GPD Win 4 2023, Portable Handheld Game Console 6" Touchscreen 1920X1080 Mini Laptop UMPC Win 11 CPU AMD Ryzen 5 7640U 16GB LPDDR5 RAM/512GB M.2 NVMe 2280 SSD Black

I purchased this GPD Win Max2 2023 on 8/19/24. Just a few days ago the backlight on the keyboard quit working. There is no setting for this that the user can adjust or toggle on/off. It’s supposed ti work on boot up. For the price I paid, this should not happen! (After 5 months).

Had this device for about two months, and overall, it's been a great addition to my gaming setup. It handles Switch emulation seamlessly and performs well with PC games, including titles like Forza Horizon 5, Hat in Time, Halo MC Collection, and Control. While it excels in various gaming experiences, I've found that it may not be the ideal choice for FPS games, as the feel is somewhat off in my opinion. Nonetheless, it's worth noting that some tweaking is required to unlock the device's full potential. Out of the box, it functions well, but a bit of customization can enhance the overall experience. Visually, I appreciate the design resemblance to the PSP, which triggered the part of my brain that makes impulse purchases. On the downside, I did encounter a few quirks. The placement of function keys behind an FN layer can make using ALT key combos a bit challenging, although it's still an improvement over other Windows handhelds without a keyboard. Additionally, the right stick and action buttons are too close together, which may cause some discomfort during extended use. One notable issue is the occasional need to reboot to get the cursor nub or touch screen to function properly. Also, there's an RGB function for the shoulder buttons, but since they are dark black, the effect isn't visually apparent. However, light bleed from the back makes it noticeable to onlookers. The effect can be turned off but, still an odd design choice. The device is great - but requires some tweaking and there may be the occasional hiccup. Battery life leaves a bit to be desired as well. Definitely a device to keep at home and play plugged in near the bed at night. At least for me. Heard of others having a good time carrying it in a bag with a beefy power bank. IMO the WIN 4 is good for Windows users who are experienced with software and hardware troubleshooting. Did I mention it looks like a PSP?

Note: I added some updated thoughts at the bottom. Been playing with it for a few days now and I'm pretty happy with it, though there's a few minor caveats that you should know before buying: * The dpad is very similar to the psvita dpad in that you can activate directional inputs while only pressing one of the '+' ends in a predictable way, however you can't 'drag' the dpad around quite as much as you can on the vita, so it feels more stiff. Also, the buttons are louder when you press them in. * You can physically press in all of the dpad's directional ends at once, but its effect mitigated by only sending the last input before all the buttons were pressed in. It takes a good amount of force to actually press in all of these buttons, but its still something to take note of. * Other reviews for this product mention that the right side can get warm quickly and they're right. Limiting your TDP to 8W or lower DOESN'T remove this effect, it just decreases the total amount of heat you're dealing with - kind of annoying but I don't mind. Other than that I'm really happy with it. I'm only a week into owning it so I'll update this review later if anything comes up. Edit: After a few months of having this thing. I've noticed some issues that make it hard to recommend: * Ergonomics are not good. I've seen reviews mentioning this online and ignored it, thinking I'd be fine with it. But it the weight really makes it difficult to grip the device in any way other than laying it on something for prolonged periods. And the thumbstick positioning makes it difficult to press the buttons comfortably. Basically, if you want to press the face buttons while still having your thumb flush with the surface, you're going to bump into the thumbsticks and get mis-inputs because of it. The only way around this is to kink your thumb into an L shape over top of the sticks so as not to hit them, but this isn't good for your hand. The only way to fix this is by buying some 3rd party grips to attach to the system, but they ruin the aesthetic of the device. * Software. I've tried running this system on Windows, Bazzite, and ChimeraOS. None of these have a functioning sleep mode - they all randomly wake the system up. This is extremely dangerous if you want to store the system in a bag, as it can turn on without you knowing and heat up in the enclosed space to the point of melting the screen (!!!).

I’m stuck in between giving it 1 star or 1.5. It costs way too much for it be running hot 85% of the time. It only stays charged for maybe an hour. If you want to play on your tv, you have to buy extra parts. It’s pretty heavy. This thing isn’t worth the price, should definitely be around $500 or lower.