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PayPalShown off during the recent FOSDEM 2024 event, it seems the Manjaro Linux team have buddied up with hardware vendor Orange Pi for the Orange Pi Neo gaming handheld.
The system has not been fully announced by Orange Pi directly as of yet, but the Manjaro Linux team put various (1) posts (2) on X (formerly Twitter) and they have a dedicated page on their website for the Orange Pi Neo that goes over the specifications.
We haven't seen many jump into Linux for handhelds like this yet aside from the Steam Deck. We would've had the AYANEO Next Lite, which was announced with HoloISO, but they reversed course back to Windows. So it's good to see another that will be coming to market to further push Linux in the gaming space!
Specifications:
| CPU | AMD Ryzen™ 7 7840U |
| Screen | 7-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200, WUXGA) 16:10, 500nits Brightness, 120Hz Refresh Rate |
| Ram | 16GB/32GB LPDDR5 (7500MHz dual channel) |
| Storage | 512GB-2TB PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD (2280) |
| Dimensions | 259mm*107mm*19.9mm |
| Battery | 50WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-polymer battery |
| I/O Ports | 2x USB 4.0 Type-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x TF card slot |
| Audio | 2x 1W dual panoramic speakers |
| Cooling | Turbo Large Fan, Dual Copper Pipes + Aluminium Alloy Cooling Fans, extra large air vents + customised cooling system and air ducts with a subtle design |
| Bluetooth | BT5.3 |
| Input | Dual 6-axis gyroscopes Dual trackpads Dual thumbsticks with RGB |
The decision to go with Manjaro isn't that unexpected either, considering it's the Linux distribution Valve still suggest right now for developing specifically for the Steam Deck without having one (as SteamOS and Manjaro are both Arch Linux based).
Seems like it could be quite an interesting device, definitely worth keeping an eye on! Curious to see more on it, especially since it's an all-in-one device with Orange Pi usually being known for their small boards.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Quoting: The_Real_BittermanI have mixed feelings about this. Considering there are only two perceptions of Manjaro: Great as f*ck and Broken as f*ck it will be interesting to see how it will turn out.
I feel like this is Manjaro perfectly described. I've tried it twice and had terrible problems getting even basic things (like gamepads) to work, but meanwhile it's the fourth most popular distro on GOL's stats!
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It's very close to being a viable device.
It has trackpads!... But they're in an awful position (and the rest of the controls are also terribly placed).
It comes with Linux!... But it's Manjaro.
It has a 16:10 display!... But the resolution is too high for the GPU to comfortably drive in the power envelope of a handheld.
Having multiple RAM configurations is also very silly: it increases production costs with zero benefit to either customers or developers.
Still, maybe someone else will do better on another attempt.
It has trackpads!... But they're in an awful position (and the rest of the controls are also terribly placed).
It comes with Linux!... But it's Manjaro.
It has a 16:10 display!... But the resolution is too high for the GPU to comfortably drive in the power envelope of a handheld.
Having multiple RAM configurations is also very silly: it increases production costs with zero benefit to either customers or developers.
Still, maybe someone else will do better on another attempt.
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Quoting: PyreticQuoting: Loftybut we have global FSR2.0 now, which works really well especially on a smaller screen with a higher resolution, where as FSR on an already low 800p screen (mixed with the usual terrible TAA implementation on many modern games used for anti-aliasing) doesn't look crisp at all.
Why would a smaller screen have worse FSR? Technically speaking, a smaller screen should make it harder to see the imperfections.
Its' not the 'smaller screen' in the steam decks case, it's that you are already only at 800p and FSR is taking games down to resolutions like 600p and below which is reaching the point of not being able to recover enough detail on upscaling. Yet at 1200p with a much higher physical resolution you have the benefit of being able to use 1152p/900p FSR plus the additive factor of the higher PPi giving a 315 PPi vs only 115 PPi on the steam deck.
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Quoting: PenglingQuoting: LoftyI can't agree with that. people do notice the 800p resolution on the steam deck vs 1080p on the ROG for instance.I didn't say there was no difference, though - I said there's barely any difference at that size, which is a simple fact.It's like how there's barely any difference between Coke and Pepsi - there is one, but it's really not a big deal.
Besides, people tell themselves they can see big differences in many things - that's why The Emperor's New Clothes exists.
i mean, its not a fact. it's your opinion. but if you have a study you can link which shows where people cannot tell the difference then i will bow to your superior evidence.
i can tell the difference on a smart phone between a 7" 720p smart phone and a 1200p smart phone, its a nice sizeable difference for reading text. last time i checked, we still read text in games, although i admit the steam deck might not be used for e-book reading
in fact i can link a dozen videos where people are showing the difference and claiming the difference in the detail of the screen of a ROG Ally vs a Steam deck.
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Quoting: The_Real_BittermanI have mixed feelings about this. Considering there are only two perceptions of Manjaro: Great as f*ck and Broken as f*ck it will be interesting to see how it will turn out.
Also I feel like SteamOS is already a bit flunky from time to time I see a lot of potential of things to go wrong.
Don't get me wrong, SteamOS is perfectly fine for what it is intended to be used for as a handheld, but there are quite a few nuances and things randomly being annoying.
Like it sometimes does a full restet when going from Desktop back to gaming mode. You hear the sound of the boot video, then it stops and it starts to verify the installation.
Or Steam Link and the Steam Client crashing gamescope at least once when connecting for remote play.
Randomly not picking up external displays unless you do a full shutdown.
With some HDMI to Display port cables it's usable to read the EDIF of some devices.
And so many more little things randomly bugging out.
Considering it's done by Valve and they have all this little issues while they usually do exceptionally well software (unless you run Steam on Wayland + nvidia). What might Manjaro pull off with.
Does Manjaro have the man power to maintain such a system software wise?
With ChimeraOS getting such positive reception and marketing and Manjaro typically not, im wondering if manjaro was the best choice being that it is what it is. In the end if we can put our own linux distro on then for us typical linux enthusiasts its not a problem.
im waiting for System76 to enter the ring with their Handheld next with Cosmic desktop
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hardpenguin Feb 5
Trackpads are there, it looks like they know what they're doing 👍️👍️👍️👍️👍️👍️
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Already tried it at FOSDEM.
The device feels a lot heavier than the steam deck and the triggers are really bad.
Trackpads are nice to see. Sadly they are solid and don't have haptic feedback, so they feel way worse than the Steam Deck ones.
Positive note: they said they are going to ship an image based immutable system out of the box similar to the deck, but also offer a more classic variant to flash for users.
Last edited by jrt on 6 February 2024 at 8:28 am UTC
The device feels a lot heavier than the steam deck and the triggers are really bad.
Trackpads are nice to see. Sadly they are solid and don't have haptic feedback, so they feel way worse than the Steam Deck ones.
Positive note: they said they are going to ship an image based immutable system out of the box similar to the deck, but also offer a more classic variant to flash for users.
Last edited by jrt on 6 February 2024 at 8:28 am UTC
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Quoting: jrtAlready tried it at FOSDEM.
The device feels a lot heavier than the steam deck and the triggers are really bad.
Trackpads are nice to see. Sadly they are solid and don't have haptic feedback, so they feels way worse than the Steam Deck ones.
Positive note: they said they are going to ship an image based immutable system out of the box similar to the deck, but also offer a more classic variant to flash for users.
was that a prototype / early model ? maybe they can improve those aspects. its going to be hard for any device to match the steam deck valve really did their homework. By steam deck 2.0 the others are going to really struggle to keep up with the level of refinement valve are bringing. the best they can hope for is to copy as much as possible and carve their own niche within that space.
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TruckStopSantaClaus Feb 5
Manjaro, Really guys? What a baffling choice for a gaming handheld. Regardless I'll keep an eye on it.
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Manjaro? Manjaro?!?! The tragic joke distro that continues to hurt the Linux ecosystem and communities... and now we're going to catch more flak because of god damn Manjaro, the curse that never stops taking. 
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Quoting: JuliusOdd screen resolution choice. Probably not the best for overall performance.
But still... depending on the price this might be an interesting Steam Deck competitor.
I second that. They should've stuck with 1280x800 to guarantee higher frame rate or longer battery life. On a 7" screen 800p resolution should be enough given the constrained processing power.
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Quoting: Penglingthere's barely any difference between Coke and Pepsi
Them's fightin' words! ;-D
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Quoting: Loftyi mean, its not a fact. it's your opinion. but if you have a study you can link which shows where people cannot tell the difference then i will bow to your superior evidence.I think I may not have been clear enough, and I apologise. I'm afraid I don't have any studies and equally I don't need to see people's opinions about the ROG Ally - it's just Handheld Design 101 that you don't waste battery-life and performance on details that can barely be seen at a normal viewing distance for a handheld (a big mistake the ROG Ally makes, and it's already impossible to see the individual pixels on the Steam Deck's display even if you push it right up to your nose; As I said before, it's a fact that there's barely any difference at the sizes we're talking about - there's a point of diminishing returns with high-resolution 7" displays in a handheld).
i can tell the difference on a smart phone between a 7" 720p smart phone and a 1200p smart phone, its a nice sizeable difference for reading text. last time i checked, we still read text in games, although i admit the steam deck might not be used for e-book reading
in fact i can link a dozen videos where people are showing the difference and claiming the difference in the detail of the screen of a ROG Ally vs a Steam deck.
The original Apple Retina Displays were 960x640 and a normal viewer could not distinguish the individual pixels on those at a standard smartphone viewing distance - and that's a lot closer than you would be viewing a handheld, and a lot lower-resolution than the devices in question here. Dot-pitch is key more than the resolution itself, and the human eye can only see so much detail in a centimetre at the intended viewing distance. You don't want to eat into other issues that are more important for the form-factor, like needing to be able to venture further than the power-cord goes!
You're normally going to be holding a handheld at least twice the distance away than a smartphone due to the weight (which is much greater than a smartphone in most cases), and for the sake of not hurting your arms, wrists, and hands; Even with a lighter gaming-handheld, you'll never hold it up like a smartphone because that makes it hard to use the controls since that sort of posture and lack of elbow/forearm support will put undue strain on your wrists and fingers (I learned that one the hard way a long time ago, before smartphones even existed - ouch! Don't try this at home!
). Maybe if it was put on a desk or aeroplane seat at very close-proximity at eye-level and you were using external controls, but that's not how most would typically use a handheld.As an aside, I have to compliment your amazing eyesight - please be sure to look after your eyes well.
A lifetime of handhelds and laptops mean that my own are sharp only at the typical viewing-distances for those; Long-distance vision is a bygone dream, but at least I like my glasses, haha! Quoting: sarmadI second that. They should've stuck with 1280x800 to guarantee higher frame rate or longer battery life. On a 7" screen 800p resolution should be enough given the constrained processing power.I can imagine there being a market for a larger device with a screen big enough to see those details, but then it would be a pretty large handheld and getting into only-semi-portable "Maybe I should've just bought a laptop?" territory, I suspect, and the battery definitely wouldn't be much cop.
Ideally, I'd like to see Linux handhelds and Linux gaming-laptops bolstering each other by covering all the options, because there's only so far you can take the resolution on a handheld before you can't see it, and there's more room for a bigger battery in a laptop, but both can advance the software side of things.
Quoting: PhlebiacI'm a lot less picky about sweet fizzy water now that I'm getting older!Quoting: Penglingthere's barely any difference between Coke and Pepsi
Them's fightin' words! ;-D
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Played a little bit with the one at FOSDEM, felt reasonably weighted, liked the port layout, but the shell felt like the stereotypical sticky when dry and slippery when wet plastic of a cheap aftermarket controller, and the shape was a little too smooth - so there was no real way to get a solid grip on it.
I really like the fact that it has trackpads though, unfortunately the positioning of them makes it almost impossible to use both trackpads and sticks in any meaningful combination. You either have to hold the console so that you can comfortably use the pads, or you have to hold it so you can comfortably use the sticks and buttons, there wasn't really a middle ground for my hand size at least.
Spent a while chatting about the immutable design, and from the answers to my questions it's been really well thought out, though there seemed to be an awful lot of weight placed on the fact that it would be as easy as possible to disable the immutability.
Last edited by Ananace on 6 February 2024 at 8:47 pm UTC
I really like the fact that it has trackpads though, unfortunately the positioning of them makes it almost impossible to use both trackpads and sticks in any meaningful combination. You either have to hold the console so that you can comfortably use the pads, or you have to hold it so you can comfortably use the sticks and buttons, there wasn't really a middle ground for my hand size at least.
Spent a while chatting about the immutable design, and from the answers to my questions it's been really well thought out, though there seemed to be an awful lot of weight placed on the fact that it would be as easy as possible to disable the immutability.
Last edited by Ananace on 6 February 2024 at 8:47 pm UTC
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Quoting: PenglingAs an aside, I have to compliment your amazing eyesight - please be sure to look after your eyes well.
you underestimate how close i sit to my screen
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CyborgZeta Feb 7
I'm not a Manjaro fan, but I've heard good things about Orange Pi SBCs.
Plus, unless I'm mistaken, this is the first Deck clone I've seen to actually have trackpads. It baffles me why this isn't more common.
Plus, unless I'm mistaken, this is the first Deck clone I've seen to actually have trackpads. It baffles me why this isn't more common.
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Quoting: Loftyyou underestimate how close i sit to my screenNOOOOO! Hahahaha!
Don't do it! You'll end up like me;Quoting: CyborgZetaPlus, unless I'm mistaken, this is the first Deck clone I've seen to actually have trackpads. It baffles me why this isn't more common.All of the pre-Steam Deck handheld PCs lacked it, so I guess that various vendors have just continued on with that?
It's such a great feature, though - I wouldn't want to be without them now, and I wouldn't consider an x86 handheld that lacks them!
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Quoting: PenglingQuoting: CyborgZetaPlus, unless I'm mistaken, this is the first Deck clone I've seen to actually have trackpads. It baffles me why this isn't more common.All of the pre-Steam Deck handheld PCs lacked it, so I guess that various vendors have just continued on with that?
FWIW, there are more recent handheld PCs that do have trackpads -- the AYANEO KUN for instance: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Ayaneo-Kun-gaming-handheld-in-review-Performance-beast-for-individualists.797526.0.html
Whether they are as useful or well integrated into the UX as the Deck's trackpads (especially outside of playing games with Steam Input) is another story.
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Quoting: RelsreFWIW, there are more recent handheld PCs that do have trackpads -- the AYANEO KUN for instance: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Ayaneo-Kun-gaming-handheld-in-review-Performance-beast-for-individualists.797526.0.htmlGood to see more companies picking them up!
Whether they are as useful or well integrated into the UX as the Deck's trackpads (especially outside of playing games with Steam Input) is another story.
That said, I'm not sure about the placement or shape of these - round trackpads look a bit less useful to me.
BUT, that's probably a view influenced by a lot of laptop usage over the years, since I expect the shape to match that of the display for non-gaming use.
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KrejsyLainen Feb 9
Too bad they, like everyone except valve get the stick-placement wrong
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