Valve"s Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go are the biggest releases in the handheld gaming segment in recent years, and all of them have AMD chips inside them. The RDNA 3-based Ryzen Z1 Series of processors delivered a massive amount of power for handheld PCs in 2023, and now it"s almost time for the highly anticipated sequel: the Z2 Series.
Officially unveiled at CES 2025, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Series of processors will come in three flavors and are slated to become available in the first quarter of 2025.
Like its previous generation, the Z2 Extreme will be the highest performing chip from the trio, touting 8 cores and 16 threads, a 5.0 GHz max boost, 24MB of cache, and a configurable TDP of 15-35W. This will have 16 graphics cores.
The standard Z2 is next. This has the same 8-core, 16-threaded configuration, even a higher 5.1 GHz max boost, and the same 24 MB cache. However, its configurable TDP is between 15 and 30W, while 12 graphics cores are powering it.
Lastly, the Z2 Go, a chip clearly meant for much lower-end handheld products compared to the last two. It cuts down the cores to 4 and threads to 8. It has a 4.6 GHz max boost, 10 MB of cache, and 15-30W of configurable TDP range. This version will ship with 12 graphics cores.
AMD calls the handheld gaming segment a "significant and growing TAM" (Total Addressable Market), with even more OEMs joining in on designing hardware centered around its chipsets.
ASUS, Lenovo, and other companies that are keen on jumping into the handheld gaming segment—which may include Xbox soon—are expected to use these Z2 chips for their next-generation devices. While the Steam Deck has been the most popular device in the handheld market, its release was also in 2022. It"s high time that Valve brings out a Steam Deck 2. If it does happen in 2025, this AMD platform may exactly be what Valve plans on using.