AMD Z2 Extreme Reportedly in Development, Here’s When It Could Launch

AMD Z2 Extreme is in development and the company is planning to release its second-generation Z-series chipset next year, the company reportedly revealed in a media interaction during the recently concluded IFA 2024. The AMD Z1 Extreme processor launched in May 2023 powers current-gen handheld PCs like the Asus ROG Ally X and the Lenovo Legion Go, and AMD’s second-gen chipset is expected to power devices arriving in 2025, such as Valve’s alleged successor to the Steam Deck.

A digital trend report from a media session held at IFA 2024 states that the AMD Z2 Extreme is currently in development at the chipmaker and could launch in “early 2025,” nearly two years after the company launched the first-generation processor. The company hasn’t revealed any details regarding the performance of the upcoming chipset, but we can speculate that it will be based on AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 (or Strix Point) series.

There’s no word from AMD on how efficient the new chipset will be, compared to the current-gen model. The Asus ROG Ally was criticized for offering subpar battery life, prompting the company to double the battery size to 80Wh with the ROG Ally X that launched in July.

According to the publication, the company has confirmed that it is working with OEM partners to bring the chipset to their upcoming devices. The company’s chipset powered the ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, and Asus’ second-gen handheld could also feature the upcoming AMD processor, as could the Lenovo Legion Go successor.

Another handheld gaming PC due for a performance upgrade is the Steam Deck, which is powered by a custom 7nm AMD Aerith APU. If Valve decides to upgrade the Steam Deck’s successor – or Steam Deck OLED, which has a slightly newer 6nm chipset – with the new AMD Z2 Extreme chipset, it could arrive with a significant performance boost.