Remember the SMACH Z? [Official Site] The portable Ryzen-powered gaming handheld that comes with either their Linux-based SMACH OS or Windows 10, well it's now up for pre-order. Selecting a SMACH Z unit with Windows 10 does add around £80.10 to the cost, so it will be interesting to see how many opt for the Linux unit.
Not that we suggest pre-ordering anything, but it's interesting to see that the project is still apparently very much alive. If it does get even reasonably positive reviews, it could end up proving to be a very interesting device for Linux gaming on the go. As someone who also owns a Nintendo Switch, I certainly understand how handy such a portable can be.
It comes in three models, the SMACH Z, SMACH Z PRO and the SMACH Z ULTRA. Here's the tech specs:
- AMD Ryzen™ V1605B with AMD Radeon™ Vega 8 Graphics
- 4/8/16 GB DDR4 2133MHz SODIMM
- 64/128/256 GB HD SSD m.2
- FullHD Touchscreen 6” 1920x1080
- Camera 5 Megapixels (PRO & ULTRA only)
- WiFi 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 OS Linux based distribution
You can slightly customize the build as well, so you can adjust the RAM, storage space, camera and the operating system.
On top of that, you can also get the optional "Z-PADS", which stick onto the haptic touch pads (although they don't seem to be on their store yet):
They say it will be available in "Q4 of 2018". However, there's been talk of it being some sort of scam, so I do urge you to be careful as always. I really hope it isn't…
What do you think to it? Let us know in the comments.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Arehandoro 
Apr 27, 2018
They both accept Linux kernel and Vulkan. Not the same CPU architecture but I'm wondering if it is really this great... especially to play AAA in 1080p.
I'd love one, even if it turns out to be a failure, but the bank account says no.
(Edit: definite articles matter.)
Last edited by Dunc on 27 April 2018 at 3:52 pm UTC
ElectricPrism Apr 27, 2018
Although im sure people with lots of extra money who are bored will gladly grab one.
Alrighty, gimme one! haha
slaapliedje Apr 27, 2018
Quoting: GuestSeems a bit over priced to me especially now that you can dual boot Linux on the switch.Two things 1) with the reported specs has better hardware than the Switch. 2) Switch is ARM based, so non-opensouce games won't work.
But yes, I agree... too overpriced.
Mountain Man Apr 27, 2018
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me