AMD brings Halo-class GPU to handhelds

06 Jan 2026

AMD’s high-end “Strix Halo” (Ryzen AI Max) platform — best known for enormous integrated graphics and support for up to 128GB of RAM — has inspired some extreme gaming designs but has mostly lived in $2,000-class machines. At CES, AMD introduced two lower‑end Ryzen AI Max Plus parts aimed squarely at gaming devices, hoping to bring Halo-class graphics into more handhelds and compact gaming PCs without the full CPU die of the flagship parts.

Both Max Plus chips keep the same GPU muscle: 40 graphics compute units capable of roughly 60 teraflops. The difference is CPU threading: the Ryzen AI Max Plus 392 uses 12 CPU cores (down from 16 in the highest Halo SKU) and the Max Plus 388 drops to eight CPU cores. AMD’s client chip lead Rahul Tikoo told The Verge the 392 and 388 were created because “those are the right products for gamers we’re bringing in,” responding to customer requests for gaming SKUs.

It’s unclear how much cheaper Strix Halo devices will be — RAM prices and configuration choices still matter — but Tikoo contrasted AI Max systems (which “can be over $1,000 to $1,500 price point”) with vanilla Ryzen AI systems that often start around $500. The new parts have already attracted handheld attention: firms like GPD (GPD Win 5 prototype), Ayaneo, and OneXPlayer have Strix Halo handheld plans, and these Max Plus SKUs could make similarly powerful portables somewhat more attainable.

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