Orange Pi Neo Linux handheld gaming PC to sell for $499 and up
The Orange Pi Neo is an upcoming handheld gaming PC with some of the features we’ve come to expect in this space. It has a 7 inch FHD+ display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and it will be available with a choice of AMD Ryzen 7 7840U or Ryzen 7 8840U processor options.
But it’s unusual in a few ways. Instead of Windows, it’s expected to ship with a handheld-friendly version of Manjaro Linux. It has Steam Deck-like touchpads for navigation (as well as the usual game controllers). And it will be competitively priced: the company behind the Orange Pi Neo have announced that it will sell for $499 and up.
Notebookcheck:
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Linux-based Orange Pi Neo gaming handheld with AMD Ryzen 7 starts at $499
Best known for its broad SBC lineup, Orange Pi revealed its first gaming handheld in February of this year. While we got most of the details on the device at that unveiling, the company left out the pricing information. But that has just been revealed, and as initially speculated, it's priced competitively.
To be more specific, the Orange Pi Neo will start at $499, which is $200 lower than the launch price of Asus ROG Ally (available at Best Buy). On that note, the base variant of the gaming handheld features the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, which is an identical APU to the Z1 Extreme found inside the Ally.
GamingOnLinux:
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Orange Pi Neo Linux gaming handheld starts at $499 with Ryzen 7840U, Ryzen 8840U at $599
After being revealed early in February, the upcoming Orange Pi Neo that will come with Manjaro Linux now has a price, and there will be multiple versions of it although we still don't exactly have a clear release date.
The Manjaro Linux account on X posted that it was "launched" in Shenzhen, China. The device will be split across a Ryzen 7840U model at $499 USD and a Ryzen 8840U at $599 USD. It will join the Steam Deck in being powered by Linux, although not SteamOS, it will use a special immutable Manjaro Gaming Edition. Although if you don't get on with Manjaro, there's other options like ChimeraOS and Bazzite that will no doubt get drivers sorted for it.
Update
Later coverage:
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The Orange Pi gaming handheld starts at $499
Earlier this year we shared news of an upcoming gaming handheld from hardware manufacturer Orange Pi — and now we know the price for this new 'Neo' device.
The Orange Pi Neo handheld will start at $499 U.S. dollars. This will get you a model sporting an AMD Ryzen 7 7840u. If that isn't enough grunt, then for an extra one hundred bucks you can snag a model that's rocking the 8840u chip.
This new device is an interesting entrant into the increasingly heated handheld gaming PC space, as not only is it powered by the Linux-powered Manjaro operating system, it also has 'dual intelligent' trackpads. Two features that align it somewhat closer to the Steam Deck experience, as opposed to the various other Windows-based offerings now on the market.
Much later coverage (a month later):
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Check out the Manjaro Linux lead talk about the Orange Pi NEO gaming handheld
The Orange Pi NEO is an exciting looking gaming device, following in the footsteps of the Steam Deck being powered by Linux. Recently the price was revealed, and the Manjaro Linux head Philip Müller did a talk on it.