The Orange Pi Neo is a brand new Linux-powered handheld aiming to take on the mighty Steam Deck. We’ve gathered all the details you need including the Orange Pi Neo’s price, specs, release date, and more.
Orange Pi is a company that specializes in providing access to low-cost but high-quality electronics for the use of hobbyists, engineers, and educators. The company generally encourages collaboration and the use of open-source projects. Now, the company has teamed up with Arch Linux distribution project Manjaro to create a gaming handheld to compete with Valve’s Steam Deck, and rivals like the Asus ROG Ally.
An Orange Pi handheld was initially leaked in mid-2023 and has since gone official, with several design changes. Here’s everything we know about it, including specs, release date, price, and more.
Orange Pi Neo specs
| Model | Orange Pi Neo |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen™ 7 7840U |
| Screen | 7-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200, WUXGA) 16:10, 500nits Brightness, 120Hz Refresh Rate |
| Operating System | Manjaro Gaming Edition – immutable Update system via GamepadUI |
| RAM | 16GB/32GB LPDDR5 (6400MHz dual channel) |
| Storage | 512GB-2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD |
| Dimensions | 259mm x 107mm x 19.9mm |
| Battery | 50WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-polymer battery |
| I/O ports | 2x USB 4.0 Type-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x TF card slot |
| Audio | 2x 1W dual panoramic speakers |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 6E |
| Cooling | Turbo Large Fan, Dual Copper Pipes + Aluminium Alloy Cooling Fans, extra large air vents + customised cooling system and air ducts |
The base model of the Orange Pi Neo is set to be powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, though there will eventually be a more expensive version with a more powerful 8840U chip. The 7840U is a known quantity at this point, and has been used in dozens of Ayaneo gaming handhelds, in addition to a variant named Z1 and Z1 Extreme having been used in the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go.
The operating system will be Manjaro, an open-source Arch Linux distribution that brings it closer to the Steam Deck than many of the Windows-based handhelds on the market, such as the Asus ROG Ally or Ayaneo Slide. This could make it one of the more interesting gaming handhelds out there, since many run on Windows.
Please note these specs are only confirmed for the base model of the Orange Pi Neo, as the company has not announced details of any upgraded model.
Orange Pi Neo release date
The Orange Pi Neo was launched on March 24, 2024 in China, but a date for a release in the USA and Europe has yet to be announced.
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Orange Pi Neo price
The Base model of the Orange Pi Neo will have a starting MSRP of $499. A more expensive model with a more powerful chip is planned, which will be sold with an MSRP of $599.
This price range puts the base model as cheaper than the Steam Deck OLED, but slightly pricier than the original LCD model of Steam Deck.
Orange Pi Neo design
The Orange Pi Neo is described as being ‘ultra small and ultra slim’, and is planned to have at least two colorways, one white and one black. It will be a mere 19.9mm thick and will be equipped with trackpads – a feature that has been missed on many other Steam Deck rivals.
The handheld will have LC and RC custom keys that will be customizable to act as shortcut or macro keys. There will also be two analog sticks that will use hall effect sensors to avoid stick drift. The trigger buttons are also taking advantage of hall effect sensors.
The four face buttons will be marked A, B, X, and Y and will use silent conductive silicone keys for a short travel distance and quiet but accurate actuation. The display screen is a 7-inch bezel-free screen that features a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s unclear if the display will support a variable refresh rate.
We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on any news we hear about the new handheld as we hear more.