Smach Z | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:48:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Smach Z | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 The Smach Z handheld gaming PC will now pack a Ryzen processor and Vega integrated graphics https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/matthew-wilson/the-smach-z-handheld-gaming-pc-will-now-pack-a-ryzen-processor-and-vega-integrated-graphics/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/matthew-wilson/the-smach-z-handheld-gaming-pc-will-now-pack-a-ryzen-processor-and-vega-integrated-graphics/#respond Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:40:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=365065 Over the last four years, the portable Steam machine concept has grown from being just an idea, to a full-blown product under the name ‘Smach Z'. The handheld gaming PC has had a long and somewhat troubled development, but it looks like the device will finally make its way out this year, and with better …

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Over the last four years, the portable Steam machine concept has grown from being just an idea, to a full-blown product under the name ‘Smach Z'. The handheld gaming PC has had a long and somewhat troubled development, but it looks like the device will finally make its way out this year, and with better specs than originally pitched too.

Originally, the Smach Z was going to ship based on an AMD Carrizo APU. However, lilputing has since learned that it will now ship with an AMD Ryzen V1000 series embedded processor instead, with Vega integrated graphics to boot. Specifically, the Smach Z will contain the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1605B processor, which according to the folks behind the handheld, should offer similar graphics performance to a Ryzen 5 2500U desktop chip.

In total, buyers will get a 4C/8T processor with a 15W TDP, a 2GHz base frequency, 3.6GHz boost, and a 1.1GHz Radeon Vega 8 GPU, similar to the one found in the Ryzen 3 Raven Ridge APU.

The display on the Smach Z will be 1080p, but you'll likely have to run most Triple A games at a lower resolution to get good frame rates. In the long run, Smach CEO, Daniel Fernandez, would like to see the handheld compete with the Nintendo Switch, though it still needs to come to market first, which will hopefully happen later this year.

KitGuru Says: I think the Smach Z is a really cool idea, but the move to Steam controller style trackpads over analogue sticks does put me off a bit. Have any of you been following the development of the Smach Z since it was first announced? Do you think the handheld gaming PC concept will take off?

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Handheld Steam Machine Kickstarter to return https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/handheld-steam-machine-kickstarter-to-return/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/handheld-steam-machine-kickstarter-to-return/#respond Mon, 01 Feb 2016 17:40:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=282538 Back in 2014, the Steam Boy was revealed and was set to be the first handheld Steam Machine, allowing PC gamers to play some of their games on the go or stream more demanding titles from a desktop. Then last year, the project was renamed the ‘Smach Z' and put back out there on Kickstarter …

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Back in 2014, the Steam Boy was revealed and was set to be the first handheld Steam Machine, allowing PC gamers to play some of their games on the go or stream more demanding titles from a desktop. Then last year, the project was renamed the ‘Smach Z' and put back out there on Kickstarter for crowd funding. Unfortunately, there was no working prototype at the time and as a result, the project was cancelled for a while.

Now, the SMACH Z team have launched the Smach Zero website, listing out the project's ambitions and asking for applicants to help work on the first prototype before heading back to Kickstarter armed with a tangible product.

SMACH Z

The site goes over some of the handheld Steam Machine's specifications, including an AMD SoC, which will allow you to play some of the less demanding indie titles available on. There will also be a 5-inch 1080p screen, a battery capable of lasting five hours or so, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage with a PRO option in the works with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage.

One of the bigger features of the SMACH Z is the ‘Magic Z-pads', which are like magnetic faceplates for you to put your own D-Pad, face buttons or analogue sticks on to.  Finally, the site lists that the Kickstarter will be back ‘soon' though we don't know exactly when.

KitGuru Says: The handheld Steam Machine concept is one many are interested in but the lack of a working prototype hindered the initial Kickstarter campaign. Some weren't too keen on the new name either though there could be legal issues involved with calling it the Steam Boy and we know for sure that Nintendo isn't one to shy away from legal action. 

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Portable Steam Machine Kickstarter cancelled https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/portable-steam-machine-kickstarter-cancelled/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/portable-steam-machine-kickstarter-cancelled/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2015 17:05:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=278766 Earlier this year, plenty of people got excited about the Steamboy, the first handheld portable Steam Machine, which would be capable of both running some titles natively and streaming games from a more powerful gaming PC. Things picked up a bit more this month, as the portable Steam Machine had its name changed to the …

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Earlier this year, plenty of people got excited about the Steamboy, the first handheld portable Steam Machine, which would be capable of both running some titles natively and streaming games from a more powerful gaming PC. Things picked up a bit more this month, as the portable Steam Machine had its name changed to the ‘Smach Z' and launched on Kickstarter.

Things started off well, with over £150,000 raised but unfortunately, the crowd funding campaign has been called off, just a few days after going live. The team behind the SMACH Z explained its decision in a Kickstarter update, which notes that while pledges started off strong for a few days, things quickly declined. People were also confused about the specifications as not enough information was given regarding the AMD SoC that would be used for the handheld.

Screen-Shot-2015-12-09-at-18.34.59-e1449686126596

The post outlines some plans for the future, as the console isn't dead just yet, it is just being taken back to the drawing board. For starters, a new marketing plan will be put in place next time and a lower funding goal will be offered as long as the team can secure private funding elsewhere.

When the Smach Z kickstarter returns, it will do so with a working prototype as well. Right now, there is no real encapsulated prototype of the handheld, so we don't know for sure just how well it will work. On top of that, a lot of people were asking for a Windows version of the device, rather than sticking to Steam OS, so this will be considered for the future.

We have seen plenty of ambitious crowd funding projects get funded only to fail later on. It is clear that the Smach Z team did not want this to happen to them, so ultimately, it seems like a smart move to cancel the project for now and come back later with a better prototype and a tighter business plan.

KitGuru Says: I was disappointed to hear about this Kickstarter's cancellation at first but ultimately, it seems like the right move- the team obviously felt like it had made some mistakes with its messaging and business strategy. Were any of you interested in the portable Steam Machine? What do you think of its cancellation? 

 

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The first handheld Steam Machine is now on Kickstarter https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/the-first-handheld-steam-machine-is-now-on-kickstarter/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/the-first-handheld-steam-machine-is-now-on-kickstarter/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2015 18:36:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=277715 Last year, plenty of interest was raised in a portable hand-held Steam Machine for streaming PC games. At the time, the project was known as the Steamboy, however, things have progressed since then, with the creators getting AMD on-board behind the scenes, changing the name to Smach Z and turning the prototype in to a …

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Last year, plenty of interest was raised in a portable hand-held Steam Machine for streaming PC games. At the time, the project was known as the Steamboy, however, things have progressed since then, with the creators getting AMD on-board behind the scenes, changing the name to Smach Z and turning the prototype in to a tangible device.

Now, we are starting to see things materialise, with the Kickstarter for the Smach Z officially opening up, with the goal of raising €900 initially, with stretch goals in place to bump up the initial specifications and feature set.

Screen Shot 2015-12-09 at 18.34.59

Is the campaign raises its starting goal, we can expect the Smach Z to feature an AMD G-series SoC, which uses a Jaguar architecture CPU and GCN-based GPU. It has 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 5-inch 720p display.

With stretch goals ranging between €1 million and 5 million we can expect additional features like a 1080p display, 64GB of internal storage as standard, official Windows support and the promise that the company won't ever be sold to Facebook (yes that is an actual stretch goal).

Obviously the campaign isn't entirely perfect, the campaign's main video is a tad misleading, making claims that the Smach Z can play any game out right now, including intense titles like The Witcher 3 and Metro Last Light. While it may be able to stream those titles, they won't be running natively at a comfortable frame rate.

The device itself will cost about $300 in its final form, though there is a more expensive PRO model, which features more RAM and storage. The controls are also modelled after the Steam controller, with touch pads, an analogue stick and your standard AXYB buttons. However, the Kickstarter also promises swappable components, similarly how you can swap out the analogue sticks and D-Pad on the Xbox Elite controller.

It is certainly an interesting prospect, though not everyone will have the WiFi capable of providing a smooth streaming experience from the PC to handheld. You can find the full campaign, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The concept behind this is very interesting, though I would prefer it if the campaign video was a little more honest about what is actually playable on the device and through what means, whether it be native or via streaming. What do you guys think of the handheld Steam Machine? Would you buy one? 

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