Legion Go S Powered By Steamos Review: A Purpose-built Os Makes All The Difference

Earlier this year, Lenovo released a much streamlined and perchance affordable return connected its flagship gaming handheld successful nan Legion Go S. Unfortunately, nan Windows 11 type came first, which wasn’t nan 1 we were astir excited about. Now, nan Legion Go S powered by SteamOS has arrived, and ohio my, what a quality an operating strategy tin make. Not only does this exemplary characteristic a UI that's overmuch amended suited for a portable gaming machine, it has faster capacity arsenic well. But nan champion portion is that nan SteamOS version is little costly than its Windows sibling. All of this makes for a handheld that's a invited replacement to nan Steam Deck, particularly for anyone who's not a instrumentality of Valve's hardware.

Design and display: Keeping it simple

Like its sibling, nan SteamOS type of nan Legion Go S features a very straightforward design. A large quality betwixt nan 2 is that this exemplary features a acheronian purple assemblage alternatively of nan achromatic ammunition connected nan Windows variant. Thanks to its ample 8-inch 1200p show and sizable grips, it's a spot chunkier than rivals for illustration nan Steam Deck aliases nan ROG Ally X. At 500 nits, brightness is supra mean compared to emblematic handheld PCs. However, because Lenovo uses an LCD panel, colors aren't rather arsenic vibrant and you don't get those axenic inky blacks for illustration you do connected a strategy pinch an OLED surface specified arsenic nan original Legion Go.

I for illustration that Lenovo included Hall effect sensors for its joysticks, on pinch a toggle that lets you set nan propulsion extent of nan triggers. Plus, nan summation of a 2nd USB-C larboard allows you to complaint nan instrumentality while keeping different accessories plugged in. There's besides a brace of programmable paddles connected nan backmost and a useful microSD paper slot for expandable storage.

The biggest departures from nan flagship Legion Go are that this model's joysticks and buttons cannot beryllium detached and its built-in touchpad is importantly smaller. This intends nan second is amended suited to moving nan cursor astir SteamOS successful desktop mode aliases to navigating menus than it is arsenic a existent alternate power strategy while playing games. You besides don't get a fingerprint reader, which I deliberation should beryllium a modular inclusion connected handheld gaming PCs astatine this point.

Performance and software: Better pinch SteamOS

The Legion Go S powered by SteamOS is disposable successful aggregate configurations. Our $830 reappraisal portion features an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme spot pinch 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Unfortunately, this intends I wasn't capable to tally existent apples-to-apples capacity tests pinch nan Ryzen Z2 Go-equipped type of nan Windows Legion Go S I reviewed earlier this year. But fixed nan lackluster results from that model, I mostly wouldn't urge immoderate handheld powered by that chip, moreover though that type is importantly much affordable. If fund is simply a concern, Valve's Steam Deck remains nan amended option.

Even though nan Go S pinch SteamOS features nan nonstop aforesaid chip, I really saw somewhat amended capacity present compared to nan original Legion Go. With some systems group to a 15-watt TDP (total instrumentality power), nan Legion Go S edged retired nan Windows exemplary successful Cyberpunk 2077 astatine 800p connected mean graphics by pumping retired 58 fps versus 54 fps. By comparison, nan Steam Deck OLED managed 53 fps. And successful Control at 800p connected medium, it was a akin situation, though nan spread was moreover smaller. The Legion Go S deed 29 fps, beating retired nan OG Legion Go (27 fps) and nan Steam Deck OLED (24 fps).

The origin of nan SteamOS model's improved horsepower is difficult to pinpoint — particularly arsenic capacity varies from title to title — but it's mostly owed to Valve's level having little overhead and strategy processes than Windows-based rivals. And if that wasn't enough, nan SteamOS UI is amended designed for a dedicated gaming machine, arsenic turning connected nan strategy boots you correct into your crippled room arsenic opposed to spitting you retired into Microsoft's classical desktop view. There are besides immoderate insignificant tweaks successful Valve's OS to support features for illustration nan built-in RGB lighting connected nan Legion Go S — thing nan Steam Deck doesn't have.

For fans of SteamOS, nan main logic speech from value to prime a Steam Deck complete nan Legion Go S (or vice versa) is that each strategy features different capacity targets. Valve's handheld has a TDP that tops retired astatine 15 watts, and astatine little powerfulness levels, it features amended power ratio than nan Legion Go S. This makes it much suitable for group who regularly play older games aliases little demanding 2D fare. Alternatively, Lenovo's handheld has a max TDP of 33 watts (or 40 erstwhile plugged into nan wall), which makes it much adept astatine handling resource-intensive modern titles. So if you want higher framework rates (which you astir apt do), a Z1 Extreme Legion Go S pinch SteamOS has measurement much headroom to push pixels moreover harder.

Battery life: Just a touch much efficient

Featuring a mid-size 55WHr battery, longevity connected nan Legion Go S erstwhile moving SteamOS doesn't really guidelines out. However, I recovered that connected average, it runs up to 30 minutes longer than its Windows counterpart crossed a number of titles. When playing Metal Slug Tactics, it lasted conscionable awkward of 3 hours (2:50) compared to person to an hr and a half for nan Windows 11 exemplary (2:33). It was a akin business successful Elden Ring, wherever nan SteamOS type was capable to proceed for an other 15 minutes aft its related conked out.

Wrap-up

The Legion Go S powered by SteamOS is simply a elemental and well-built gaming handheld pinch an moreover bigger surface than Valve's portable and arguably amended ergonomics. When configured pinch a Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, it's a amended prime for playing much demanding modern games without emotion forced to move to a Windows-based device. It besides has a much optimized UI than its Microsoft-powered rivals while retaining useful features for illustration Hall effect joysticks and dual USB-C ports.

With Z1 Extreme models starting astatine $830 alternatively of $600 for nan Z2 Go configs, though, it's not rather arsenic affordable arsenic I thought it would beryllium backmost erstwhile it was first announced astatine nan opening of nan year. But moreover so, it's bully to person options. And arsenic conscionable 1 of 2 handhelds connected nan marketplace that travel pinch SteamOS pre-installed, nan Legion Go S makes an absorbing statement arsenic a bigger and much powerful upgrade to nan Steam Deck.