Those leaks were real! Logitech is entering the handheld game console market, and cloud gaming is the main platform? The company announced the Logitech G CLOUD Gaming Handheld, an Android-powered Steam Deck/Nintendo Switch-style handheld with a full set of controller buttons designed to carry your cloud gaming collection on the go.
The device is equipped with an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor – these are two Cortex A76 processors, four A55 processors and an Adreno 618 graphics processor, built on an 8-nm process technology. This is a mid-range chip that is very close to what you get in the Pixel 5a. That’s good enough for some local games, but those will be Android local games, and that’s not the main focus of this device. Aside from the “cloud”in the name, Logitech says the portable device takes “huge libraries of AAA games and advanced graphics from the cloud and puts it all in your hands. This allows you to play an incredible amount of games from Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW. and even Steam Link.”(Logitech consistently dismisses Stadia and Luna in their promotional materials, but presumably they’ll work too.)
The specification also includes a 7-inch 60Hz, 1920×1080 LCD, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a microSD slot. There’s a USB-C port for 18W charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speakers, and support for Wi-Fi 5 (aka 802.11ac). In terms of buttons, you get a fairly standard layout of a D-pad, two joysticks, ABXY face buttons, four shoulder buttons (two analog), and then four system buttons for things like Home and Menu. Logitech’s FAQ goes out of its way to say that video output is not supported, so no Switch-style TV connections.
Unlike the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, Logitech doesn’t have a fan. This means it really won’t be good at rendering native game graphics locally compared to the competition. On a positive note, you get more tablet-like battery life: Logitech claims up to 12 hours of game streaming from a 6,000mAh battery.
There are no good answers when it comes to internet access for a portable cloud gaming device. Logitech’s deal with Qualcomm chips opens up the option for cellular connectivity with LTE or 5G via a Qualcomm modem, but there’s no cellular capability at all for Logitech PDAs. Cellular connectivity will make the device even more expensive, both upfront and with a monthly cellular bill, but its absence means that out of the box, your “portable”cloud gaming device will only work if you can find a convenient, high-quality Wi-Fi. -Fi. File access point. You will never be able to use this thing during a round trip, at least not without tethering it to some other device, and even then, streaming games over cellular will be difficult. Such a feeling
Logitech’s cloud laptop costs $350 (but it’s now selling for a starting price of $300), which is hard to sell because that’s Nintendo Switch money. Steam Deck costs $50 more. How much do you love AAA games for Xbox/PC and put up with the constant questions on the Internet when you can buy a completely local PDA for the same money?
Somehow this device only comes with Android 11, which is two years old, probably close to the age limit of what Google is willing to license to third parties. The system comes with Google Play so you have easy access to all your favorite games, emulators and streaming services. The press release states that the Logitech laptop was “developed in collaboration with Tencent Games”.to “combine Logitech G’s expertise in hardware with Tencent Games’ expertise in software services.”Tencent is a Chinese tech giant and the world’s largest gaming company thanks to its stakes in multiple development companies such as Riot Games and 40% of Epic Games. Tencent also has a ton of Android apps while Logitech doesn’t. I wonder if any Tencent software is supported on the operating system?
The PDA is now open for pre-order and will be available on Amazon and Best Buy in October 2022.