The SMACH Z [Official Site] gaming handheld is still a thing apparently and they've now release the final specs along with a trailer and pre-orders start soon.
First up, here's their shiny trailer:
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There's still going to be two models, a standard and a "Pro" variant. Here's their final specs sheet:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen V1605B
- GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
- RAM: 4GB DDR4 2133MHz or 8GB DDR4 2133MHz (pro)
- 6" 1080p touchscreen
- 5MP Camera (pro only)
- 64GB SSD or 128GB SSD (pro)
- WiFi (b/g/n etc) and Bluetooth v2.1
- Ports: USB-C, USB-A, Micro USB, Display Port, SD card slot, Audio "minijack"
- SMACH OS Linux or Windows 10 Home
It's not going to be cheaper either, the standard model will set you back $699 and the pro model $899.
I'm happy they're still including the option to have Linux on it and it will be interesting to see how they've customized Linux for their needs, as a super nerd I'm quite interested.
I will still be surprised if this actually turns out to be 100% real and not completely awful. They say pre-orders will start on March 15th, although as usual I urge you to go for a "wait and see" approach.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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looks like its a scam...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d00I_3THLBQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d00I_3THLBQ
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[quote=Ardje]
if you run on arm you lose all your steam games, what is the point?
there arent many games for linux arm, the only ones i know are html5 games or android games.
plus, make a good controller is expensive.
valve spent a lot of money on steam controller, MS blowed up 100 milions on xbox elite controller (well , to be fair it costs 150 dollars)
i dont think an kickstarter company can do it
Quoting: KeyrockThe intel SoC in the GPD-WIN has very bad (intel) support for linux. The GPD-WIN2 seems to be more pc-like and less embedded, so I have higher hopes for that. It's easier to run linux on an ARM than on a GPD-WIN :-).
I assume (without fact checking) that the AMD support is better for linux.
if you run on arm you lose all your steam games, what is the point?
there arent many games for linux arm, the only ones i know are html5 games or android games.
plus, make a good controller is expensive.
valve spent a lot of money on steam controller, MS blowed up 100 milions on xbox elite controller (well , to be fair it costs 150 dollars)
i dont think an kickstarter company can do it
0 Likes
No pre-orders, but I'd be interested in buying one when it will come out.
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Quoting: NanobangHow is that pronounced? Is it "Smach" like "smock?" or is it pronounced "Smach" like "match," only with an "S" in front? or is it pronounced like "smack?" My wife point out that it could also be pronounced "Smash," so there's that, too.It's "steam machine" reduced, so, probably, "smash".
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: KeyrockI wish them luck, but I think the SMACH Z is going to be dead on arrival. The price is just WAY too high for a handheld.
Why should the form factor make it cheap? For Ryzen + Vega it's expected to be expensive.
0 Likes
Quoting: ArdjeQuoting: KeyrockI wish them luck, but I think the SMACH Z is going to be dead on arrival. The price is just WAY too high for a handheld.The price is the same as the GPD-WIN2. Lower even if you order now from indiegogo. The SoC specs are way above the GPD-WIN2.
The difference is that the GPD-WIN2 is an openpandora on steroids: keyboard, x-box type game controller.
The SMACH-Z only has the steam controller like controllers. If they really work like steam controllers, it is well worth the difference.
The intel SoC in the GPD-WIN has very bad (intel) support for linux. The GPD-WIN2 seems to be more pc-like and less embedded, so I have higher hopes for that. It's easier to run linux on an ARM than on a GPD-WIN :-).
I assume (without fact checking) that the AMD support is better for linux.
While I also think the price of both is way too high (but we seem to be in a general high price phase for GPU and DDR4 RAM...), what you are saying about the GPD-Win(2) is non-sense. Intel has excellent Linux support (especially compared to anything ARM) and the GPD-Win runs Linux fine (I have one). In fact with Vulkan support emulators run better on Linux than with Win10 with it.
Regarding the SMACHZ... other than the price it seems like a nice machine. And with the display port out (and a nice docking station?) it would be probably be powerful enough to act as a living room media-center and stationary steam machine also. However the form-factor really isn't all that convenient for on the go... reminds me of the Lynx which was also not really portable (shoooort battery life back then ;) ).
Last edited by Julius on 5 March 2018 at 2:14 pm UTC
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[quote=elmapul]
The specific intel SoC was not intended to run Linux and therefore all support and work arounds for it is rather new. It really is not a generic PC.
But that intel SoC is at least much more of a PC than their CE5315 and equivalents... Try to compile a kernel for that.
Anyway: as I said: it's easier to run linux on ARM than it is to run it on that specific intel SoC with full usable hardware support. And for the thing I was trying to do (run Mixxx), it probably is what I will do, as an ARM can still outperform that SoC.
The WIN2 however seems to be more PC like, and hence probably has less things to work around.
Anyway: iff my odroid had opengl support (and not gles only), it might have been faster than the WIN using qemu or eltechs exagear.
Quoting: ArdjeThe point is, is that it is a hell of a lot of work to get the GPD-WIN to work (despite Hans de Goede putting an enormous amount of work in it), let alone play games.Quoting: KeyrockThe intel SoC in the GPD-WIN has very bad (intel) support for linux. The GPD-WIN2 seems to be more pc-like and less embedded, so I have higher hopes for that. It's easier to run linux on an ARM than on a GPD-WIN :-).
I assume (without fact checking) that the AMD support is better for linux.
if you run on arm you lose all your steam games, what is the point?
The specific intel SoC was not intended to run Linux and therefore all support and work arounds for it is rather new. It really is not a generic PC.
But that intel SoC is at least much more of a PC than their CE5315 and equivalents... Try to compile a kernel for that.
Anyway: as I said: it's easier to run linux on ARM than it is to run it on that specific intel SoC with full usable hardware support. And for the thing I was trying to do (run Mixxx), it probably is what I will do, as an ARM can still outperform that SoC.
The WIN2 however seems to be more PC like, and hence probably has less things to work around.
Anyway: iff my odroid had opengl support (and not gles only), it might have been faster than the WIN using qemu or eltechs exagear.
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[quote=Ardje]
While it is a bit of work to get Linux to run on the GPD-Win... at least it is possible, which can't be said for the majority of ARM SoCs. What are you comparing it too? A RasberyPI? Because almost anything other than that is definitly harder to get running with Linux than a GPD-Win.
Edit: The reason the Odroid is easier is because the supplier makes custom-disk images with Ubuntu for it (with old custom kernels)... but based on my experience with the Odroid-X2 they quite quickly reach end-of-life and then you are more or less on your own... while the GPD-Win (by now) has pretty much main-stream kernel support.
Last edited by Julius on 5 March 2018 at 2:18 pm UTC
Quoting: elmapulQuoting: ArdjeThe point is, is that it is a hell of a lot of work to get the GPD-WIN to work (despite Hans de Goede putting an enormous amount of work in it), let alone play games.Quoting: KeyrockThe intel SoC in the GPD-WIN has very bad (intel) support for linux. The GPD-WIN2 seems to be more pc-like and less embedded, so I have higher hopes for that. It's easier to run linux on an ARM than on a GPD-WIN :-).
I assume (without fact checking) that the AMD support is better for linux.
if you run on arm you lose all your steam games, what is the point?
The specific intel SoC was not intended to run Linux and therefore all support and work arounds for it is rather new. It really is not a generic PC.
But that intel SoC is at least much more of a PC than their CE5315 and equivalents... Try to compile a kernel for that.
Anyway: as I said: it's easier to run linux on ARM than it is to run it on that specific intel SoC with full usable hardware support. And for the thing I was trying to do (run Mixxx), it probably is what I will do, as an ARM can still outperform that SoC.
The WIN2 however seems to be more PC like, and hence probably has less things to work around.
Anyway: iff my odroid had opengl support (and not gles only), it might have been faster than the WIN using qemu or eltechs exagear.
While it is a bit of work to get Linux to run on the GPD-Win... at least it is possible, which can't be said for the majority of ARM SoCs. What are you comparing it too? A RasberyPI? Because almost anything other than that is definitly harder to get running with Linux than a GPD-Win.
Edit: The reason the Odroid is easier is because the supplier makes custom-disk images with Ubuntu for it (with old custom kernels)... but based on my experience with the Odroid-X2 they quite quickly reach end-of-life and then you are more or less on your own... while the GPD-Win (by now) has pretty much main-stream kernel support.
Last edited by Julius on 5 March 2018 at 2:18 pm UTC
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Arehandoro Mar 5, 2018
I will wait to see how the whole thing develops but I'm very interested in the project.
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