For the past several years, most of us are thinking of buying a handheld PC, hearing that “Just get a steam deck.” The reasons are two-folded: one, the OLED version at $ 550 is the cheapest in its orbit, and two, it is easy to use thanks to Stemos. No other company has come closer to offering the same blast for a deer – so far.
At $ 600, Lenovo’s Legion GoS with Stemos is a better handheld for on-a-go gaming compared to the Windows version released earlier this year, felt compromised due to Microsoft’s desktop operating system. Lenovo also sells a $ 830 model with a better chip that may seem more seductive, but as you see in this review, you should not feel bad about choosing cheap.
Lenovo army goes with steamos
Lenovo Legion GoS is the sole other handheld that comes out of the box with steamos, and it is much better for it.
Professionals
-
Looks great and ergonomics
-
Big performance with slim bezels
-
Ryzen Z1 Solid Perform from Extreme Chip
Shortcoming
-
Z1 extreme cost is almost more as Rog Ally X.
-
Limited battery life, especially on 30W+ TDP
-
Topical audio issues
Lenovo is a side-grade from Lenovo Legion Go from Lion Go S2023. It still has an 8-inch performance, but it is a single-bodies design that does not sports two viosable controllers of Legion Go, Nintendo Switch 2. I can tell from jumping that, at $ 730, the Windows version was relatively high and reduced – a real “just get a steam deck” system. The new version is cheaper and comes with steamos, the same small screen-friendly Linux-based operating system that is created by the valve. I tested a $ 600 Legion GoS with Stemos in a beautiful deep “Nebula Nobul Noktern” purple, which reminds me of the goth baby, I wish I was in high school. It comes with a ryzen Z2 Go processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. It is $ 50 more than a steam deck OLED with the same 512 GB storage capacity. The $ 400 steam deck LCD of the valve is the cheapest of its kind, although it comes with only 256GB storage.
The more powerful legend goes with stemos, which is powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor and 32GB LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, which you can pay for Asus Rog Ally X, which claims better battery life, although slightly worse agonomics. I have not tested this model, though.

For shits and gigls, I sent $ 730 white Windows-Powered Legion Go earlier this year and installed steamos on it and to see what happens when you add more RAM to the mix, but I did not experience a significant jump in the performance between the games. The Ryzen Z2 go is designed for the lower-power APU, or “quick processing unit”, especially for the cheap-end lejan GoS models. Ryzen Z1 Extreme and Z2 Go are both a type of processor that combines the capabilities of CPU and GPU, or graphics processors. The Z2 is running on the old Zen 3+ microoricateur of Go AMD and the Z1 is half the number of core running on Z1 4.
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
In any way, all the legends share the same IPS LCD display with a maximum resolution of 1,920 × 1,200. It does not support the deep blacks and contrasts of the OLED panel on a steam deck, but it is still bright enough to play indoors or outside. The larger display resolution can eat in performance with low GPU core and low RAM. Some gamers want to reduce your resolution specs than the Max of your display for performance, so the Juggling Act of the in-game performance settings becomes much more final. The important thing is whether the device can get a happy medium between playable frame rates and beautiful graphics. In my experience, Z2 Go with steamos can get a good balance for playing some intensive game, and it is much better thanks to the valve-made operating system.
I did several rounds of tests with each Legion Go and did plug in and running on 30W. I could set the game for Max resolution. Both devices can hit 40W of TDP, aka thermal design power, which gives more power to the chip to help them out the frame more than each game. Nevertheless, you will not play with high strength until you plan to keep close to an electrical outlet. Overall, the Lion with Z2 Go is running with the same hardware with GoS. Like games Control And Baldur’s Gate III, I saw an increase in performance close to 10 FPS after installing steamos. Cyberpank 2077 After hitting 27 FPS in the benchmark at 1200p, he went to net to net about 40 FPS. Windows introduces a host of background functions that slows down performance, while this is not a problem in Svelte Steamos.
See the best buy
Comparing Legian Go to the custom AMD EPU of steam deck, Lenovo’s steamos-operated device has an easy lead for a wide range of TDP beyond Max 15W on the device of the valve. With a high degree of versatility, I could hit the same frame rates at 1200p versus 800p vs. 800p on steam decks in several games, whether they were older, such as low intensive titles Strange west Or Heads II. In Monster hunter wilds The benchmark managed to top the steam deck at the Z2 Go 1200p with Legion GoS and 30 TDP at 800p by some frame. Of course, doubling the watt capacity will also affect the battery life. If you want to play your game in their best, then you can handle the Max resolution and graphics handling the system, you will get less than two hours. This is not much less than a steam deck on half TDP, but the end result is that you will need a charger handing or limit your play session.
Steamos provides better frame rates than Windows, and if it was not enough, it is very easy to use. The games are easy to download and are fast to load, especially when they are made for steam decks and limit the number of additional launchers through which you have to click. Unfortunately, the experience between steam decks on third-party equipment and playing on steamos is not one-to-one. The big difference is how the valve calculates whether a game is “steamos compatible” steam deck verified “. While the valve will determine if a game can run on the playable frame rates on the steam deck, it will only label whether a game is technically compatible on Liongen GoS. This means that you can install a game that can expect it to run well, but find that you cannot even control it with thumbstick.

I managed to install my Go-Two apps on the steam deck at Legian GoS. This included the dekti loader for plugins such as junk stores, which provides an easy access to my Epic Games Library than going through the problem of installing a brave launcher. I also managed to get Emudeck operations, meaning that I can port all my retro games to a new system without any disturbance. Do I miss access to apps such as razor cortex as my favorite way to do PC-to-handheld streaming? Yes, but I will trade access to every Windows app for a clean UI without another idea. When I am not worried about popup, I am asking me to sign in in Ondrive or what will happen when I dare the device to sleep during the in-game, I can focus on playing my game.
In every way, Legion GoS can become a steam deck, but if you are trying to make decisions between the two then there are still some major views. For one, the steam deck OLED is lighter at 640g, or 1.41 pounds, 740g of vs. Lenovo, or 1.6 pounds. It is not too much until you are feeling stress in your arms after an extended play session spread over your bed. Legion GoS have a slightly better ergonomics, but either the device corresponds to hands than other similar tools in the market. The disappearance of Lenovo’s design is two trackpads of steam decks. Those haptic trackpads add a stunning amount of versatility to some sports, especially in CRPG or Strategy Games Strategic violation wizardS. The minuscule trackpad on Legion Go also did not seem to work out of the box. I had such a bad experience with it on the Windows version-it was immersed in a cold-thunder lake with a rabbit-like vibration-I was not eager to fix it.
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
I will also give the steam deck an increase in audio quality for a clear sound, but the Legion Go ‘Twin 2W speakers provide enough clarity that I do not feel the need to reach a pair of headphones immediately. I experienced the asymmetrical audio bug with my review unit, causing cracking in the in-game, although it was inconsistent, and it was not present on the old model even after installing steamos. The real difference between Lenovo and the handheld of the valve is the screen. You get closer to 8 inch real estate at Legion GoS and a highest Max resolution, but it is still LCD. If I have both screens, I am sitting side-by-side, I can’t help, but better contrast and sometimes move towards the device with those “their” blacks.
So Legion GoS currently your only out-of-the-box steam deck is optional, and it alone makes it worth your time, especially if you do not feel like loading any other OS other than Windows. It is being said, this year’s future slates are becoming more interesting and more interesting. We have so far seen launching any device with AMD’s Riseen Z2 Extreme Chip, but we know that they are coming from companies like MSI, Asas and Lenovo. Another big idea is how Microsoft can eventually make your OSable workable on a 7 -inch display with upcoming ROG Xbox collaborative. This will probably mark a turning point with the upcoming handheld, Windows gaming, not only in performance but in overall utility. If you want a handheld right now, go with Lion Go S or Steam Deck. Will either serve you well. If you are still on the fence, you should wait to see what the future is.
See the best buy

