by The GPD Win 4 is a handheld gaming PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor, Radeon 680M graphics, a 6-inch full HD display, and a design that lets you slide the screen up to reveal a physical keyboard that you can use for text input.
GPD unveiled the upcoming handheld device earlier this year, and now the company is taking pre-orders through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Prices start at $800 and GPD Win 4 hopes to start shipping to backers in March 2023.
The starting price isn’t a Super Early Bird special… it’s the standard crowdfunding price for a model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Here is an overview of them all price/configuration options:
- 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD for $800
- 16GB RAM / 1TB SSD for $900
- 32GB RAM / 1TB SSD for $1000
- 32GB RAM / 2TB SSD for $1200
GPD also offers an optional 4G LTE module that attaches to the back of the computer as an extra $100.
All models have LPDDR5-6400 memory (soldered to the motherboard) and a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (which can be upgraded by the user). There’s also a set of ports that includes a USB4 port with support for 40 Gbps data transfer speeds, opening up the possibility of using an external graphics docking station when you want more performance than the Radeon 680M integrated GPU can deliver.
That port can also be used for charging or video output.
GPD says the handheld features a 6-axis gyroscope for motion controls, dual vibration motors for rumble, linear analog triggers, and two action buttons on the back of the system that can be mapped to perform user-customizable functions. There are also LED lights in the trigger keys, so you can program custom colors for lighting effects.
Unlike GPD Win 3, which had a capacitive touch keyboard area, Win 4 has actual dome-switch keys that will move when you press them and provide tactile feedback. The keyboard area also has backlighting with support for adjustable brightness.
The 6-inch display is a 1920 x 1080 pixel display with support for 60Hz or 40Hz refresh rates, and GPD says it’s a screen designed for landscape orientation.
Most of the company’s older devices used portrait-based displays that were turned sideways. Most of the time it’s not a problem, but some Windows apps and games may display at a 90 degree angle by default, and the problem is more prevalent when trying to enter the UEFI/BIOS settings or run some Linux distributions on these units. It shouldn’t be a problem with Win 4 thanks to the native landscape display.
Other features include support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, a fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, a 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card reader and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and Type-A ports.
The optional 4G LTE cellular modem add-on is designed to attach to the back of the device. GPD will also offer an optional Win 4 docking station with an HDMI 2.1 port, Gigabit Ethernet port and some additional 10 Gbps USB ports. I haven’t seen any pricing information for that dock yet.
| GPD Win 4 Specifications | |
| Show | 6 inches 1920 x 1080 pixels Slider (covers a physical keyboard) |
| Input data | Touch screen Backlit physical keyboard Joysticks |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800U 8 cores / 16 threads Up to 4.7 GHz 15-35W |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon 680M 12 RDNA 2 GPU cores |
| RAM | 16 GB or 32 GB LPDDR5-6400 |
| Storage | 1TB or 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD microSD card reader |
| Battery | 45.62 Wh |
| Gates | 1 x USB4 (40 Gbps) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1 x microSD card slot 1 x 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Wireless | WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 4G LTE (optional) |
| Sound | Stereo speakers 3.5 mm audio jack built-in microphone |
| Safety | Windows Steam OS dual boot is supported |
| Dimensions | 220 x 92 x 28 mm |
| Weight | 570 grams |
The crowdfunding campaign for the GPD Win 4 was published just a few hours after the start of a campaign for another handheld gaming PC, the ONEXPLAYER 2. Like the GPD Win 4, this model has a Ryzen 7 6800U processor, at least 16 GB of RAM and at least 512 GB storage space. But it has a larger, higher-resolution screen and detachable game controllers, while lacking a built-in keyboard or support for a 4G LTE module.
Both GPD and One Netbook (the maker of the ONEXPLAYER line of devices) have been producing handheld gaming PCs with x86 chips and Windows software for a few years at this point. But they are also both relatively small companies based in China that offer limited customer service or technical support outside their home country. So while they produce some very interesting hardware, buying it is always a bit of a gamble – if something goes wrong, you may not get much help with returns, repairs or other troubleshooting.
With that in mind, it’s worth noting that while the GPD Win 4 has a starting price that’s $100 lower than that of the ONEXPLAYER 2 under crowdfunding, they’re both relatively expensive devices. It’s not surprising when you look at their specs, but if you’re going to drop $800 or more on a gaming laptop, you should probably know some of the risks involved.
Alternatively, there’s always Valve’s Steam Deck. Not only does it have a starting price of $399, but it’s also backed by one of the biggest names in PC gaming. But it’s also much larger than a GPD Win 4, while having less CPU and GPU horsepower.
To get a feel for how GPD Win 4 and ONEXPLAYER 2 stack up against the Steam Deck and other handhelds, check out our handheld gaming PC comparison chart.
This article was first published on November 4, 2022 and last updated on December 18, 2022 when the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign was published.
