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PayPalThe latest update for the OrangePi Neo handheld with Manjaro Linux is not a positive one, with the whole thing now unfortunately "on ice". In other words, the planned release has been paused.
Why? You can thank the AI surge once again. Because of course you can - it's affecting every consumer device thanks to shortages and high prices with data centres buying up lots of production.
Manjaro Linux Project Lead Philip Müller updated the rather long post on the official forum with a status update for 2026, which simply says:
Due to high prices of DDR5 RAM and SSDs the project is currently on ice. Certifications for CE and FCC are now complete. Also a lot of improvements around the Manjaro Gaming Edition had happened. We are now waiting for a good time to launch the product …
Considering it was going to be releasing with either the AMD 7840u or the 8840u, if they do still manage to get it out - would it even be worth it at this point? They've already been through a few delays before as it was due out in Q1 2025, then it was pushed to Q3 2025, then they were hoping for H1 2026 and now it's on ice.
Unless the AI hype bubble bursts, we'll see delays and cancellations from other vendors too. Just look at how difficult it is for Valve with the Steam Deck OLED repeatedly out of stock.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
About the author - Liam Dawe
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly.
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12 comments
If it'd burst yesterday, it'd be still too late.
11 Likes
I can't wait for the day that the AI bubble bursts so that everyone can go back to enjoying new hardware again without worrying about components. Also, for those that build PCs, it'd be nice to go back to the days where RAM, SSD and other components were affordable instead of the high price markups that we see today.
3 Likes
To be fair it felt unlikely that this thing was ever going to ship on time and if it did the hardware would have already been not in step with some of the larger handheld brands. The specs felt old just as they were announcing it.
Not to mention ARM gaming is coming on at an insane rate and the chipset's are more suited to mobile gaming. Im not sure how fast a Snapdragon Elite is in comparison to an X86 APU of comparable cost but given the huge never ending global demand for phones/tablets we see these chipsets getting upgraded & refreshed faster, like real upgrades not like AMD who change the naming convention and keep the last GPU inside a slightly updated CPU.
Not to mention ARM gaming is coming on at an insane rate and the chipset's are more suited to mobile gaming. Im not sure how fast a Snapdragon Elite is in comparison to an X86 APU of comparable cost but given the huge never ending global demand for phones/tablets we see these chipsets getting upgraded & refreshed faster, like real upgrades not like AMD who change the naming convention and keep the last GPU inside a slightly updated CPU.
0 Likes
They really missed the boat.. even if this comes out I can't imagine anyone really wanting it now, and even if it came out a year ago its questionable if this device was going to see any level of success.
0 Likes
matiaslavik 21 hours ago
It's true what they say: AI is really transforming the game industry!
... In a year or two, we'll only be playing software rendered pseudo-3D games, because nobody can afford modern hardware.
... In a year or two, we'll only be playing software rendered pseudo-3D games, because nobody can afford modern hardware.
10 Likes
retro inspired pixel games for life! I'm 100% okay with that.
but also: (insert my obligatory i-hate-ai-its-ruining-everything)
but also also: this device always seemed cursed from the get-go to me. Along with a few other indie handhelds. For this one specifically: why are you all trying to reinvent the wheel from scratch with a tiny team of people (majaro gaming edition?) when you could just parter with steam and license their steamos and let their virtually infinite resources and people do all the software work for you?
but also also also: as liam mentioned, if it ever does come out, the specs will be so outdated they'll either have to a) price it so low that they lose money on each sale? b) develop an entirely new system with new chips and etc... option a is untenable and what's the likelihood of option b?
Last edited by Jarmer on 27 Feb 2026 at 5:41 pm UTC
but also: (insert my obligatory i-hate-ai-its-ruining-everything)
but also also: this device always seemed cursed from the get-go to me. Along with a few other indie handhelds. For this one specifically: why are you all trying to reinvent the wheel from scratch with a tiny team of people (majaro gaming edition?) when you could just parter with steam and license their steamos and let their virtually infinite resources and people do all the software work for you?
but also also also: as liam mentioned, if it ever does come out, the specs will be so outdated they'll either have to a) price it so low that they lose money on each sale? b) develop an entirely new system with new chips and etc... option a is untenable and what's the likelihood of option b?
Last edited by Jarmer on 27 Feb 2026 at 5:41 pm UTC
0 Likes
Quoting: matiaslavikIt's true what they say: AI is really transforming the game industry!I'll just go back and play games from the last 40 years before this AI craziness started. Should keep me busy for a while.
... In a year or two, we'll only be playing software rendered pseudo-3D games, because nobody can afford modern hardware.
0 Likes
Quoting: matiaslavikIt's true what they say: AI is really transforming the game industry!I'm imagining future generations using the last remaining cheap Chinese handhelds that don't support usb-c charging plugged via ye olde HDMI to whatever dumb TVs are left running at that point. They're telling their grandchildren fairy tales about path tracing and large bodies of water.
... In a year or two, we'll only be playing software rendered pseudo-3D games, because nobody can afford modern hardware.
0 Likes
I'm tired, boss...Extremely tired...
1 Likes
Cyba.Cowboy 6 hours ago
We don't need "the AI bubble to burst", because like it or not, AI has its advantages... Some of those advantages advantages are nefarious, some genuinely useful to productivity and / or society.
What we need is a solution to the component shortages and the most obvious solution is a new player. If all the manufacturers are turning away from the consumer market, that leaves the market open for one or more new players to enter the market and scoop up all that money.
Heck, I'd do it myself if I had the capital and the connections to make this happen!
On a separate note, I'm going to be very, VERY surprised if the Steam Machine / Steam Frame (stupid name!) / Steam Controller (2026 version) and upcoming Tenth Generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft aren't affected by this... At this stage, I fully expect them to be significantly delayed or suspended until further notice.
What we need is a solution to the component shortages and the most obvious solution is a new player. If all the manufacturers are turning away from the consumer market, that leaves the market open for one or more new players to enter the market and scoop up all that money.
Heck, I'd do it myself if I had the capital and the connections to make this happen!
On a separate note, I'm going to be very, VERY surprised if the Steam Machine / Steam Frame (stupid name!) / Steam Controller (2026 version) and upcoming Tenth Generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft aren't affected by this... At this stage, I fully expect them to be significantly delayed or suspended until further notice.
0 Likes
Gerarderloper 2 hours ago
Given their trying to replace MANY people with these AI systems. I dunno if a full burst will happen and whenever that happens I think a lot less people are going to have throw away money for things like this.
Ultimately their customer base is going to be vastly reduced in best case scenario at this point!
This goes for VR/XR/SteamMachine stuff etc...
Ultimately their customer base is going to be vastly reduced in best case scenario at this point!
This goes for VR/XR/SteamMachine stuff etc...
0 Likes
williamjcm 2 hours ago
Quoting: matiaslavik... In a year or two, we'll only be playing software rendered pseudo-3D games, because nobody can afford modern hardware.A while ago, when I decided to make a game on a custom engine that uses raycasting for rendering, I never expected it'd be relevant today. :D
However, it still uses OpenGL to present the rendered scene and draw the HUD/UI, though it might still run at a decent performance with Mesa's llvmpipe software renderer.
0 Likes
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