If you like our handheld reviews and want to support them, consider buying our 3D coaster packs with a unique PC part theme: store.gamersnexus.net/products/gn-drink-debug-coaster-pack-4-custom-3d-coasters-100x100mm-4x4 or grab our new ultra-soft hoodie! store.gamersnexus.net/products/warm-ultra-soft-fleece-zip-hoodie-tear-down The tear-down of the Lenovo Legion Go is live! ruclips.net/video/DKzVuktXwio/видео.html Watch our Steam Deck OLED in-depth review! ruclips.net/video/egdV0NLoL-c/видео.html Watch our Steam Deck OLED tear-down! ruclips.net/video/9jhRh11bTRA/видео.html Watch our ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Extreme review: ruclips.net/video/Na1y7DyDe2w/видео.html And our ASUS ROG Ally Z1 non-Extreme review: ruclips.net/video/Lg624-NHqcw/видео.html
But what about all the flaws with the rog ally, I went to the lenovo legion go after having 3 bad rog ally's. The first one killed my 1tb sd card. The second was having over heating issues and was making noises. The third one had stupid joycon drift out of the box. The lenovo may have its issues but at least it can still be used.
Great work! I look forward to your Intel Claw review when you get one. I think the Claw will be underwhelming but I love all of this competition and consumer choices available.
I love how competitive the handheld market is getting. One thing that would be nice to add to these hand held reviews is the software features. Armory crate gets a lot of crap but it has genuinely useful features like controller button mapping , power profiles per game for booth AC and DC, and a dull but very functional game launcher. It would be interesting to see if other hand helds have these features and how well or not they work. One other thing to note is that you can add gyro support to basically any game through Armory crate which has been a killer feature for me as it works well and is braindead simple to setup, unlike say getting gryo to work with a dualsense controller in windows.
It's awesome too because there's still so much room to even just improve and perfect the basics! Edit as you edited your comment: We talked about software in here throughout the content. That was actually a large part of the content, specifically on the profiles. Armory Crate is mentioned in the end as well. We can maybe dedicate more time to it if we reduce other tests.
@@GamersNexusSmartphone market was like that, but then everyone started mainly making flagships that cost $1000+. It happened before, it can happen again.
Yeah, especially on price. It used to be that the Steam Deck was seen as the exception in the PC handheld market with much better value for its price than anything else in the market. Now we have many options that are inching close to the Steam Deck's value, although I'd still say the Steam Deck is the most well rounded and affordable option.
I use Asus ROG Ally since last June. Amazing device. I wish more games support Xbox Play Anywhere so I can play on both Xbox and handheld with cross platform saves
@@blitzwing1 I think the answer to your question is because the SteamOS 3 is still the only Linux based OS that could work on a gaming handheld out of the box. Of course these companies could create their own distro (that's one of the advantages of open source software) however that would require them to invest more resources into maintaining that OS. Lawrence Yang, a member of the Steam Deck team, did say back in November that they are working on making SteamOS 3 available on other devices but that a lot of the same people are working on the Steam Deck OLED.
I am glad GN did this more than any other channel as companies tend to pay attention, and Lenovo have already been doing so when it comes to users and has been pretty open about it, so this would no doubt be a help to them as well as they genuinely seem to want to get the best they can out of it much like valve. I think that power saving mode is meant for non gaming as it was originally also promoted as a portable pc for people doing things like presentations, so no need for all the power but needing longevity. If that is still the case, it could be done with being labelled better. I think this is one of the main flaws I found with the Go, lots of customisation, but little explanation on what does what.
We noticed that Lenovo seems to have one main guy in the forums (maybe a PM?) handling community requests and has been very active in addressing them. That's great news! Hope the company recognizes how important that is.
@@GamersNexus apparently Ben (dude in the LEGION GO forums) does it in his free time, which is still incredibly commendable because he does take feedback from there and passes it to the developers
The Legion Go is a pocket pc, a tablet and a gaming machine in one. I got mine after christmas this winter and to say that I love it would be a huge understatement! It`s not about the performance (which is still mindblowing for a handheld) or about the software, but the versatility which is makes it so amazing. I use it for gaming in bed and when I get tired, then i just pop the controllers off, flip up the stand and watch youtube or documentaries, or just browse with the controller in mouse mode. You dont even need the plastic bottom piece on the controller for browsing, just take the right controller off and put it in mouse mode. For me, this is the biggest reason why I picked it over the ROG Ally and why I use it every day, while my Steam Deck used to collect dust most of the time. Sure, it isn't for everyone and If you only want it for gaming, then there might be better choices, but as a gaming and mini desktop combo it's unbeatable.
In hindsight, I should've waited for the Legion Go, but I've been wanting a handheld PC for a while so bought the Ally a few months ago because Steam Deck hasn't even officially released in my country yet today. Though I'm glad I picked the Ally over Steam Deck because I think it's more versatile with Windows as its native OS.
I had the Ally and loved the design and form factor, but then I traded it for the Lenovo Go and I couldn’t be happier as the screen is fantastic, now I can read the subtitles / HUD and the extra features worth the difference. Now Lenovo has a great hardware but they lack the software. I hope they get it right fast and one important thing is TO LIMIT THE CHARGING to 80%!!!
On the non gaming side, I am using this thing without controllers as a nearly pocketable PC. Streaming movies, games and even some photo editing on site- it sits right in my camera bag. I am running a super lean version of LTSC and it has been AMAZING on power and thermals. I know I'm not the usual use case, but I think this thing has killer value. Honestly, I think if companies just started making these units without controllers and a little more ram they would be really compelling. it's a killer experience with some travel sized bluetooth peripherals. Even the fact that I can get a whole lot more out of it with a portable 100w battery is amazing.
@@Gatorade69 It's Windows 10 without any bloat (Windows store etc, games, ads) and minimal telemetry that can be disabled (mostly? all?), been running it for a year now, love it :P.
@@JereHakala Ahh. Thank you guys. So kind of like Tiny11 ? I've been thinking about trying Tiny11 (I actually like the UI of 11 better than 10) but heard it doesn't have some services that some games depend on. I've always tried to declutter my windows installs.
As the proud owner of the Leigon Go since day 1, I can say for certain that it's a strong showing from Lenovo for their first handheld gaming PC. While the 1600p display doesn't make sense for most modern resource intensive titles, it makes for an excellent multimedia experience when paired with the large screen size. I will concede that the thermal management could be more nuanced, with the fan speeds ramping up and down depending on the mode and TDP settings. Overall, I'd consider the Leogon Go a great companion device for someone with a dedicated PC gaming setup in lieu of a traditional gaming laptop.
Definitely agreed on the usefulness of the display for media! Just general desktop use/web browser use is a lot nicer with it and it's obviously not as intensive as games, so makes more sense. Thanks for sharing as an owner as well! Helps a lot to read those reports!
Yeah, I would choose this over the others if gaming isn't your sole focus. The larger screen and addition of the always handy "mouse" to keep fingerprints off the screen when web browsing or watching videos is a plus to me. I'm not a heavy gamer, so I'd buy this for it's usefulness as a portable PC.
I'd argue that it's also preferable for people without a gaming PC as well, perhaps even more so. It works so much better for all-around usage than the competing handhelds, even if it's slightly worse at its primary objective. If I had to pick a single device for all my PC needs, rather than just for gaming on the go, Legion Go would be top of my list.
Sadly it is not possible to activate VRR on external displays. I use Asus ROG Ally and LG TV (120Hz, HDMI 2.1 VRR, Freesync, G-Sync). All docking stations on Amazon only support HDMI 2.0 without VRR. When I connect ROG Ally to HDMI 2.0 docking station whole VRR section in Windows is disabled
I've had a Go since launch day back in October and I've been loving it. It's outright replaced my 2018 iPad Pro for all I used it for. I have a very odd use case where I use it alongside my MacBook while not at home, and use it as a tablet on steroids and other hard substances. It rips any mobile game I throw at it, and when it comes to joining my mates on some Helldivers 2 or Destiny 2 (or even just some solo Forza Horizon 5), dropping the screen resolution down to 800p and not expecting it to reach the 144hz that the screen to run at, it's a lovely experience and wildly outperforms anything my MacBook could dream of achieving without an EGPU. Yes, the screen is massive in comparison to other handhelds, but if you view at as a medium sized Windows tablet with an Xbox controller (AND MOUSE) glued onto the side, nothing comes close to being as "fun" to use. The Z1 NON extreme would make sense to me on a device like this. Ship it without the controllers and market it as a Window Tablet rather than a Gaming Handheld and I'm sure it'll be fine. I have had many an issue with the software over the time of owning it. From the controllers disconnecting when wireless, to the screen refusing to change resolutions, or as outlined in this video, the performance modes being completely out of line with what is being told. I have not seen the "quiet" mode be quite so awful, however. (There used to be a "balanced" mode, where did this go?) I was honestly shocked to see the device crippled so hard by itself in the video. I would love to see where Lenovo goes with the software, as it has already had some huge quality of life improvements over the few months I've owned it. I have been debating on throwing Arch Linux on it just to be rid of all the Windows related problems that come with... well... Windows. Sometimes after tapping "shutdown" it would NOT shut down, and instead I would have to hold the power button, which I always find scary! It's a tinkerers device at heart - as I see with all handhelds. All of them are wonderful, and it is lovely to see a new market where competition can rise. While the Go is a device I can very much recommend from a owners perspective, the fan noise, the software and overall lack of polished feel is something I would hope to see improved in a second revision. Thanks for reading! Any questions regarding the Legion Go I'll try to respond to them if you're looking to purchase :)
Really useful comment, thanks. I'm not buying now, but for sure keeping my eyes open on the arch linux compatibility, with these more proprietary designs I'm always wary of linux compatibility
@@Bradz911 Cannot say its a workflow I've tried as I've solely been using it for gaming. But I can imagine it's pretty good. Drop the TDP down and set the display to 60hz and I can imagine you can see upwards of 3-4 maybe even 5 hours.
THANK YOU for being the first people to finally give this thing a proper review (yeah I’m looking at you LTT). Absolutely love the incredible time and detail you guys put into everything
There's been a few other good reviews of the device, Taki Udon does decent reviews on almost ALL handhelds but definitely not this in depth as he doesn't really have the testing capabilities of GN.
LTT hasn't ever been a proper review site (with some exceptions for good employees who never stay). It's just videos of a clown who has half the tech knowledge he claims, running around making things worse, not better.
I used my Legion Go for hours yesterday in my car, playing Last Epoch on medium graphics at full resolution. it was demanding enough to pull the framerates down into the high 20s. I never heard fan noise like what you showed.
@@malcolmrff it works ok, i really like the controllers. Overall very versatile, in home plug in to tv and sit on couch with the detached controllers, in office plug in to monitor keyboard and mouse and detach the controllers become dual screen office setup, outside just use the default setup become handheld. If you really want a handheld and not in urgent, I suggest you to wait for one or two more generations, coz of the specs. But if you're fine with the specs and other things said in the video then go for it.
Great in-depth testing I love from this channel. I have the Legion Go and a Steam Deck LCD. Purely from a perspective of "which one do I want to pick up and play the most" the legion Go has won in our house for a couple of reasons. That screen size is absolutely perfect. We still use it portably fine, but especially for me with aging eye sight the 7" screens are just getting a little bit small. As a test, I gave my 5 year old the Legion Go to play, and he played fine for about 30-40 mins without complaining about weight although his reach on the controls might have hindered competitive games, he's 5 so its a non-issue. I feel like all the issues raised are true though the majority can and probably will be fixed with software updates and Lenovo have publicly shared the fans are being looked at for a potential future better option. However even with the "quirks" I found the experience of the screen overrode them and I just wanted to pick up and play that more... so much so I replaced the steam deck with a second Go as its hard to share with my older son. The one anecdotal downside I can say comparing the deck to the go, is that I do sense the battery life being an issue. For most games I run performance mode and drop to balanced when I can get away with it but I feel like I get much less battery game time compared to playing games on the deck. This isn't a scientific test just how I feel using both devices. However getting 50-60fps relatively stutter free RDR2 compared to around 40fps on the deck feels like a good trade off and can be mitigated with relatively inexpensive power bricks which we usually carry on trips anyway. As a final note, a Product Manager from Lenovo working on the Go has been regularly posting and taking community feedback from the unofficial Legion Go channel on reddit. Steam are notoriously fast and great at getting brilliant updates out, Lenovo have been a bit slow but their transparency and willingness to work with real users is something I rarely ever see from other organisations which gives me great confidence in the future of the product
@@catch82 Agreed, I think they got it right prioritising the screen as it contributes so much to the experience and once you've invested in the hardware its expensive to change. The steam deck was better to hold no doubt but in its case it was still bulky so not ideal for throwing in my work bag. Both are fine if I'm taking luggage on a plane for example. The steam deck is a great machine too and as a mid 40 year old who grew up PC gaming I'm still in awe any of what these handhelds can do. As a busy adult it means I can actually get back into more casual gaming
For just doing light games like Vampire Survivors the Legion Go loses out imo. For portable use, the battery life on the Deck has been stellar along with having excellent standby/sleep behavior for single player games. Armored Core 6 and Baldurs Gate 3 definitely gives the edge to the Legion Go. And the black magic Valve did to get HDR working on SteamOS works way better then trying to do it on windows on either a desktop or handheld in my experience. The Steamdeck OLED has much better speakers, mostly due to being forward facing rather then top facing so its nice for watching videos without headphones.
@@4RT1LL3RY yep I think valve have done an amazing job on the battery life and portability. The fact you can tap the power button and it’ll sleep properly too is great. That is another downside of the Go that sleep is only really suitable for very short periods. The experience of the deck is great, I nearly bought the OLED. But I found having both the LCD and the legion in the house I just preferred to pick up the legion. If I gamed more I’d probably get the OLED as well and have both for different things
@@4RT1LL3RY yep I think valve have done an amazing job on the battery life and portability. The fact you can tap the power button and it’ll sleep properly too is great. That is another downside of the Go that sleep is only really suitable for very short periods. The experience of the deck is great, I nearly bought the OLED. But I found having both the LCD and the legion in the house I just preferred to pick up the legion. If I gamed more I’d probably get the OLED as well and have both for different things
Samesies - it's primarily the screen that makes the Go work for me where the Deck just didn't quite do it. BG3 being a good example game where it tipped the balance from "I don't really wanna play it on this screen" to "this is just about big enough to play it"
I gotta say, this is probably the review I've been waiting for the most. Legion Go has always struck me as the coolest concept on the handheld market, and I've been pretty tempted to grab one for that reason alone, at least after the initial issues have been addressed. Excited to see if the execution hold up.
They are actively working on updates. They have an actual project lead engaging with the community to help them identify and prioritize issues and features. The latest updates and BIOS do a lot to address some of the problems. And soon full true custom TDP settings are coming. More than a simple TDP slider, which for those with the know-how, should be able to tweak the CPU/GPU balance for better performance.
As an ex-Steam Deck owner & current Legion Go owner, I can say I made the switch primarily because of all the novel features Lenovo added over the Deck & Ally, & I'm happy with it after an initial period of getting used to the less smooth parts of the Go experience...
@@hokayson6518I need to know which display looks better, I'm planning on getting one to play indie games locally and stream ps5 games on it. Which screen would look nicer? On one hand SD has that OLED and HDR but go has a beautiful large screen that is neither OLED nor has HDR. It's not possible for me to try these out based on my location so I'm depending on the opinions of others. I've seen that a lot of gamers swear by OLED.
@@naavidmorshed5516 I'd say there's no argument that the Deck's OLED display looks better, but the Go's display is just bigger. For me personally I would still rather the Go's display over the OLEDs because that extra size is more worth it to me, you can just see things like UI elements that little bit better when they're a little bit bigger. I think most people would say go OLED Deck for your use case though, especially if it's cheaper. That said, I'm not sure how easy it is to stream PS5 games to a Deck? Maybe you want full Windows compatibility for something like that
I’m glad you guys are jumping on developing testing methodologies for handheld PCs. It looks to be an expanding market so there will likely be more hardware coming.
It’s just easier to use metric when Yelling at friends while you’re under the hood. saying “YO TOSS ME AN EIGHT MIL” is a lot easier than “GET ME A FIVE SIXTHTEENTHS!” 😂
I purchased one at the end of last year and it's been a game changer. I love my Legion Go. Software is probably the biggest area for improvement personally but they have been making steady improvements with good feedback to the community for months.
Though I am a desktop user and haven't owned a handheld since the original Gameboy, I do follow the market closely. I'm continuously blown away by the consistent performance of the Steam Deck, especially the OLED. Even though it's getting a little long in the tooth, I'd still choose a Deck OLED over any other handheld currently on the market. Valve did a wonderful job with the refresh.
yeah framepacing is king in gaming imo and these charts show the deck trouncing the competition in that department. I do wonder how a debloated windows (like LTSC) would fare in comparison
Yeah the Deck OLED came just in time to keep the Deck relevant. It may still have the same lower performance as before (actually slightly faster than the LCD version though, I hear), but the bigger battery, better lower TDP performance, frame times, and not to mention the OLED display and other improvements really help made it stay an attractive option. I'm still happy with my Legion Go, though, and will likely be sticking to Windows-based handhelds because I want a device I can also use for work and such.
Best part of the Steam Deck (and the reason I can't consider alternatives, for the time being) is the insane amount of IO and super easy and powerful mapping capabilities. The Gyro, Gyro options, pads, custom behaviors, etc are insanely powerful and what makes the device actually usable for practically all titles.
@@brandont7214 i guess depends how and what one plays .... but well i am already way too deep into this rabbithole while owning both Go, Deck and bunch of chinese emulation consoles
I wouldn’t even consider getting a handheld with inverted joysticks, it was the worst thing about playing on the switch; I love the Xbox controller, but hate the inverted layout on a tiny handheld, it’s just painful to hold. The steam deck is just as comfortable as a Xbox or PlayStation controller
@@brandont7214 I was thinking to do this i currently have steam deck lcd 256gb but its really bother me especially cus i like to try cracked games if i like it i buy it but the process in the steam deck in freaking annoying also i love to play online games fortnite and pubg but the deck wont let my i was intended to buy a external ssd to run windows but still extra weight and cant charge it while play but i said to my self why bother just buy a new window baisd device would i love upgrading to the legion go especially that my money is so limited any thoughts ?
I have a Legion Go and I love it. Specially when I’ve got a Lenovo dock that supports 4k @ 60hz and it becomes a gaming pc! Maybe it can’t run the most demanding AAA games at full graphics but you can get decent performance in most casual games.
@@jeffp.6349 well I wanted the legion go for docking but I'm not so sure anymore cause of the frame consistency. Might wait to see lenovos second gen. In the meantime ide probably go with the ally.
@PotatoflakeJake I'm picking up my Go today, 2 week return window is mainly why I'm trying it. I feel like since it's new tech buying any of these devices is kind of settling for a much inferior product opposed to what's to develop in the probably near future
The review I been waiting for! On paper the Legion Go is what I have been waiting for in the handheld pc market. Time to see if it lives up to my expectations.
Owned one since early December, sold my OG steam deck, have not regretted it for a second. I got to try out an Ally for a while too and was severely underwhelmed by the screen and joystick feel. In my books, Legion Go is the winner.
for some reason i heard alot of people buying it and returning few days later it because they didnt liked it, as you say, on paper, but reality seems to be very different
@@shortanimationz I only had a chance to try out the Ally and I hated the joysticks so much, they just feel too light to me. I was wondering how does it compare to the Go, as I love the concept of it, and design much more.
Go cant outperform ally and ally actually looks good. Go is just rushed, button layout is crap. I saw another video of guy saying how terrible button layout was. Ally all day long over go
I’ve seen a Legion Go in person at a Microcenter and it has a gorgeous screen. If I didn’t already have a steam deck it would be tempting except for the $800 price tag. The steam deck really does hit that sweet spot between performance and price, at least in my opinion.
tbh i want one of those but the noise, i dont want that, my desktop pcs are dead silent, only psus make noise and i cant find better fans for those i hope they can improve power consumption and go fanless eventually
Because they boosted and matched the volume for those sound comparisons, there's a lot of extra static on all the devices that you don't hear in person. The 100% fan speed is overkill, but the defaults are fine, & it got custom fan curves recently that may not have been available when they started testing.
The fan noise isn't actually that bad in use. I was concerned it would be significantly worse than the Ally which can divide the load over two fans, but the larger fan in the GO trends to a lower frequency sound profile. So it really isn't any worse, not significantly anyway. It is noticeable when the device is under heavy load, but is a bit like a small desk fan on low. People close by should be able to ignore it without issue. Full speed fan is ridiculous though... And it really isn't needed. While I typically like to keep the thermals down on my desktop, a mobile device hitting the mid 70s isn't bad.
I am happy for the handheld PC market. Got my ROG ally (used) 3 days ago and I love it so far. I like windows on my handheld but understand that some people don't like the first big setup process.
@user-kc4uz4uy8v the port is near one of the exhaust ports. I've personally never had a problem with mine, but I know some people have. However, I'd never run a modern game from an SDcard, I just use it to transfer files. I upgraded the SSD in my Ally for more space.
The funny thing about them saying "this is not a joystick" is that on a soft surface without the puck it can totally function like a joystick. I was playing an FPS game in bed and realized how well it worked like a hotas when the "mouse pad" was my mattress 😅
Absolutely what amazing and thorough review we needed. I found it quite interesting to see the latency differences and the 1% lows. Many other videos I’ve seen comparing the ally to the llg usually never even come close to giving this type of attention or notability to them. These things matter massively to fps players and anyone who’s playing online games too. I am extremely interested to see how the claw stacks up with latency and 1% lows….. I’m hopeful for sure. ❤
This turned me a complete 180 on my thoughts of the Legion GO, really liked the thought of its creativity and such but clearly has much work to be done. Excited to see how they handle it over time through updates. Great video looking forward to more handhelds!
It tried too hard to be a jack of all trades and in the end it doesn't really excell at anything of matter for a handheld device like battery or software. If you want more power just shell out 2K+$ and get the real deal. Sounds good on paper and too good to be true : ( But if they keep improving their devices I'm interested and I'd totally be ready to spend more money on it, but it would have to deliver.
Which bits put you off out of interest? I switched from Deck to Go & I definitely had gripes! But after a week or so I learned how to work around most of them & now I love the Go. It's not perfect, but it's what I want from a handheld - decent enough handheld gaming performance, lovely huge high refresh screen, full Windows functionality & eGPU support.
@@hokayson6518I own a steamdeck and I don't think anything could pull me completely off it. I just was interested in its (the Go) innovation but my gripe is honestly with all the workarounds and little things, the not so stable performance. I use my deck and the games I play require no work except maybe turning on proton which is like a toggle essentially so personally I'm settled anyways. I just like the idea of the Go and I hope they don't give up and continue to work at this form of PC handheld.
@@yourstatistacs ok fair enough, I definitely can't argue against the Deck being the easiest to use. Assuming you don't want to play Game Pass games 😉 I think for my use cases & games, both were equally annoying, just in different ways, so the big screen won me over.
The Legion Go has become my go to (pun intended) computer. It's a great tablet. I run it at home most of the time with a monitor (or 2) connected, mouse and keyboard...then take the whole thing with me in a sling bag. I love it...I'll probably add a EGPU for extensive gaming, and run it as is for simple gaming.
It would have been interesting to see how the go and Ally perform with one of the more popular linux SteamOS versions, and then trying things like the latency and frame time to see if its a windows or hardware issue. Its a shame HoloISO doesn't support them, or at least didn't last I checked, as that would have been a great near apples to apples test.
@@Patrick-y4d1z I swapped an M-ATX case in my sitting room for it, so it's mostly plugged in. Such a space saver. And it does have a very nice screen considering its not oled
26:18 Wow. I see some truly complex testing equipment. It must've cost you a fortune. Thanks for reviewing this. I was looking at the Go recently. Although at size that no longer are pocket-able. (I can easily fit the Switch OLED on my pockets most times) If I'll need a bag we're getting into laptop territory.
@ElBear-bq8nf Separately? I'd never put electronics on my back pocket. Right front caries my keys, which is usually 11 keys and a couple Keychain. And left for the phone which is big. If I think I'll have a use for I'll move phone to the right and carry the Switch on the left, used to be my old tablet, a Shield K1, new is Samsung, too big, never take it with my anywhere. I even bought a Switch bag, never use it. En up always using my bigger bagpack, had slot for a laptop, so I can throw the Tab or Switch, and since I'm already carrying something I throw battery bank, flash lights, cables Swiss blade tool, etc. I either carry a bunch of things if I can. Or only what fits in my pockets as is. Go happens to be on a bad spot for me. Between size and price I'd go for a laptop. Tho if I already had a laptop it would make a great dedicated gaming device. I have a gaming PC and when I go out I won't have time to play seriously. It's not like I'll be continuing what I had on my desktop. I'd have to adjust my lifestyle to justify its purchase. Maybe the dedicated light games PC. No need to boot the desktop to play something like Tomb Raider Remaster. But of the mobile gaming PC console things. The Legion Go and the Ayaneo Slide are my favorites design. Wish I could just collect them. But the economy isn't any good for that.
I had a steam deck but my dad bought me a Go because he thought it looked cool. Gotta say i havent even touched my Deck since I got the Go. The bigger screen is SUCH a luxury aling with the ability to stream shows and watch youtube easily as opposed to the deck. Its not as polished as the Deck but man its still a wonderful piece of hardware
As a nintendo switch owner, I can attest to the fact that single joycon mode is reserved for when you have nothing else to hand to a friend, or the game demands that you do.
From someone who’s owned both the ROG Ally and the Legion Go, the Go is just a much better device. Basically same performance, Detachable controllers with actual grip, kickstand, fps mode, bigger screen, higher refresh rate, higher resolution (although pointless for gaming), better battery life, two usb-c ports, 1tb option, and it comes with a case. It’s just a better piece of tech. The Ally feels like a toy in comparison. Also this review did not mention the melting of the SD card reader on the Ally, which is why I sold mine after waiting 3 weeks for Asus to repair it.
Nah, the higher resolution is usable using FSR or RSR. Just set the game to run at 800p and allow the near perfect integer lossless upscaling to 1600p do its magic and the beautiful screen just light ups with almost OLED image quality.
I really like detached controllers and I really hope Lenovo will sell the controller separately someday. detached controllers are really nice when you have limited movement in you arms/wrists and holding to hands together on a normal controller can get uncomfortable quickly. My favorite controllers right now are the Wii U gamepad, the Steam Deck, the wiimote with nunchuck, and then the joycons in detached mode.
Always great to see more options in the handheld gaming PC space. Flaws and all, they brought a lot of innovation to the table with the legion go and it'll be really cool to see if they decide to follow up with a legion go 2 down the line learning from the mistakes of the first. Honestly, it's the display is incredible in person. Got the chance to see one in person at microcenter the other day. It's no steam deck open, but it's really damn good looking and really makes the go tempting even just from a windows tablet perspective.
@@StinkyGuff The grip on the controller. Back is pretty good, front bottoms dig into your palms. Trackpad. Good that there's one, makes using Windows less of a hinderence. Location is pretty poor, I usually turn it off to avoid it reacting to my palm. Back buttons. Currently, you can only bind them to standard Xbox face buttons. The Deck and Ally let you bind them to system commands, macros, and device specific features. There's no Xbox guide button (Steam button equivalent) and no way to bind an Xbox guide button. If you're using Steam Big Picture Mode, you need to use the touchscreen or trackpad to access the central menu and can't access it at all in game. Lenovo Space is laggy as hell. It lacks options to rebind the standard Xbox face buttons, only the back buttons. The whole FPS mode for the controller: You've got a joystick jabbing into your hand and the angle the 'mouse' sits at is awkward as hell. It has two USB ports. One's on the bottom and therefore not usable if you're using the kickstand for most of its adjustment. The controllers are detachable. If they turn off while detached, you basically need to reattach them. They slide up on the device, which is an annoyance if you're using it on a table top. You can adjust TDP on the fly with the Lenovo quick access panel button and up/down on the D-pad. You have to press BOTH buttons for every step you want to increase/decrease it. And honestly, there's not much excuse for this. Lenovo is a late comer, there was already a pretty decent market, full of devices they could've learned from.
All things considered, the amount of refinement Valve put into the Deck OLED not only in its hardware but also in its custom software is an engineering marvel.
at least you can go and watch several hours more of videos made on the same topic until you feel obliged to buy something or everything you're shown...
Ayaneo would do so much better focusing on a couple of products and providing face plates or colour options as opposed to legitimately making 10 variations of the same mid-tier hand held over and over. Handhelds are coming along, but still a little premature. I have no interest in participating in R&D for new devices. I'm excited to see what they will look like in the next 3-5 years.
Would be amazing if we could combine all the best strengths of each of these 3 into one. The Legion Go’s screen size and resolution Ally’s power, VRR and sound Deck’s Steam OS, battery life and ergonomics
I sold my Steamdeck after getting the Ally. Its so much better if you know how to use it. I did try the Legion go and found it too heavy. For me the Ally is the best option.
Thank you for your thorough review, particularly the performance presets & charging times. Having spent a dozen or so hours with the Go, I have the following notes - A) The back buttons are not natively recognized by games - and the Legion Space software by itself isn't able to assign keyboard macros. You need to use Handheld Companion software. B) Use & activation of the gyro also requires Handheld Companion, its implementation being far from ideal vs. how Valve's SD expertly layers these controls live into the Steam OS C) The joystick / front button placement on these controllers, particularly if you are also using index fingers on triggers, require a fair bit more thumb joint flexibility and endurance over a session than with the Deck's simple-yet-effective closer placement.. Combined with the extra weight & if you are resting the device down vs. suspending, it's a considerable work-out vs. the Deck OLED. D) The Go's built-in speakers have a less-pleasing frequency output vs the Steam Deck.. and they face away from the user (!) so a person 6 feet away from you will actually hear the game better than the actual player. Despite all, I love the Go. Deus Ex: Human Revolution @ native 1600p / ~80 fps is truly a Go sweet spot. A 65W power brick goes a long way.
I am delighted that I made the decision to purchase the Steam Deck OLED, as it offers a significantly enhanced experience compared to the first-generation model, which I respectfully sold. It's just better suited for my Steam integration on my gaming PC being able to continue my progression. OLED display is wonderful.
What valve does with shader cache and excellent frame times and battery life is why I went for the steam deck and more recently the steam deck OLED Use it every day
Been a supporter of your channel for a while now Steve. I literally cant watch anything from Linus and his team of fools making jokes every 2 min. Makes me appreciate your content so much more. You guys are awesome 😎
Not sure yet! For personal use outside of work, I'd need something a little smaller to better fit in my bag for travel (my bag already has a lot in it). That's why we just bought some smaller ones!
My inner perfectionist is screaming while looking at that “Power-savin g mode” 😱 Like for real, that’s your level of attention to details Lenovo?! Great review, guys!👍🏻 Overall, I’m really happy to see this handheld PC market finally getting more and more options! I really hope in a few years we can get powerful enough mobile chips to be able to play most of new-ish games at 720p60 mid or high settings without any bs like FSR or anything like that🤞🏻
Those are rookie numbers. I've watched all of the videos and still can't decide. Jokes aside, I want to buy Legion Go. But, Rog Ally is cheaper and has working AMD fluid motion frames which can significantly increase your framerate. In conclusion, I think it's best to wait some more.
I am stuck between the Go and Deck Oled, but think of getting the Go because it is cheaper than the Oled and on a much bigger sale now saving me around R3k (my currency is ZAR, Rand).
@@McSmurfyIf you cant get Legion Go for under 550 $/Eur, better wait for more upcoming competition (Ally X, Claw 2, Zotac etc.) to bring down the prices.
I love what an indictment against mobile games these handhelds represent. People would rather spend an additional $600+ just to play games not on a phone.
I'm not sure about that. The entire PC handheld market right now is probably about 5 million units large (3 million Steam Decks, and generously 2 million other devices). The mobile gaming population, as of 2021, is reported to be 2.6 billion. That said, it would be fascinating to compare sales of these handhelds with mobile gamepads, especially telescopic ones. I think that's a much more comparable audience.
@@HunterTracksoh no doubt that the profit of the mobile industry is there, the quality of single player or non-profit driven games is lacking outside of old PC ports. So why not play the real thing in the go.
@@cassavepiece Because it's $400+ dollars to do so and most people aren't actually on the go that often, at least not in a way that allows you to pull out a Steam Deck and start playing. The large reason for the current success of the handhelds, I think, is less their on the go capability and moreso the fact that they provide a fairly approachable and relatively affordable entry into the PC space.
Lenovo Legion Go, Steam Deck and Rog ally can't beat the Smartphone market. Mobile is the biggest Market cause it is the REAL handheld and pocketable. That's the whole purpose of mobile.
@@QuantumChrist I'm not talking candy crush. I'm talking like that mobile blizzard game everyone was upset about a few years ago. Or forknife. And I'm not saying everyone is going to buy this. But the people who can, absolutely do in a lot of cases. Like it isn't eating into mobile gaming. I'm just saying that people jump at alternatives because mobile gaming low-key sucks.
What strikes me most about the Legion Go is how it is priced similarly to the iPad Mini but has twice the storage, bundled controllers, and kickstand along with an arguably better work / gaming machine when paired with a keyboard and mouse.
Hi @Gamers Nexus, a really nicely made video from how you test, and how much effort you put into it, BUT A REAL PITY your setting of the Legion Go WHEREN'T CORRECT for comparison with the Ally: (even though I understand it is not easy to know, if you just pick it up for testing and weren't following all tweaks since it's release) -> You need to set the Go to Performance TDP mode and to efficiency system mode to achieve the best results in most games, even at 30 Watts TDP mode. As otherwise the CPU part of the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip is getting to much power (and it is already the stronger part of the chip and a great CPU for on the Go) and the GPU (the weaker part of the chip in comparison) is getting too less power and therefore you can loose up to 30% performance depending on how GPU dependent a Game is. (For less genres like real time strategy and other games with many things to calculate at once your settings would have been fine, but for the wast majority of games you are always getting about 10 to 30% decrease in performance that way) For a comparisons at 15 Watts or lower you need to also switch the RAM performance to 6200 MHz in the BIOS to let the Go perform better, as otherwise with the standard 7500 MHz settings the memory uses too much power and really performs worse... -> Hard to believe, but I tried it out myself and it really makes a difference! Also the game performance always depends on the VRAM settings you use, and set up in the BIOS. Most games perform best with 6 GB VRAM (default setting is 4 GB), as it counts as a sweet spot, though there are games which work even better with AUTO VRAM mode, if they support it/just work fine with it (with others it can lead to worse performance the 6GB RAM) and a few even run better with 4GB or 8GB setting (but way less then with 6 GB). Of course it is hard to consider all VRAM settings in a comparison (even for just a few games tested) and I wouldn't expect you to cover even that making to much effort - being a hobby RUclipsr myself I know what I'm talking about. But for the TDP/System Settings, that makes an essencial difference, and you complaining about other channels not doing their homework, I sincerely would have expected this from you(even if it is hard to know, as I really trust in your channel and your knowledge and see you guys as my favourite English speaking channel for reliability. The RAM speeds settings change, would have only made sense, if you would have also made a comparison of 15 Watts or below (probably it takes effect at about 20 to 18 Watts already) of course. I'm using the Legion Go since the first day and am an active part of the official Legion Go Group community, and I'm exactly knowing what I'm talking about, as I did several tests with the Go evolving myself. I would also recommend you to use the BIOS Beta 29.1 or 31 which can be downloaded from there too, as from 29.1 on the custom TDP settings work better, even though the developer team still only implemented the first step for it to get more precise, and tgere are still two others to go. I know you guys are really busy with many videos, but if you could make it to do a retest of the Legion Go with proper settings, as I described I would definetly consider to support you also on patreon or with a channel membership, as your current values don't reflect what the Go can really do and it is a pity for so many people following your channel to be not able to know what this great device is capable of for real.
@@lucasperi2197 Not really, they released a new graphics card driver finally, but it is about 3 months old and already outdated at release... Generally almost all games are running, so it performs quite well... Just the lack of the newest drivers is a real pity...
Legion Go is trash, looks good on paper but is so inconsistent at gaming and laggy af. The specs tricked me into buying it but this thing is horrible. Literally have to buy a standalone program from Steam to get it to run decently. Definitely not worth 700 bucks
Valve did S tier job on steamdeck. I dont give a fuck about the this and thats of the other handhelds. All of them are just tryna compete with steamdeck by adding and showing off features that the hardware cant even make proper use of giving the thermal and power limitations of these devices. Its actually wild how good steamdeck is.
after testing the 3 I chose the LEGION GO just because of how much stuff it has on it, the screen and controllers each have GYRO, the screen is quite big and perfectly aligns to 800p, the kickstand and 2 USB-C make it the most versatile with a tiny dongle and FPS mode is genuinely a system seller for me just for some RTS games biggest problem is they all are still trying to figure software out, the gyros barely even work for example, so the STEAM DECK is still the better purchase for the vast majority hopefully we can revisit all 3 devices in a combo video by November when all their quirks get better according to THE PHAWX, GPD has the best tuneup for the RYZEN chipsets, so I recommend checking out the GPD WIN MINI instead of the AYA NEO FLIP since you are already getting a different AYA NEO
I had the OG Steam Deck, and own the Deck OLED and the Ally. I was going to sell my Ally and get the Ally X for the battery and more RAM, but I decided to try the Legion Go on a whim. Got an open box model and in the first two days I loved using it more than the Ally.
Great overview! One thing that was missed - I think: the thunderbolt connectivity options for external graphics cards. If I understood correctly, the Ally only allows for specific Asus hardware while the Legion go is completely flexible here. Maybe that info could be added?
I love my Asus ROG Ally - fastest handheld ever + Game Pass support. More than 70 fps in Starfield on medium details at 1080p with FSR 3.0 Performance with frame generation. It is really nice that big companies like Asus, MSI and Lenovo created own Windows handhelds.
FYI: To use your right thumbstick as a mouse pointer just like the Ally does, go to Steam settings and enable desktop controller input. The sensitivity is a bit wack, so adjust it accordingly in Legion Space or Steam. Use your main L/R triggers as Left/Right mouse. Steam has to be running, so either touchscreen/touchpad it at bootup or have it in your startup apps in the background. GL!!
@@darkslaerdarkthe fuck does have to do your DESKTOP graphics card with a handheld device? Even using it as an eGPU it is completely irrelevant to the discussion.
I got my eye on one of these for my birthday next week. I'll have to upgrade its internal hard drive - got a 2TB one small enough to fit in it on the way - so I'm looking forward to it.
About time there was a decent review of this. Having owned both the Steam Deck and Ally, I have touched neither since getting my paws on the Legion Go. I love it! Can't wait to see how the handheld spaces evolves over the coming years.
It's not a "limitation" that the Go controllers do not function individually. The Legion Go is not a toy like the Switch is. Nobody buying a $600 console wants to play a game with half a controller. This is 100% a non-issue and you spend FAR too much time talking about it.
Steam Deck will always win because of everything it stands for, openess by a company who cares about their product and consumers. Handheld PC's cannot rely on Windows because Microsoft does not give a flying floogy about third party hardware manufacturers. Valve's bet on Linux is paying off huge and in the future I have a very strong feeling that Linux is going to become the number 1 OS for customers who just want to play games for how light and uninvasive it is (as well as offering a powerful work space).
Valve stands for making money. Just like the others. They're a huge part of the "you don't own any of these games" business model, with bannings from the service causing people to lose their entire purchased library. The move to Linux isn't an ethical decision, it's a business decision. Corporations are not your friends, including Valve.
@@arglebargle5531true. I'm hoping GabeN is alive as long as me and I'm control of Valve so I don't see an even more money grabbing corp come in. Be cause it could be MUCH worse.
Oh for fucks sake, don't need the Linux bro worshiping Richard Stallman ideals speech to be involved in this. Can't you Linux bros just shut up and allow people to just enjoy their games without all this ideological bullshit crapping all over the place?
Glad to see more of these things tested. Personally, I've had my eye on the GPD Win 4. Really wish that one had a screen like the new Deck though, higher refresh rate and OLED. I hope you guys get around to reviewing that one. If possible, I would also like to see you guys try and setting up some of these alternative devices with an As-close-as-possible-to-SteamOS linux setup just to see if ditching windows helps the frame inconsistencies. Even if it ends up failing to do so or being a terrible user experience, I think it would be useful info since the discussion of the frame pacing issues always mentions Windows. People may hear that and be interested in trying to "resolve" the issue, so it might be cool to show how someone might do that, and why they should or shouldn't.
I think in the bios of the deck u can change the charging setting, by default it won’t hit the full 100% quickly, but goes to 80% quickly then slowly tops out to preserve the battery, or somthing on those lines.
The masters of whining and complaining, this CH has turned into Doom and Gloom, lame, like complaining children when things aren't perfect in your eyes.
Excellent video, very informative. I'm curious about your testing methodology as I noticed a potential issue - the Ally's "performance" mode is 15 watts, while the Legion Go's "performance mode" is 30 watts. The best on-battery comparison here would be the Ally's 25-watt Turbo mode, to match the 30-watt output of the Legion Go on battery as near as possible without the unfair advantage of giving the Ally wall-power to hit 30 watts for a direct comparison. The fact that the Ally was posting framerates only a couple points lower at 15-watts versus the Legion at 30 watts seems worth mentioning here.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
If you like our handheld reviews and want to support them, consider buying our 3D coaster packs with a unique PC part theme: store.gamersnexus.net/products/gn-drink-debug-coaster-pack-4-custom-3d-coasters-100x100mm-4x4 or grab our new ultra-soft hoodie! store.gamersnexus.net/products/warm-ultra-soft-fleece-zip-hoodie-tear-down
The tear-down of the Lenovo Legion Go is live! ruclips.net/video/DKzVuktXwio/видео.html
Watch our Steam Deck OLED in-depth review! ruclips.net/video/egdV0NLoL-c/видео.html
Watch our Steam Deck OLED tear-down! ruclips.net/video/9jhRh11bTRA/видео.html
Watch our ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Extreme review: ruclips.net/video/Na1y7DyDe2w/видео.html
And our ASUS ROG Ally Z1 non-Extreme review: ruclips.net/video/Lg624-NHqcw/видео.html
How many do I need to buy to make up for using an adblocker?
But what about all the flaws with the rog ally, I went to the lenovo legion go after having 3 bad rog ally's. The first one killed my 1tb sd card. The second was having over heating issues and was making noises. The third one had stupid joycon drift out of the box. The lenovo may have its issues but at least it can still be used.
Need more size selection for hoodie. Especially if it can be Gildan.
Great work! I look forward to your Intel Claw review when you get one. I think the Claw will be underwhelming but I love all of this competition and consumer choices available.
Just what the world needs. Another PC handheld nobody asked for. I wonder how many of these things are actually selling? Any stats on this?
I love how competitive the handheld market is getting.
One thing that would be nice to add to these hand held reviews is the software features. Armory crate gets a lot of crap but it has genuinely useful features like controller button mapping , power profiles per game for booth AC and DC, and a dull but very functional game launcher. It would be interesting to see if other hand helds have these features and how well or not they work. One other thing to note is that you can add gyro support to basically any game through Armory crate which has been a killer feature for me as it works well and is braindead simple to setup, unlike say getting gryo to work with a dualsense controller in windows.
It's awesome too because there's still so much room to even just improve and perfect the basics! Edit as you edited your comment: We talked about software in here throughout the content. That was actually a large part of the content, specifically on the profiles. Armory Crate is mentioned in the end as well. We can maybe dedicate more time to it if we reduce other tests.
@@GamersNexusSmartphone market was like that, but then everyone started mainly making flagships that cost $1000+.
It happened before, it can happen again.
Yeah, especially on price. It used to be that the Steam Deck was seen as the exception in the PC handheld market with much better value for its price than anything else in the market. Now we have many options that are inching close to the Steam Deck's value, although I'd still say the Steam Deck is the most well rounded and affordable option.
I use Asus ROG Ally since last June. Amazing device. I wish more games support Xbox Play Anywhere so I can play on both Xbox and handheld with cross platform saves
@@blitzwing1 I think the answer to your question is because the SteamOS 3 is still the only Linux based OS that could work on a gaming handheld out of the box. Of course these companies could create their own distro (that's one of the advantages of open source software) however that would require them to invest more resources into maintaining that OS. Lawrence Yang, a member of the Steam Deck team, did say back in November that they are working on making SteamOS 3 available on other devices but that a lot of the same people are working on the Steam Deck OLED.
I am glad GN did this more than any other channel as companies tend to pay attention, and Lenovo have already been doing so when it comes to users and has been pretty open about it, so this would no doubt be a help to them as well as they genuinely seem to want to get the best they can out of it much like valve.
I think that power saving mode is meant for non gaming as it was originally also promoted as a portable pc for people doing things like presentations, so no need for all the power but needing longevity. If that is still the case, it could be done with being labelled better. I think this is one of the main flaws I found with the Go, lots of customisation, but little explanation on what does what.
We noticed that Lenovo seems to have one main guy in the forums (maybe a PM?) handling community requests and has been very active in addressing them. That's great news! Hope the company recognizes how important that is.
@@GamersNexus apparently Ben (dude in the LEGION GO forums) does it in his free time, which is still incredibly commendable because he does take feedback from there and passes it to the developers
@@jesusbarrera6916 all my homies love Ben
Yes, Ben from Lenovo Team, with his Friday update is been genuinely one of the reason i bought the Legion GO over the Ally@@GamersNexus
The Legion Go is a pocket pc, a tablet and a gaming machine in one.
I got mine after christmas this winter and to say that I love it would be a huge understatement!
It`s not about the performance (which is still mindblowing for a handheld) or about the software, but the versatility which is makes it so amazing.
I use it for gaming in bed and when I get tired, then i just pop the controllers off, flip up the stand and watch youtube or documentaries, or just browse with the controller in mouse mode.
You dont even need the plastic bottom piece on the controller for browsing, just take the right controller off and put it in mouse mode.
For me, this is the biggest reason why I picked it over the ROG Ally and why I use it every day, while my Steam Deck used to collect dust most of the time.
Sure, it isn't for everyone and If you only want it for gaming, then there might be better choices, but as a gaming and mini desktop combo it's unbeatable.
In hindsight, I should've waited for the Legion Go, but I've been wanting a handheld PC for a while so bought the Ally a few months ago because Steam Deck hasn't even officially released in my country yet today. Though I'm glad I picked the Ally over Steam Deck because I think it's more versatile with Windows as its native OS.
yea right.. "documentaries" before sleep.. :P
I had the Ally and loved the design and form factor, but then I traded it for the Lenovo Go and I couldn’t be happier as the screen is fantastic, now I can read the subtitles / HUD and the extra features worth the difference. Now Lenovo has a great hardware but they lack the software. I hope they get it right fast and one important thing is TO LIMIT THE CHARGING to 80%!!!
Ewww
@@Gril018😂😂😂 I rolled my eyes when I read that part.
Thanks for an amazing thorough review of all the devices. This really helped me decide which one to buy :)
what shampoo do u use
Still no response, what is he hiding
Might be blow drying for that bounce
Also conditioner with cold rinse off to prevent frizz I bet
Gaben's tears
I don’t think he showers. Look at him
On the non gaming side, I am using this thing without controllers as a nearly pocketable PC. Streaming movies, games and even some photo editing on site- it sits right in my camera bag. I am running a super lean version of LTSC and it has been AMAZING on power and thermals. I know I'm not the usual use case, but I think this thing has killer value. Honestly, I think if companies just started making these units without controllers and a little more ram they would be really compelling. it's a killer experience with some travel sized bluetooth peripherals. Even the fact that I can get a whole lot more out of it with a portable 100w battery is amazing.
Excuse my ignorance but LTSC ?
@@Gatorade69 Windows 10- long term service... chain? It's similar to iot. I have been seeing massive gains in stability, loading time, battery, etc.
@@Gatorade69
It's Windows 10 without any bloat (Windows store etc, games, ads) and minimal telemetry that can be disabled (mostly? all?), been running it for a year now, love it :P.
@@JereHakala Ahh. Thank you guys. So kind of like Tiny11 ? I've been thinking about trying Tiny11 (I actually like the UI of 11 better than 10) but heard it doesn't have some services that some games depend on. I've always tried to declutter my windows installs.
How do u install windows 10 ltsc?????
As the proud owner of the Leigon Go since day 1, I can say for certain that it's a strong showing from Lenovo for their first handheld gaming PC. While the 1600p display doesn't make sense for most modern resource intensive titles, it makes for an excellent multimedia experience when paired with the large screen size. I will concede that the thermal management could be more nuanced, with the fan speeds ramping up and down depending on the mode and TDP settings. Overall, I'd consider the Leogon Go a great companion device for someone with a dedicated PC gaming setup in lieu of a traditional gaming laptop.
Definitely agreed on the usefulness of the display for media! Just general desktop use/web browser use is a lot nicer with it and it's obviously not as intensive as games, so makes more sense. Thanks for sharing as an owner as well! Helps a lot to read those reports!
Yeah, I would choose this over the others if gaming isn't your sole focus.
The larger screen and addition of the always handy "mouse" to keep fingerprints off the screen when web browsing or watching videos is a plus to me.
I'm not a heavy gamer, so I'd buy this for it's usefulness as a portable PC.
I'd argue that it's also preferable for people without a gaming PC as well, perhaps even more so. It works so much better for all-around usage than the competing handhelds, even if it's slightly worse at its primary objective. If I had to pick a single device for all my PC needs, rather than just for gaming on the go, Legion Go would be top of my list.
I chose the legion go as a compromise between buying a laptop and a steamdeck. It's decent as both. Esp with a portable keyboard.
Sadly it is not possible to activate VRR on external displays. I use Asus ROG Ally and LG TV (120Hz, HDMI 2.1 VRR, Freesync, G-Sync). All docking stations on Amazon only support HDMI 2.0 without VRR. When I connect ROG Ally to HDMI 2.0 docking station whole VRR section in Windows is disabled
This review is so damn good. Love the amount of detail y'all put in! Great stuff
My case made another appearance! Love it.
I've had a Go since launch day back in October and I've been loving it. It's outright replaced my 2018 iPad Pro for all I used it for. I have a very odd use case where I use it alongside my MacBook while not at home, and use it as a tablet on steroids and other hard substances. It rips any mobile game I throw at it, and when it comes to joining my mates on some Helldivers 2 or Destiny 2 (or even just some solo Forza Horizon 5), dropping the screen resolution down to 800p and not expecting it to reach the 144hz that the screen to run at, it's a lovely experience and wildly outperforms anything my MacBook could dream of achieving without an EGPU.
Yes, the screen is massive in comparison to other handhelds, but if you view at as a medium sized Windows tablet with an Xbox controller (AND MOUSE) glued onto the side, nothing comes close to being as "fun" to use. The Z1 NON extreme would make sense to me on a device like this. Ship it without the controllers and market it as a Window Tablet rather than a Gaming Handheld and I'm sure it'll be fine.
I have had many an issue with the software over the time of owning it. From the controllers disconnecting when wireless, to the screen refusing to change resolutions, or as outlined in this video, the performance modes being completely out of line with what is being told. I have not seen the "quiet" mode be quite so awful, however. (There used to be a "balanced" mode, where did this go?) I was honestly shocked to see the device crippled so hard by itself in the video. I would love to see where Lenovo goes with the software, as it has already had some huge quality of life improvements over the few months I've owned it. I have been debating on throwing Arch Linux on it just to be rid of all the Windows related problems that come with... well... Windows. Sometimes after tapping "shutdown" it would NOT shut down, and instead I would have to hold the power button, which I always find scary!
It's a tinkerers device at heart - as I see with all handhelds. All of them are wonderful, and it is lovely to see a new market where competition can rise. While the Go is a device I can very much recommend from a owners perspective, the fan noise, the software and overall lack of polished feel is something I would hope to see improved in a second revision.
Thanks for reading! Any questions regarding the Legion Go I'll try to respond to them if you're looking to purchase :)
Really useful comment, thanks. I'm not buying now, but for sure keeping my eyes open on the arch linux compatibility, with these more proprietary designs I'm always wary of linux compatibility
how about its battery life when using it for let say microsoft office?
@@Bradz911 Cannot say its a workflow I've tried as I've solely been using it for gaming. But I can imagine it's pretty good. Drop the TDP down and set the display to 60hz and I can imagine you can see upwards of 3-4 maybe even 5 hours.
THANK YOU for being the first people to finally give this thing a proper review (yeah I’m looking at you LTT). Absolutely love the incredible time and detail you guys put into everything
There's been a few other good reviews of the device, Taki Udon does decent reviews on almost ALL handhelds but definitely not this in depth as he doesn't really have the testing capabilities of GN.
LTT isn't a serious contender in the review space any more. I unsubscribed some time ago.
LTT hasn't ever been a proper review site (with some exceptions for good employees who never stay). It's just videos of a clown who has half the tech knowledge he claims, running around making things worse, not better.
Looking at LTT for a proper review, is like looking at Uranus expecting to see the Sun.
Wow, had to scroll one whole page for the LTT bashing this time, the great GN "community" strikes again...
I used my Legion Go for hours yesterday in my car, playing Last Epoch on medium graphics at full resolution. it was demanding enough to pull the framerates down into the high 20s. I never heard fan noise like what you showed.
Finally a legion go review from GN. Thanks.
Bought one few months ago, just because of the detachable controllers.
How do you like it after a few months? I’m looking into getting one
@@malcolmrff it works ok, i really like the controllers.
Overall very versatile, in home plug in to tv and sit on couch with the detached controllers, in office plug in to monitor keyboard and mouse and detach the controllers become dual screen office setup, outside just use the default setup become handheld.
If you really want a handheld and not in urgent, I suggest you to wait for one or two more generations, coz of the specs. But if you're fine with the specs and other things said in the video then go for it.
@@liangzxfor a first gen its pretty good
Great in-depth testing I love from this channel. I have the Legion Go and a Steam Deck LCD. Purely from a perspective of "which one do I want to pick up and play the most" the legion Go has won in our house for a couple of reasons. That screen size is absolutely perfect. We still use it portably fine, but especially for me with aging eye sight the 7" screens are just getting a little bit small. As a test, I gave my 5 year old the Legion Go to play, and he played fine for about 30-40 mins without complaining about weight although his reach on the controls might have hindered competitive games, he's 5 so its a non-issue. I feel like all the issues raised are true though the majority can and probably will be fixed with software updates and Lenovo have publicly shared the fans are being looked at for a potential future better option. However even with the "quirks" I found the experience of the screen overrode them and I just wanted to pick up and play that more... so much so I replaced the steam deck with a second Go as its hard to share with my older son.
The one anecdotal downside I can say comparing the deck to the go, is that I do sense the battery life being an issue. For most games I run performance mode and drop to balanced when I can get away with it but I feel like I get much less battery game time compared to playing games on the deck. This isn't a scientific test just how I feel using both devices. However getting 50-60fps relatively stutter free RDR2 compared to around 40fps on the deck feels like a good trade off and can be mitigated with relatively inexpensive power bricks which we usually carry on trips anyway.
As a final note, a Product Manager from Lenovo working on the Go has been regularly posting and taking community feedback from the unofficial Legion Go channel on reddit. Steam are notoriously fast and great at getting brilliant updates out, Lenovo have been a bit slow but their transparency and willingness to work with real users is something I rarely ever see from other organisations which gives me great confidence in the future of the product
@@catch82 Agreed, I think they got it right prioritising the screen as it contributes so much to the experience and once you've invested in the hardware its expensive to change.
The steam deck was better to hold no doubt but in its case it was still bulky so not ideal for throwing in my work bag. Both are fine if I'm taking luggage on a plane for example. The steam deck is a great machine too and as a mid 40 year old who grew up PC gaming I'm still in awe any of what these handhelds can do. As a busy adult it means I can actually get back into more casual gaming
For just doing light games like Vampire Survivors the Legion Go loses out imo. For portable use, the battery life on the Deck has been stellar along with having excellent standby/sleep behavior for single player games. Armored Core 6 and Baldurs Gate 3 definitely gives the edge to the Legion Go. And the black magic Valve did to get HDR working on SteamOS works way better then trying to do it on windows on either a desktop or handheld in my experience. The Steamdeck OLED has much better speakers, mostly due to being forward facing rather then top facing so its nice for watching videos without headphones.
@@4RT1LL3RY yep I think valve have done an amazing job on the battery life and portability. The fact you can tap the power button and it’ll sleep properly too is great. That is another downside of the Go that sleep is only really suitable for very short periods. The experience of the deck is great, I nearly bought the OLED.
But I found having both the LCD and the legion in the house I just preferred to pick up the legion. If I gamed more I’d probably get the OLED as well and have both for different things
@@4RT1LL3RY yep I think valve have done an amazing job on the battery life and portability. The fact you can tap the power button and it’ll sleep properly too is great. That is another downside of the Go that sleep is only really suitable for very short periods. The experience of the deck is great, I nearly bought the OLED.
But I found having both the LCD and the legion in the house I just preferred to pick up the legion. If I gamed more I’d probably get the OLED as well and have both for different things
Samesies - it's primarily the screen that makes the Go work for me where the Deck just didn't quite do it. BG3 being a good example game where it tipped the balance from "I don't really wanna play it on this screen" to "this is just about big enough to play it"
I gotta say, this is probably the review I've been waiting for the most. Legion Go has always struck me as the coolest concept on the handheld market, and I've been pretty tempted to grab one for that reason alone, at least after the initial issues have been addressed. Excited to see if the execution hold up.
They are actively working on updates. They have an actual project lead engaging with the community to help them identify and prioritize issues and features.
The latest updates and BIOS do a lot to address some of the problems. And soon full true custom TDP settings are coming. More than a simple TDP slider, which for those with the know-how, should be able to tweak the CPU/GPU balance for better performance.
onexplayer 1s and onexplayer x1
As an ex-Steam Deck owner & current Legion Go owner, I can say I made the switch primarily because of all the novel features Lenovo added over the Deck & Ally, & I'm happy with it after an initial period of getting used to the less smooth parts of the Go experience...
@@hokayson6518I need to know which display looks better, I'm planning on getting one to play indie games locally and stream ps5 games on it. Which screen would look nicer? On one hand SD has that OLED and HDR but go has a beautiful large screen that is neither OLED nor has HDR. It's not possible for me to try these out based on my location so I'm depending on the opinions of others. I've seen that a lot of gamers swear by OLED.
@@naavidmorshed5516 I'd say there's no argument that the Deck's OLED display looks better, but the Go's display is just bigger. For me personally I would still rather the Go's display over the OLEDs because that extra size is more worth it to me, you can just see things like UI elements that little bit better when they're a little bit bigger. I think most people would say go OLED Deck for your use case though, especially if it's cheaper. That said, I'm not sure how easy it is to stream PS5 games to a Deck? Maybe you want full Windows compatibility for something like that
I’m glad you guys are jumping on developing testing methodologies for handheld PCs. It looks to be an expanding market so there will likely be more hardware coming.
I love that you use the metric system in your videos. 🙏🏻
It’s just easier to use metric when Yelling at friends while you’re under the hood. saying “YO TOSS ME AN EIGHT MIL” is a lot easier than “GET ME A FIVE SIXTHTEENTHS!” 😂
Metric is so much better. You can do anything in either, but metric makes so much simpler
Would be ironic for a tech channel to use ye olde cave dweller measures
@@BootchairIronically in plumbing, especially with duct diameters, Europe uses Imperial. So we still have these awkward exchanges.
Fr
I purchased one at the end of last year and it's been a game changer. I love my Legion Go. Software is probably the biggest area for improvement personally but they have been making steady improvements with good feedback to the community for months.
Though I am a desktop user and haven't owned a handheld since the original Gameboy, I do follow the market closely. I'm continuously blown away by the consistent performance of the Steam Deck, especially the OLED. Even though it's getting a little long in the tooth, I'd still choose a Deck OLED over any other handheld currently on the market. Valve did a wonderful job with the refresh.
yeah framepacing is king in gaming imo and these charts show the deck trouncing the competition in that department. I do wonder how a debloated windows (like LTSC) would fare in comparison
The Nuc DECK
Yeah the Deck OLED came just in time to keep the Deck relevant. It may still have the same lower performance as before (actually slightly faster than the LCD version though, I hear), but the bigger battery, better lower TDP performance, frame times, and not to mention the OLED display and other improvements really help made it stay an attractive option.
I'm still happy with my Legion Go, though, and will likely be sticking to Windows-based handhelds because I want a device I can also use for work and such.
@@M_CFV Hey I am planning to buy the legion go and play it with 4 people in the same legion go with ps5 controllers, is that possible?
Yeah if you cam do it on PC you can on any of these windows devices
Best part of the Steam Deck (and the reason I can't consider alternatives, for the time being) is the insane amount of IO and super easy and powerful mapping capabilities. The Gyro, Gyro options, pads, custom behaviors, etc are insanely powerful and what makes the device actually usable for practically all titles.
next LeGo update is supposed be big on this regard , they have been working on customization hard and next OTA should bring it
Sold my Steam Deck for the Legion Go. Never could fully enjoy it, especially desktop mode. Bought the Legion Go and having a blast with it :)
@@brandont7214 i guess depends how and what one plays .... but well i am already way too deep into this rabbithole while owning both Go, Deck and bunch of chinese emulation consoles
I wouldn’t even consider getting a handheld with inverted joysticks, it was the worst thing about playing on the switch; I love the Xbox controller, but hate the inverted layout on a tiny handheld, it’s just painful to hold. The steam deck is just as comfortable as a Xbox or PlayStation controller
@@brandont7214
I was thinking to do this i currently have steam deck lcd 256gb but its really bother me especially cus i like to try cracked games if i like it i buy it but the process in the steam deck in freaking annoying also i love to play online games fortnite and pubg but the deck wont let my i was intended to buy a external ssd to run windows but still extra weight and cant charge it while play but i said to my self why bother just buy a new window baisd device would i love upgrading to the legion go especially that my money is so limited any thoughts ?
I have a Legion Go and I love it. Specially when I’ve got a Lenovo dock that supports 4k @ 60hz and it becomes a gaming pc! Maybe it can’t run the most demanding AAA games at full graphics but you can get decent performance in most casual games.
i have had the SD, Ally and now go. and i can honestly say the go is amazing and loving it
I'm so glad I get the info I'm actually interested in from gn now instead of ltt. Way more Intuitive and efficient. Thank you!
LTT is a joke. If you haven't seen GN's expose on them you should watch it.
What ya gonna buy
@@jeffp.6349 well I wanted the legion go for docking but I'm not so sure anymore cause of the frame consistency. Might wait to see lenovos second gen. In the meantime ide probably go with the ally.
@PotatoflakeJake I'm picking up my Go today, 2 week return window is mainly why I'm trying it.
I feel like since it's new tech buying any of these devices is kind of settling for a much inferior product opposed to what's to develop in the probably near future
@@jeffp.6349 for sure. They all seem like they would be cool to have no matter
my town just got a microcenter!!!
Awesome! We're still waiting for our new one to open up. Closest is still far away!
@@GamersNexusI complain about mine being 1 to 1.5 hours away but still in the same state. I can't imagine how far yours is in Australia!
@@damunzy Australia? They are NC afaik. edit - p.s I'm English, but Steve's accent is no way Aussie.
I hope they come to Vegas soon!
He's confused with bizarro Steve from HU! 😂
The review I been waiting for!
On paper the Legion Go is what I have been waiting for in the handheld pc market.
Time to see if it lives up to my expectations.
I bet it eats through the battery like a shark
Owned one since early December, sold my OG steam deck, have not regretted it for a second. I got to try out an Ally for a while too and was severely underwhelmed by the screen and joystick feel. In my books, Legion Go is the winner.
@@SoravielYup most certainly will. Just need to to last for 2hrs min of 100% gaming
for some reason i heard alot of people buying it and returning few days later it because they didnt liked it, as you say, on paper, but reality seems to be very different
@@shortanimationz I only had a chance to try out the Ally and I hated the joysticks so much, they just feel too light to me. I was wondering how does it compare to the Go, as I love the concept of it, and design much more.
This video has come at the PERFECT time for me! Thanks
NOICE!!!!Still happy with my Extreme Ally :D Was Interesting to see how this one compared to the rest. Great review as always
Go is the best, this review isn't very accurate on some points
@@supac1correct, the lack of VRR on the go is one example, alongside low frame rate compensation
@@spiral-blades752but go doesn't have vrr and they said it?
Go cant outperform ally and ally actually looks good. Go is just rushed, button layout is crap. I saw another video of guy saying how terrible button layout was. Ally all day long over go
@@cyjanek7818yeah the Go pretty much outperforms the ally in every aspect.
I’ve seen a Legion Go in person at a Microcenter and it has a gorgeous screen. If I didn’t already have a steam deck it would be tempting except for the $800 price tag. The steam deck really does hit that sweet spot between performance and price, at least in my opinion.
For 15 watts, The Steam Deck OLED is a monster. Also, that Lenovo GO fan noise sounds like a damn hurricane in your hands.
tbh i want one of those but the noise, i dont want that, my desktop pcs are dead silent, only psus make noise and i cant find better fans for those
i hope they can improve power consumption and go fanless eventually
Because they boosted and matched the volume for those sound comparisons, there's a lot of extra static on all the devices that you don't hear in person.
The 100% fan speed is overkill, but the defaults are fine, & it got custom fan curves recently that may not have been available when they started testing.
The fan noise isn't actually that bad in use. I was concerned it would be significantly worse than the Ally which can divide the load over two fans, but the larger fan in the GO trends to a lower frequency sound profile. So it really isn't any worse, not significantly anyway.
It is noticeable when the device is under heavy load, but is a bit like a small desk fan on low. People close by should be able to ignore it without issue.
Full speed fan is ridiculous though... And it really isn't needed. While I typically like to keep the thermals down on my desktop, a mobile device hitting the mid 70s isn't bad.
it doesn't. the vid is an exaggeration.
But the steam deck uses a proprietary OS that locks you down 😂
I am happy for the handheld PC market. Got my ROG ally (used) 3 days ago and I love it so far. I like windows on my handheld but understand that some people don't like the first big setup process.
Microsoft said that Windows will be more optimized for handheld devices soon
Hey what about the sd card slot on ally did it get hot when you play
@user-kc4uz4uy8v the port is near one of the exhaust ports. I've personally never had a problem with mine, but I know some people have. However, I'd never run a modern game from an SDcard, I just use it to transfer files.
I upgraded the SSD in my Ally for more space.
Dude I laughed out loud when the jet engine acoustic issues joke hit in the intro 😆 that was so aggressive
Thats the most detailed review I've seen to date of popular handhelds. Thank you for this vid.
The funny thing about them saying "this is not a joystick" is that on a soft surface without the puck it can totally function like a joystick. I was playing an FPS game in bed and realized how well it worked like a hotas when the "mouse pad" was my mattress 😅
we need something 3d printed to transform it in a hotas :D
That sounds like the ultimate comfy gaming experience
Im getting the legion go. Ty for this extrnely helpful comparison vidoe.
Absolutely what amazing and thorough review we needed.
I found it quite interesting to see the latency differences and the 1% lows. Many other videos I’ve seen comparing the ally to the llg usually never even come close to giving this type of attention or notability to them. These things matter massively to fps players and anyone who’s playing online games too. I am extremely interested to see how the claw stacks up with latency and 1% lows….. I’m hopeful for sure. ❤
This turned me a complete 180 on my thoughts of the Legion GO, really liked the thought of its creativity and such but clearly has much work to be done. Excited to see how they handle it over time through updates. Great video looking forward to more handhelds!
It tried too hard to be a jack of all trades and in the end it doesn't really excell at anything of matter for a handheld device like battery or software. If you want more power just shell out 2K+$ and get the real deal. Sounds good on paper and too good to be true : ( But if they keep improving their devices I'm interested and I'd totally be ready to spend more money on it, but it would have to deliver.
Which bits put you off out of interest? I switched from Deck to Go & I definitely had gripes! But after a week or so I learned how to work around most of them & now I love the Go. It's not perfect, but it's what I want from a handheld - decent enough handheld gaming performance, lovely huge high refresh screen, full Windows functionality & eGPU support.
@@hokayson6518I own a steamdeck and I don't think anything could pull me completely off it. I just was interested in its (the Go) innovation but my gripe is honestly with all the workarounds and little things, the not so stable performance. I use my deck and the games I play require no work except maybe turning on proton which is like a toggle essentially so personally I'm settled anyways. I just like the idea of the Go and I hope they don't give up and continue to work at this form of PC handheld.
@@yourstatistacs ok fair enough, I definitely can't argue against the Deck being the easiest to use. Assuming you don't want to play Game Pass games 😉 I think for my use cases & games, both were equally annoying, just in different ways, so the big screen won me over.
@@hokayson6518I only stream gamepass games, so it'd work for me!
The Legion Go has become my go to (pun intended) computer. It's a great tablet. I run it at home most of the time with a monitor (or 2) connected, mouse and keyboard...then take the whole thing with me in a sling bag. I love it...I'll probably add a EGPU for extensive gaming, and run it as is for simple gaming.
This is my first video watching your channel. You guys really know your stuff. Subscribed
It would have been interesting to see how the go and Ally perform with one of the more popular linux SteamOS versions, and then trying things like the latency and frame time to see if its a windows or hardware issue. Its a shame HoloISO doesn't support them, or at least didn't last I checked, as that would have been a great near apples to apples test.
got mine last week, I love it. been using it for programming and office stuff because why not
Finally. Love my Legion Go for emulation.
I love the Legion Go's USB4 port, gives it great potential for docking with an eGPU for desktop performance.
But I prefer the Steam Deck OS & screen..
@@Patrick-y4d1z I swapped an M-ATX case in my sitting room for it, so it's mostly plugged in. Such a space saver. And it does have a very nice screen considering its not oled
Nice work on the updated graph/chart visuals. Looks crisp!
26:18 Wow. I see some truly complex testing equipment. It must've cost you a fortune.
Thanks for reviewing this. I was looking at the Go recently. Although at size that no longer are pocket-able. (I can easily fit the Switch OLED on my pockets most times) If I'll need a bag we're getting into laptop territory.
Could always detach the controllers and carry separately?
@ElBear-bq8nf Separately? I'd never put electronics on my back pocket. Right front caries my keys, which is usually 11 keys and a couple Keychain. And left for the phone which is big. If I think I'll have a use for I'll move phone to the right and carry the Switch on the left, used to be my old tablet, a Shield K1, new is Samsung, too big, never take it with my anywhere. I even bought a Switch bag, never use it. En up always using my bigger bagpack, had slot for a laptop, so I can throw the Tab or Switch, and since I'm already carrying something I throw battery bank, flash lights, cables Swiss blade tool, etc.
I either carry a bunch of things if I can. Or only what fits in my pockets as is. Go happens to be on a bad spot for me. Between size and price I'd go for a laptop. Tho if I already had a laptop it would make a great dedicated gaming device.
I have a gaming PC and when I go out I won't have time to play seriously. It's not like I'll be continuing what I had on my desktop. I'd have to adjust my lifestyle to justify its purchase. Maybe the dedicated light games PC. No need to boot the desktop to play something like Tomb Raider Remaster.
But of the mobile gaming PC console things. The Legion Go and the Ayaneo Slide are my favorites design. Wish I could just collect them. But the economy isn't any good for that.
I had a steam deck but my dad bought me a Go because he thought it looked cool. Gotta say i havent even touched my Deck since I got the Go. The bigger screen is SUCH a luxury aling with the ability to stream shows and watch youtube easily as opposed to the deck. Its not as polished as the Deck but man its still a wonderful piece of hardware
As a nintendo switch owner, I can attest to the fact that single joycon mode is reserved for when you have nothing else to hand to a friend, or the game demands that you do.
Yesss!! Thanks Steve for another banger on handheld gaming
From someone who’s owned both the ROG Ally and the Legion Go, the Go is just a much better device. Basically same performance, Detachable controllers with actual grip, kickstand, fps mode, bigger screen, higher refresh rate, higher resolution (although pointless for gaming), better battery life, two usb-c ports, 1tb option, and it comes with a case. It’s just a better piece of tech. The Ally feels like a toy in comparison. Also this review did not mention the melting of the SD card reader on the Ally, which is why I sold mine after waiting 3 weeks for Asus to repair it.
Nah, the higher resolution is usable using FSR or RSR.
Just set the game to run at 800p and allow the near perfect integer lossless upscaling to 1600p do its magic and the beautiful screen just light ups with almost OLED image quality.
This is very clear and informative, thank you.
I really like detached controllers and I really hope Lenovo will sell the controller separately someday. detached controllers are really nice when you have limited movement in you arms/wrists and holding to hands together on a normal controller can get uncomfortable quickly. My favorite controllers right now are the Wii U gamepad, the Steam Deck, the wiimote with nunchuck, and then the joycons in detached mode.
Always great to see more options in the handheld gaming PC space. Flaws and all, they brought a lot of innovation to the table with the legion go and it'll be really cool to see if they decide to follow up with a legion go 2 down the line learning from the mistakes of the first.
Honestly, it's the display is incredible in person. Got the chance to see one in person at microcenter the other day. It's no steam deck open, but it's really damn good looking and really makes the go tempting even just from a windows tablet perspective.
That "FPS mode" mouse is pretty handy looking, too bad it's kind of half baked...
It's a very clever idea! Hope they iterate on it.
I am an owner of the legion go
It works well for what it is, half baked is a pretty harsh statement if you ask me.
@@2009slmlmI also have a Legion Go. Everything about the device is half baked, and that’s the nice way of putting it.
@@reaperreaper5098 Like what, exactly?
@@StinkyGuff The grip on the controller. Back is pretty good, front bottoms dig into your palms.
Trackpad. Good that there's one, makes using Windows less of a hinderence. Location is pretty poor, I usually turn it off to avoid it reacting to my palm.
Back buttons. Currently, you can only bind them to standard Xbox face buttons. The Deck and Ally let you bind them to system commands, macros, and device specific features.
There's no Xbox guide button (Steam button equivalent) and no way to bind an Xbox guide button. If you're using Steam Big Picture Mode, you need to use the touchscreen or trackpad to access the central menu and can't access it at all in game.
Lenovo Space is laggy as hell. It lacks options to rebind the standard Xbox face buttons, only the back buttons.
The whole FPS mode for the controller: You've got a joystick jabbing into your hand and the angle the 'mouse' sits at is awkward as hell.
It has two USB ports. One's on the bottom and therefore not usable if you're using the kickstand for most of its adjustment.
The controllers are detachable. If they turn off while detached, you basically need to reattach them. They slide up on the device, which is an annoyance if you're using it on a table top.
You can adjust TDP on the fly with the Lenovo quick access panel button and up/down on the D-pad. You have to press BOTH buttons for every step you want to increase/decrease it.
And honestly, there's not much excuse for this. Lenovo is a late comer, there was already a pretty decent market, full of devices they could've learned from.
All things considered, the amount of refinement Valve put into the Deck OLED not only in its hardware but also in its custom software is an engineering marvel.
almost 40min GN video and my day instantly gets better :3
at least you can go and watch several hours more of videos made on the same topic until you feel obliged to buy something or everything you're shown...
@@InternetListener what
@@patpat1354what what?
Thank you ive been waiting for this video
Ayaneo would do so much better focusing on a couple of products and providing face plates or colour options as opposed to legitimately making 10 variations of the same mid-tier hand held over and over.
Handhelds are coming along, but still a little premature. I have no interest in participating in R&D for new devices. I'm excited to see what they will look like in the next 3-5 years.
Ayaneo is a dogshit company with horrible customer service.
Would be amazing if we could combine all the best strengths of each of these 3 into one.
The Legion Go’s screen size and resolution
Ally’s power, VRR and sound
Deck’s Steam OS, battery life and ergonomics
I sold my Steamdeck after getting the Ally. Its so much better if you know how to use it. I did try the Legion go and found it too heavy. For me the Ally is the best option.
Is the battery life as low as the video shows?
Great job. So good to have such good testing to rely on
How Do The Vents Smell
stew
Thank you for your thorough review, particularly the performance presets & charging times. Having spent a dozen or so hours with the Go, I have the following notes -
A) The back buttons are not natively recognized by games - and the Legion Space software by itself isn't able to assign keyboard macros. You need to use Handheld Companion software.
B) Use & activation of the gyro also requires Handheld Companion, its implementation being far from ideal vs. how Valve's SD expertly layers these controls live into the Steam OS
C) The joystick / front button placement on these controllers, particularly if you are also using index fingers on triggers, require a fair bit more thumb joint flexibility and endurance over a session than with the Deck's simple-yet-effective closer placement.. Combined with the extra weight & if you are resting the device down vs. suspending, it's a considerable work-out vs. the Deck OLED.
D) The Go's built-in speakers have a less-pleasing frequency output vs the Steam Deck.. and they face away from the user (!) so a person 6 feet away from you will actually hear the game better than the actual player.
Despite all, I love the Go. Deus Ex: Human Revolution @ native 1600p / ~80 fps is truly a Go sweet spot. A 65W power brick goes a long way.
I am delighted that I made the decision to purchase the Steam Deck OLED, as it offers a significantly enhanced experience compared to the first-generation model, which I respectfully sold.
It's just better suited for my Steam integration on my gaming PC being able to continue my progression.
OLED display is wonderful.
I’ve been waiting for this
What valve does with shader cache and excellent frame times and battery life is why I went for the steam deck and more recently the steam deck OLED
Use it every day
Been a supporter of your channel for a while now Steve. I literally cant watch anything from Linus and his team of fools making jokes every 2 min.
Makes me appreciate your content so much more. You guys are awesome 😎
Hey Steve. What's your personal favorite?
Not sure yet! For personal use outside of work, I'd need something a little smaller to better fit in my bag for travel (my bag already has a lot in it). That's why we just bought some smaller ones!
@GamersNexus do you have a favourite yet? Steam deck comes out in Aus in a few days and now I can't decide!
My inner perfectionist is screaming while looking at that
“Power-savin
g mode” 😱
Like for real, that’s your level of attention to details Lenovo?!
Great review, guys!👍🏻
Overall, I’m really happy to see this handheld PC market finally getting more and more options!
I really hope in a few years we can get powerful enough mobile chips to be able to play most of new-ish games at 720p60 mid or high settings without any bs like FSR or anything like that🤞🏻
I've watched like 20 videos now and still cant Decide what to buy..... either Rog ally or Legion Go ... please help me
Im stuck as well especially since a new one is coming out
@@loitersquadX I decided to wait for Lenovo legion go 2
Those are rookie numbers. I've watched all of the videos and still can't decide.
Jokes aside, I want to buy Legion Go. But, Rog Ally is cheaper and has working AMD fluid motion frames which can significantly increase your framerate.
In conclusion, I think it's best to wait some more.
I am stuck between the Go and Deck Oled, but think of getting the Go because it is cheaper than the Oled and on a much bigger sale now saving me around R3k (my currency is ZAR, Rand).
@@McSmurfyIf you cant get Legion Go for under 550 $/Eur, better wait for more upcoming competition (Ally X, Claw 2, Zotac etc.) to bring down the prices.
Thank you guys for the awesome work! Love to watch it!💜
I love what an indictment against mobile games these handhelds represent. People would rather spend an additional $600+ just to play games not on a phone.
I'm not sure about that. The entire PC handheld market right now is probably about 5 million units large (3 million Steam Decks, and generously 2 million other devices). The mobile gaming population, as of 2021, is reported to be 2.6 billion.
That said, it would be fascinating to compare sales of these handhelds with mobile gamepads, especially telescopic ones. I think that's a much more comparable audience.
@@HunterTracksoh no doubt that the profit of the mobile industry is there, the quality of single player or non-profit driven games is lacking outside of old PC ports. So why not play the real thing in the go.
@@cassavepiece Because it's $400+ dollars to do so and most people aren't actually on the go that often, at least not in a way that allows you to pull out a Steam Deck and start playing. The large reason for the current success of the handhelds, I think, is less their on the go capability and moreso the fact that they provide a fairly approachable and relatively affordable entry into the PC space.
Lenovo Legion Go, Steam Deck and Rog ally can't beat the Smartphone market.
Mobile is the biggest Market cause it is the REAL handheld and pocketable. That's the whole purpose of mobile.
@@QuantumChrist I'm not talking candy crush. I'm talking like that mobile blizzard game everyone was upset about a few years ago. Or forknife.
And I'm not saying everyone is going to buy this. But the people who can, absolutely do in a lot of cases. Like it isn't eating into mobile gaming. I'm just saying that people jump at alternatives because mobile gaming low-key sucks.
What strikes me most about the Legion Go is how it is priced similarly to the iPad Mini but has twice the storage, bundled controllers, and kickstand along with an arguably better work / gaming machine when paired with a keyboard and mouse.
Perfect timing! I'm looking at the Onexfly
Maybe we should take a look at Onex!
@@GamersNexusplease do. Im a Business traveler who lives on planes. My use case is small and powerful because I want to use an xreal AR glasses.
Thank you for the honest info, I am still grabbing one but good to know what it will be like
Hi @Gamers Nexus, a really nicely made video from how you test, and how much effort you put into it, BUT A REAL PITY your setting of the Legion Go WHEREN'T CORRECT for comparison with the Ally: (even though I understand it is not easy to know, if you just pick it up for testing and weren't following all tweaks since it's release)
-> You need to set the Go to Performance TDP mode and to efficiency system mode to achieve the best results in most games, even at 30 Watts TDP mode. As otherwise the CPU part of the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip is getting to much power (and it is already the stronger part of the chip and a great CPU for on the Go) and the GPU (the weaker part of the chip in comparison) is getting too less power and therefore you can loose up to 30% performance depending on how GPU dependent a Game is. (For less genres like real time strategy and other games with many things to calculate at once your settings would have been fine, but for the wast majority of games you are always getting about 10 to 30% decrease in performance that way)
For a comparisons at 15 Watts or lower you need to also switch the RAM performance to 6200 MHz in the BIOS to let the Go perform better, as otherwise with the standard 7500 MHz settings the memory uses too much power and really performs worse... -> Hard to believe, but I tried it out myself and it really makes a difference!
Also the game performance always depends on the VRAM settings you use, and set up in the BIOS. Most games perform best with 6 GB VRAM (default setting is 4 GB), as it counts as a sweet spot, though there are games which work even better with AUTO VRAM mode, if they support it/just work fine with it (with others it can lead to worse performance the 6GB RAM) and a few even run better with 4GB or 8GB setting (but way less then with 6 GB).
Of course it is hard to consider all VRAM settings in a comparison (even for just a few games tested) and I wouldn't expect you to cover even that making to much effort - being a hobby RUclipsr myself I know what I'm talking about. But for the TDP/System Settings, that makes an essencial difference, and you complaining about other channels not doing their homework, I sincerely would have expected this from you(even if it is hard to know, as I really trust in your channel and your knowledge and see you guys as my favourite English speaking channel for reliability. The RAM speeds settings change, would have only made sense, if you would have also made a comparison of 15 Watts or below (probably it takes effect at about 20 to 18 Watts already) of course.
I'm using the Legion Go since the first day and am an active part of the official Legion Go Group community, and I'm exactly knowing what I'm talking about, as I did several tests with the Go evolving myself. I would also recommend you to use the BIOS Beta 29.1 or 31 which can be downloaded from there too, as from 29.1 on the custom TDP settings work better, even though the developer team still only implemented the first step for it to get more precise, and tgere are still two others to go.
I know you guys are really busy with many videos, but if you could make it to do a retest of the Legion Go with proper settings, as I described I would definetly consider to support you also on patreon or with a channel membership, as your current values don't reflect what the Go can really do and it is a pity for so many people following your channel to be not able to know what this great device is capable of for real.
How is the Go performing now, two months later? Has it improved at all?
...
@@lucasperi2197 Not really, they released a new graphics card driver finally, but it is about 3 months old and already outdated at release...
Generally almost all games are running, so it performs quite well... Just the lack of the newest drivers is a real pity...
Legion Go is trash, looks good on paper but is so inconsistent at gaming and laggy af. The specs tricked me into buying it but this thing is horrible. Literally have to buy a standalone program from Steam to get it to run decently. Definitely not worth 700 bucks
I needed this review, thanks guys
The steam deck is so good in the lows it's the most stable of all of theses, the vangogh apu really deserves it's name.
Yeah it may not reach the highs of the others but it seriously has the most consistent framerate.
Valve did S tier job on steamdeck. I dont give a fuck about the this and thats of the other handhelds. All of them are just tryna compete with steamdeck by adding and showing off features that the hardware cant even make proper use of giving the thermal and power limitations of these devices. Its actually wild how good steamdeck is.
800p doesn’t even phase me, the HDR on this thing is incredible.
I only play using the lows to save battery... anything above black screen...
@@RoachDogggJR All of them are crap.. there are reasons why PC exists
I love your handheld reviews.
after testing the 3 I chose the LEGION GO just because of how much stuff it has on it, the screen and controllers each have GYRO, the screen is quite big and perfectly aligns to 800p, the kickstand and 2 USB-C make it the most versatile with a tiny dongle and FPS mode is genuinely a system seller for me just for some RTS games
biggest problem is they all are still trying to figure software out, the gyros barely even work for example, so the STEAM DECK is still the better purchase for the vast majority
hopefully we can revisit all 3 devices in a combo video by November when all their quirks get better
according to THE PHAWX, GPD has the best tuneup for the RYZEN chipsets, so I recommend checking out the GPD WIN MINI instead of the AYA NEO FLIP since you are already getting a different AYA NEO
I had the OG Steam Deck, and own the Deck OLED and the Ally. I was going to sell my Ally and get the Ally X for the battery and more RAM, but I decided to try the Legion Go on a whim. Got an open box model and in the first two days I loved using it more than the Ally.
Update: I still got the Ally X and sold my OG Ally 😂
Ally z1e or legion go , what’s ur pick ? I’m on the same boat I like the ally but the bigger screen in LeGo +
Let's be real....who actually plays AAA games on any of these without it plugged into the wall??....especially if u care about performance
Great overview! One thing that was missed - I think: the thunderbolt connectivity options for external graphics cards. If I understood correctly, the Ally only allows for specific Asus hardware while the Legion go is completely flexible here. Maybe that info could be added?
I love my Asus ROG Ally - fastest handheld ever + Game Pass support. More than 70 fps in Starfield on medium details at 1080p with FSR 3.0 Performance with frame generation. It is really nice that big companies like Asus, MSI and Lenovo created own Windows handhelds.
FYI: To use your right thumbstick as a mouse pointer just like the Ally does, go to Steam settings and enable desktop controller input. The sensitivity is a bit wack, so adjust it accordingly in Legion Space or Steam. Use your main L/R triggers as Left/Right mouse. Steam has to be running, so either touchscreen/touchpad it at bootup or have it in your startup apps in the background. GL!!
Sold my Steam Deck. Just got a Legion Go yesterday.
It's BEAUTIFUL.
Steam deck is better, it last longer. I would say you downgraded. As a 4070ti owner im chosing steam deck.
I say be happy with your purchase at the end this is a new frontier for us all
L
Don’t listen to immature people who can’t accept others have different experiences from them. I’m happy for you!!!!!
@@darkslaerdarkthe fuck does have to do your DESKTOP graphics card with a handheld device?
Even using it as an eGPU it is completely irrelevant to the discussion.
I got my eye on one of these for my birthday next week. I'll have to upgrade its internal hard drive - got a 2TB one small enough to fit in it on the way - so I'm looking forward to it.
So, do you like it?
Just get a steam deck and you’ll be totally fine and happy. Windows is complete ass on handhelds.
Ye I hope more competitors for the steam deck get released with better OS's for handhelds like steam OS
It’s ass on anything
About time there was a decent review of this. Having owned both the Steam Deck and Ally, I have touched neither since getting my paws on the Legion Go. I love it! Can't wait to see how the handheld spaces evolves over the coming years.
It's not a "limitation" that the Go controllers do not function individually. The Legion Go is not a toy like the Switch is. Nobody buying a $600 console wants to play a game with half a controller. This is 100% a non-issue and you spend FAR too much time talking about it.
Dude if ima watch ANYONE compare these its going to be these guys have the BEST most unbiased analysis!
Steam Deck will always win because of everything it stands for, openess by a company who cares about their product and consumers. Handheld PC's cannot rely on Windows because Microsoft does not give a flying floogy about third party hardware manufacturers. Valve's bet on Linux is paying off huge and in the future I have a very strong feeling that Linux is going to become the number 1 OS for customers who just want to play games for how light and uninvasive it is (as well as offering a powerful work space).
Valve stands for making money. Just like the others.
They're a huge part of the "you don't own any of these games" business model, with bannings from the service causing people to lose their entire purchased library.
The move to Linux isn't an ethical decision, it's a business decision. Corporations are not your friends, including Valve.
@@arglebargle5531true. I'm hoping GabeN is alive as long as me and I'm control of Valve so I don't see an even more money grabbing corp come in. Be cause it could be MUCH worse.
Oh for fucks sake, don't need the Linux bro worshiping Richard Stallman ideals speech to be involved in this.
Can't you Linux bros just shut up and allow people to just enjoy their games without all this ideological bullshit crapping all over the place?
Glad to see more of these things tested. Personally, I've had my eye on the GPD Win 4. Really wish that one had a screen like the new Deck though, higher refresh rate and OLED. I hope you guys get around to reviewing that one.
If possible, I would also like to see you guys try and setting up some of these alternative devices with an As-close-as-possible-to-SteamOS linux setup just to see if ditching windows helps the frame inconsistencies. Even if it ends up failing to do so or being a terrible user experience, I think it would be useful info since the discussion of the frame pacing issues always mentions Windows. People may hear that and be interested in trying to "resolve" the issue, so it might be cool to show how someone might do that, and why they should or shouldn't.
Steam deck ftw
Nope
Steam Deck regularly outperforms others at the same wattage, so whilst others can go harder it kills the battery.
I am confused if I should keep my order for the OLED deck now. I only care about unplugged gaming.
I can’t play cod on the deck tho :(
Gaming laptop ftw
I’m very happy with my Rog Ally that I picked up this week. Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is so much fun.
Thanks , I have legion go now , very good
Rog ally is king
Not anymore
unless you need customer service
Rog ally X for the win, Go doesn't even come close performance wise. Enjoy carrying your big screen TV around 😂
@@lorenzothomas2612enjoy the black screens and Asus QC issues.
I think in the bios of the deck u can change the charging setting, by default it won’t hit the full 100% quickly, but goes to 80% quickly then slowly tops out to preserve the battery, or somthing on those lines.
The masters of whining and complaining, this CH has turned into Doom and Gloom, lame, like complaining children when things aren't perfect in your eyes.
thats all they do tho. Trash channel
All your comments are complaining. Stop projecting and move on.
Wow! Now that is what i call an exhaustive review!
Much awaited review! The market is getting hot.
Excellent video, very informative. I'm curious about your testing methodology as I noticed a potential issue - the Ally's "performance" mode is 15 watts, while the Legion Go's "performance mode" is 30 watts. The best on-battery comparison here would be the Ally's 25-watt Turbo mode, to match the 30-watt output of the Legion Go on battery as near as possible without the unfair advantage of giving the Ally wall-power to hit 30 watts for a direct comparison. The fact that the Ally was posting framerates only a couple points lower at 15-watts versus the Legion at 30 watts seems worth mentioning here.