News surfaced that GPD is moving forward with a portable gaming device called Win Max 2, designed in a laptop-like form factor. Earlier reports indicated that the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U version outperformed the Intel Core i7-1260P variant. Now, media outlets claim Valve has approached GPD with a plan to tune SteamOS for the Win Max 2 running on an AMD chip, while it remains unclear if the Intel-based model will receive the same optimization.
The Chinese manufacturer has publicly acknowledged this proposal. The plan implies Valve would optimize SteamOS for the Zen 3+ architecture with RDNA2 graphics, a move that could boost the performance of competing handhelds such as Ayaneo, Ayn, and AOKZOE.
The timeline for completion remains uncertain, though one source suggests a minimum of six months before any rollout. In the meantime, GPD is recommending users either keep the preinstalled Windows 11 Home or switch to Windows 10 LTSC.
Earlier this year, GPD opened pre-orders for the Win Max 2, signaling the company’s intent to capitalize on the growing demand for high-performance handheld PCs. Cited from VG Times for context.