Last September we took an early look at the Z+, a Windows 10 games console from Chinese manufacturer Zhongshan Subor. As well as being a rare look into the Chinese console market, the Z+ was also notable due to its unique AMD chipset which combines Zen CPU cores with a 24-CU Vega GPU – a setup with similarities to next-generation Sony and Microsoft consoles. The Z+ attracted attention in the West, but the console missed its late 2018 ship date and a few days ago we got word that the company was shutting down. Here’s what we know so far – and why Subor’s efforts remain meaningful in the Chinese gaming industry.
Sources speaking to Chinese hardware news site IT Home revealed that the team working on the Z+ was dissolved on May 10th, with the entire Shanghai office dedicated to the project shutting down. The Z+ website has also been taken offline, suggesting that the console won’t be coming to the market any time soon.
According to reports posted on Chinese social media, the Subor team had faced continuing financial difficulties that had constrained progress. After missing their August 2018 launch target, the team faced a difficult challenge: advances in computer hardware meant that the console would need to launch at a much higher price point than a PC of comparable horsepower, and for each month that ticked by, the situation got worse. Therefore, despite the advantages of semi-custom silicon and favourable media coverage that Subor possessed, the company’s investors became deeply pessimistic about the project’s future.
Source: Eurogamer The Subor Z+ console team has disbanded – but it's not game over yet