS.
According to manufacturers, “after two years of development, the device is ready to go to market”. The Steam Handheld console is scheduled for Q1 2019 release.
Mass production of SMACH Z, the device that promises to revolutionize the world of PC gaming, is scheduled for Q1 of 2019. After two years of development, the device is ready to go to market with a 6-inch high-definition touchscreen and hardware based on AMD Ryzen Embedded and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics.
Also, there are three different SMACH Z variants with differences in specs and price. The regular SMACH Z costs $699 and the preorder price is 629.10. This version of the Steam handheld console will come with 4 GB of DDR4 RAM, 64 GB SSD, full HD screen and more.
While all three version features Linux OS but, users can configure Windows 10 for all variants for an additional $100. The following are the Steam handheld console, SMACH Z, variants and specs.
SMACH Z -$699
- AMD Ryzen V1605B AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM – 2133MHz SO-DIMM
- 64 GB HD SSD m.2
- 6” Touchscreen display (1920 x 1080)
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/d/e/h/i & Bluetooth v2.1+EDR/v3.0/v3.0HS/v4.0
- USB-C, USB-A, Micro USB, Display Port, SD card, Audio minijack
- Charger USB-C 20V 3A 60W. Plug EU/US/UK/AU
SMACH Z Pro -$899
- AMD Ryzen V1605B AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
- 8 GB DDR4 RAM – 2133MHz SO-DIMM
- 128 GB HD SSD m.2
- 6” Touchscreen display (1920 x 1080)
- 5 Megapixels Camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/d/e/h/i & Bluetooth v2.1+EDR/v3.0/v3.0HS/v4.0
- USB-C, USB-A, Micro USB, Display Port, SD card, Audio minijack
- Charger USB-C 20V 3A 60W. Plug EU/US/UK/AU
SMACH Z Ultra – $1099
- AMD Ryzen V1605B AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
- Dual Channel 8 GB + 8 GB DDR4 RAM – 2133MHz SO-DIMM
- 256 GB HD SSD m.2
- 6” Touchscreen display(1920 x 1080)
- 5 Megapixels Camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/d/e/h/i & Bluetooth v2.1+EDR/v3.0/v3.0HS/v4.0
- USB-C, USB-A, Micro USB, Display Port, SD card, Audio minijack
- Charger USB-C 20V 3A 60W. Plug EU/US/UK/AU
For those who are skeptical about the SMACH Z performance, the manufacturers previously revealed video game benchmark results for the Steam handheld console.
However, the benchmarks are for the older hardware. Meaning, you can expect increased performance from the current SMACH Z versions.
- Metro: Last Light Redux (720p. High settings) ~ 35 FPS
- Company of Heroes 2 (720p. Medium settings) ~ 25 FPS
- Jotun (1080p) ~ 45 FPS
- Skyrim (720p. High setting) ~ 25 FPS
- Just Cause 2 (720p. Medium settings) ~ 35 FPS
- Spiral Knights (1080p) ~ 50 FPS
- Overwatch (720p. Medium) ~ 30 FPS
- Torchlight II (1080p. Very high settings) ~ 35 FPS
- Xcom: Enemy Unknown (720p. High settings) ~30 FPS
- Civilization 5 (1080p. High settings) ~ 28 FPS
- Tomb Raider (720p. Medium settings) ~ 40 FPS
- Alien: Isolation (720p. Ultra settings) ~ 35 FPS
This Steam handheld has the specs to give Nintendo Switch a run for its money. However, there is a chance that it might not go as big as Nintendo Switch given that SMACH Z is targeted at PC gamers.
