Day-after-day it appears like there’s a brand new handheld gaming PC hitting the market. However as an alternative of churning out one more Home windows-based rival for the Steam Deck, Lenovo is placing its spin on the class with the Legion Go. It combines top-notch efficiency with an enormous OLED show and borrows some design traits from the Nintendo Swap. The result’s a robust although considerably cumbersome $700 gaming machine that additionally presents some hidden tips.
Design and show: An XL gaming handheld
Packing a 2,560 x 1,600 8.8-inch OLED show, the Legion Go has one of many largest, if not the largest screens on any gaming handheld as we speak. However it’s not simply massive, as a result of with a 144Hz refresh charge, it’s somewhat speedy and because of a peak brightness of round 500 nits, it’s fairly vibrant too. This makes the panel a terrific centerpiece for Lenovo’s handheld. The one factor it’s lacking is full variable refresh charge assist (VRR).
Flanking its show are a pair of controllers that may be indifferent identical to with the Nintendo Swap. The 2 highlights are a built-in touchpad for easily mousing round Home windows and Corridor impact joysticks which can be only a contact extra responsive and correct than on ASUS’ ROG Ally or Valve’s Steam Deck. Elsewhere, the Legion Go options an Xbox-style button format complemented by 4 rear paddles and a kickstand so you may simply prop the system up when wanted.
The entire bundle feels somewhat sturdy even whenever you think about its detachable controllers (although detaching them does take slightly apply as they slide down and outwards as an alternative of up like on the Swap). You even get two USB-C ports (each of which assist USB 4), which is one than on its rivals, plus a microSD card slot for expandable storage. My two small gripes are that the touchpad doesn’t assist haptics or the power to press down on it. This implies you must carry out extra of a fast faucet to simulate a conventional left click on without having a simple shortcut for right-clicking. I additionally want the Legion Go had a fingerprint sensor just like the ROG Ally, as that may make unlocking the gadget sooner and simpler.
However that’s not all, as a result of on the underside of the precise controller, there’s a toggle that allows you to activate FPS mode. Once you flip this swap after which slot the controller into Lenovo’s bundled puck, it turns the controller right into a vertical mouse, at which level you may play FPS video games (therefore the title of the swap) with even better precision, assuming you’re into that form of factor. Nevertheless, for somebody like me who isn’t an enormous fan of shooters, I discover this setup is best merely for navigating via Home windows, particularly for anybody planning to hook this as much as an exterior monitor and keyboard and use it like a desktop. Lenovo even included slightly wheel on the precise controller so you may rapidly scroll via docs and internet pages.
The draw back to Lenovo’s XL-sized design is that because it weighs 1.88 kilos and measures 11.76 inches throughout, the Legion Go is noticeably bigger and bulkier than each the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck. That mentioned, none of the present crop of gaming handhelds are what I’d name pocketable, so that you’re nonetheless going to need to toss any of them in a separate bag for touring. And to Lenovo’s credit score, the Legion Go comes with a case that has a intelligent cutout that allows you to snake in an influence twine so you may cost it whereas it’s nestled safely inside. In the meantime, the ROG Ally doesn’t include at case in any respect.
Efficiency: Massive energy that wants some optimizing
The Legion Go is predicated on an AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive processor together with 16GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of storage. This is similar chip and quantity of reminiscence because the top-spec ROG Ally, and as you’d anticipate efficiency may be very comparable and about pretty much as good because it will get amongst present handheld gaming PCs. You’ll be able to play main AAA releases like Elden Ring and Starfield, although if you happen to’re lifeless set on hitting 60 fps, you will have to fiddle round with graphics settings.
Just like the ROG Ally, the Legion Go presents a spread of preset efficiency modes (Quiet, Balanced and Efficiency) and a customized setting that permits customers to pick out a TDP (thermal design energy) starting from 5 to 30 watts. The difficulty is that because the Legion Go was launched extra lately, Lenovo hasn’t had as a lot time as ASUS to refine its software program and drivers. Sadly, this meant that once I tried to benchmark each programs at 25 watts, I bumped into a problem the place framerates on the Legion Go fell far wanting expectations. After I reached out to Lenonvo, I used to be instructed this can be a recognized bug with the present software program construct and needs to be addressed in an upcoming patch. Fortunately, after I put in some beta drivers and a BIOS replace (that are anticipated to be formally launched someday within the coming weeks), framerates jumped again as much as ranges that matched the ROG Ally.
In Cyberpunk 2077 at 800p and medium settings with FSR set to Efficiency, at 15 watts the Legion Go hit 45 fps, primarily matching the ROG Ally’s 46 fps on the identical energy stage. And when set to 25 watts, each programs remained shut, with the Legion Go pulling forward barely with 74 fps versus 71 fps for the ASUS. Notably, Valve’s OLED Steam Deck beat each programs at 15 watts in Cyberpunk 2077, hitting 53 fps, although as a result of it doesn’t have the next energy setting, it nonetheless falls quick when it comes to total efficiency.
Software program: barebones however useful
One of many massive knocks in opposition to Home windows-based handhelds is that Microsoft’s OS nonetheless feels clunky whenever you’re not taking part in video games. That is nonetheless the case right here, although Lenovo tries to handle that with its Legion Area app, which serves as a one-stop store for tweaking efficiency, customizing the system’s RGB lighting or rapidly launching titles. It’s useful, nevertheless it additionally feels half-baked. Issues like efficiency modes aren’t correctly labeled, so there’s no clear indication that Efficiency mode on the Legion Go means a TDP of 20 watts as an alternative of 25 like on the ROG Ally. And whereas the app makes it straightforward to see all your put in video games throughout numerous providers like Steam, Epic and others, the tab for Android Video games is solely a hyperlink to obtain the Amazon App Retailer. However probably the most annoying factor is if you wish to purchase video games immediately inside Legion Area, clicking the Recreation Retailer tab brings you to a web page that form of seems to be like Steam however is definitely run by a unique third-party retailer in Gamesplanet. Now, this isn’t a knock in opposition to Gamesplanet itself as a result of the service does present a legit means to purchase new titles, however buying sport keys after which needing to enter them in a separate app is form of awkward and complicated.
Battery life
One of many issues with having massive efficiency in a handheld is the affect that has on battery life. Nevertheless, Lenovo has performed its finest to counteract that with a big 49.2Wh battery (versus 40Wh on the ROG Ally). The result’s a system that lasts between an hour and a half to a few hours relying on the sport you’re taking part in and your energy settings. At 15 watts, the Legion comes up quick in opposition to the Steam Deck, which nonetheless reigns supreme when it comes to effectivity with runtimes of over two hours. However when in comparison with the ASUS machine, the Legion Go sometimes lasts 30 to 45 minutes longer when taking part in the identical title.
Wrap-up
The Legion Go is an attention-grabbing tackle a handheld gaming PC. With its kickstand and removable controllers, it’s appropriated the adaptability that Nintendo launched on the Swap. However Lenovo took issues additional with a built-in touchpad and a intelligent FPS mode that makes the system simpler to make use of as a PC. And capping issues off is a beautiful 8.8-inch OLED show that makes the Legion Go’s potent efficiency shine.
On the flipside, its bulk feels prefer it’s pushing the definition of a handheld gadget. Any larger and also you would possibly as properly carry round a thin-and-light gaming laptop computer and a devoted controller. And whereas Lenovo’s beta software program addresses among the efficiency hangups I bumped into, the Legion Go isn’t going to succeed in its full potential till its software program is correctly optimized, which could not occur for one more month or two.
In a number of methods, the Legion Go is sort of a super-sized different to the ROG Ally. What it lacks in portability it greater than makes up for in flexibility. Between its twin USB-C ports and FPS mode, I feel it’s a greater laptop computer substitute than the Ally, too. Granted, the Legion Go isn’t as reasonably priced or long-lasting as both model of the Steam Deck, nevertheless it presents far more horsepower. So whereas some would possibly discover its dimension a bit extreme, that massive, vibrant show is tough to say no to. I simply hope Lenovo can polish off its software program sooner somewhat than later.
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