- Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang teased new N1X and N1 SoCs for AI computers
- They’re the product of a collaboration with Mediatek
- Nvidia may eventually use them for handheld PCs based on recent advancements in handheld hardware
While Nvidia is a leading manufacturer of desktop and gaming laptop GPUs, it hasn’t yet produced a chip for a handheld PC, with the closest to it being Nvidia Shield and the Nintendo Switch 2 – but that could change very soon.
As reported by VideoCardz, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently discussed the N1X and N1 chips – the result of Nvidia’s system-on-a-chip collaboration with Mediatek – in remarks to local media in Taiwan, hinting that they could serve as a low-power and high-performance solution for computers with AI capabilities.
While the N1X and N1 have yet to be officially revealed, we know that they’re designed for AI PCs, and according to multiple rumors, they’re also expected to appear in high-performance gaming laptops, with potential RTX 5070 performance levels.
The new chips could place Nvidia in direct competition with AMD and Intel, with the latter recently announcing a dedicated handheld gaming platform within its new Panther Lake processor lineup. And while there’s no guarantee that Nvidia will use its upcoming N1X and N1 processors for handhelds, it's looking likely.
We've already seen AMD's Strix Halo Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU provide RTX 4060 levels of performance, with the chip employed to impressive effect in the GPD Win 5 and the upcoming Ayaneo Next 2, so it's not far-fetched to imagine that these high-performing Nvidia and Mediatek SoCs could be used for handheld gaming PCs.
It's no longer impossible to use such powerful hardware in handheld devices, but if Nvidia does decide to use the N1X in handhelds, performance would be the least of my concerns.
Analysis: an Nvidia-powered handheld would be super-expensive
It's important to note here that Nvidia hasn't suggested the N1X or N1 will be used for handhelds, but rather that the primary use case will be in AI PCs and laptops, so this is all speculation on my part.
In a world where we do see an Nvidia-powered handheld, particularly one that supposedly offers RTX 5070-tier performance with DLSS 4.5 available, I'd very much expect it to be a device with a premium price tag – and definitely upwards of prices for popular handhelds like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go 2.
The RTX 5070's performance in a portable device is already impressive enough, but DLSS in this hypothetical handheld has the potential to single-handedly do the heavy lifting and trump AMD and Intel's handhelds, which use FSR and XeSS, respectively. I can say that confidently after testing DLSS 4.5, which provides a significant improvement in image clarity over previous iterations.
I have some doubts about an Nvidia-powered handheld PC becoming a reality, as the new chips aren’t officially slated for such devices, and it would naturally require collaboration between Team Green and a manufacturer like Asus or Lenovo. But I’m hoping that it does happen – the handheld gaming space has been revitalized by devices like the successful Steam Deck, and there’s ample opportunity for Nvidia to capitalize on this fledgling market.
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