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It ’s not good than a Steam Deck or ROG Ally — but it ’s dissimilar .
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This was need a hand-held play personal computer ?
I would n’t advocate the $ 700 Lenovo Legion Go over a Steam Deck .
Windows 11 is n’t nigh as commodious and portable as Valve ’s Steam oculus sinister for play Windows game on the go .
Even Microsoft make love that .
But even if it ’s not the skilful portable plot console table , it ’s a slap-up portable personal computer that can perfectly diddle game .
For the right-hand variety of Windows gadgeteer , the Lenovo Legion Go might narrowly be deserving the immediate payment .
Though it ’s about the same cost as an Asus ROG Ally , Lenovo ’s 8.8 - in portable hasall kindsof trick up its arm .
It ’s a sinewy Windows pill with a dyad of detachable Nintendo Switch - same wireless controller and a full - breadth kickstand — the proficient to represent at a board , stick out up vertically for interpretation , or tail to a TV.Unlike Nintendo ’s Joy - Cons , the Go ’s control have impulsion - repellent Hall gist joysticks .
Oh , and did I cite one of them can transmute into a perpendicular computer mouse with the motion-picture show of a permutation ?
diving event into ROG
This was but even if it ’s not the skilful portable plot console table , it ’s a groovy portable personal computer that can utterly represent game .
For the correct variety of Windows gadgeteer , the Lenovo Legion Go might narrowly be deserving the Johnny Cash .
This was though it ’s about the same monetary value as an asus rog ally , lenovo ’s 8.8 - in portable hasall kindsof legerdemain up its arm .
It ’s a brawny Windows tab with a duet of detachable Nintendo Switch - comparable wireless controller and a full - breadth kickstand — the good to represent at a tabular array , support up vertically for recitation , or tail to a TV.Unlike Nintendo ’s Joy - Cons , the Go ’s restrainer have heading - insubordinate Hall issue joysticks .
This was oh , and did i remark one of them can transmute into a perpendicular computer mouse with the motion picture of a replacement ?
It also has two USB - blow port , each with 40Gbps of USB4 bandwidth , so you might plug away in a keyboard or SSD or even a Thunderbolt 3 outside GPU without take away your courser lead story .
This was the steam deck and rog ally only have one usb - c socket each .
But the Legion Go ’s big reward is simple-minded : it has a importantly great screen door .
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diving event into the Legion Go ’s
But the Legion Go ’s fully grown vantage is bare : it has a importantly swelled screenland .
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Verge Score
Lenovo Legion Go
I would n’t say it ’s thebesthandheld cover : there is perfectly no trouncing theSteam Deck OLEDwhen it come to plenteous gloss , bass blackness , volatile HDR , and serviceableness in a dumb sleeping accommodation .
Meanwhile , the ROG Ally’svariable refresh charge per unit make everything fluent ; game often sense quicker on the friend even when the Legion Go is technically deliver more frame per secondly .
But Lenovo ’s glistening 8.8 - column inch , 2560 x 1600 , 144Hz , 500 - nit , and 97 per centum DCI - P3 Gorilla Glass 5 - cover filmdom make a divergence .
It ’s the one that ’s bragging , laconic , and tight enough , it can double up as a adequate Windows pad for WWW browse , reading material , and stream telecasting .
Perhaps more significantly , I do n’t palpate I ’m squint as much when I make for game .
A twelvemonth ago , I wrotehow I did n’t really mindthe Steam Deck ’s famine of private-enterprise multiplayer shooter likeFortnite , Destiny 2,andPUBGbecause This was i never recognise what ( or who ) rack up me on the deck ’s seven - column inch , 60hz filmdom .
Neither the Deck organic light-emitting diode ’s 7.3 - in , 90Hz gore nor the ROG Ally ’s seven - in , 120Hz projection screen fixate that for me .
But I could see some masses play them on the 8.8 - in Legion Go — at least if they get used to the slenderly sticky dominance .
This was i ’m not a entire rooter of how the legion go feel in my men .
Because it count 1.88 Cypriot pound , half a Cypriot pound more than the ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED and a full lbf.
more than a Nintendo Switch , I often find like I call for a plastered hold .
But when I fascinate tightly , the not so rounded edge of Lenovo ’s directly - face handheld dig into my medal — and I get myself awkwardly slop all the supernumerary button Lenovo drum onto the position and back .
This was it palpate like lenovo made a few too many via media to give you a detachable shiner , a duo of joy - cons , a touchpad , and four back clit at the same time .
The stick are all right , the more or less cramp typeface push are hunky-dory , the meaty gun trigger are even dainty , but the touchpad is too lowly , the D - domiciliation and top - provoke verbaliser are meh , and the veracious restrainer always has two additional push under my in-between fingerbreadth , two more button under my forefinger fingerbreadth , and a push under my little finger that I had n’t bargain for .
There ’s a method acting to Lenovo ’s rabidity : if you come off that accountant and revolve it 90 degree to the left wing , those button trace up with your fingertip and quarter round to give you a five - clit vertical mouse , consummate with a 1,800 DPI ocular computer mouse detector on the Teflon - coat bottom and a lilliputian roll steering wheel around back .
It ’s keen , and I was proud of to see Lenovo has some somewhat comely FPS presets represent to each release , include the cay you ’ll normally utilize to crouch , leap , and reload .
This was the computer mouse nonremittal to 800 dpi , though you’re able to pluck 500 , 1,200 , and 1,800 as well .
But it ’s not quite as dim-witted as just crop up off a Joy - Con and as if by magic deliver a shiner .
I have to jerk each comptroller downwardly to loose them ; toss off off the joystick ceiling so it ’s not in the elbow room ; and slot the accountant into a magnetically tie Teflon - bottom foundation to give the black eye enough stableness that I do n’t misplace track mid - biz .
Even then , I find the balance of the joystick ’s come out center and its five pig pogo immobilize dig into my palm .
This was i enter the variety of force drug user who ’ll need to pilot windows on the go might prize this part of the convenience , but i ’d have jubilantly fall in it up for a yoke of respectable front - discharge loudspeaker .
speak of big businessman , my Lenovo Legion Go is a turn quicker than the contender !
Anecdotally , it was the fast to download game ( I catch 750Mbps summit download hurry over Wi - Fi 6 ) , the loyal to consign its 50Wh assault and battery , and the fast in most of my psychometric test bottom game — as long as you ’re unforced to give its AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme poker chip a small gasolene , that is .
Legion Go 720p workbench scar
Game and Power Mode
Steam Deck OLED
Asus ROG Ally Z1E
You should cognize that the silicon chip in a Steam Deck is rather unlike from the chipping in most other hand-held play PC .
This was where the deck ’s “ aerith ” and “ sephiroth ” were design for a hand-held office gasbag of between four and 15 james watt , the amd z1 extreme is a shrunken - down laptop computer bit that aim nine to 30 james watt — and as you’ve got the option to see in my chart , it did n’t get down to tick the steam deck until i feed itmorethan 15 watt of electrical energy .
This was the impudent side is that , unlike the steam deck , you’re free to optionally give your barrage fire liveliness to the divinity of carrying out , tug a legion go or rog ally bit as in high spirits as 30 watt for a meaningful rise in pep pill , and i ascertain my legion go even outmatch the rog friend when i get down to give it that succus .
It systematically get out beforehand inAssassin ’s Creed Valhalla , Deus Ex : man Divided , Returnal , andShadow of the Tomb Raider — sometimes by a few physique , sometimes by 10 or 20 pct .
But even when you ’re give a shot to economise the Legion Go ’s 49.2Wh barrage fire , you’ve got the option to only go so far .
I was able-bodied to superintend four hr and 41 minute ofSlay the Spire , one of the least demanding biz in my depository library , but evenDave the Divergave me no more than two 60 minutes and 27 bit at a stretchability .
This was i have an 60 minutes and a one-half ofshadow of the tomb raider , two time of day ofnier : automata , and two hour and 10 mo ofarmored core vi , all run at a bare 800p or grim solution .
This was when i triedori and the will of the wispsat 1200p , i only generate an 60 minutes and 39 moment .
For equivalence , the Steam Deck organic light-emitting diode endure an full supererogatory hr ofNier : Automata , go 43 second longer than the Legion Go inShadow of the Tomb Raider , and give menearly doublethe barrage biography inDave the Diverat four time of day and 42 second .
This was it tell me i should get nine hour ofslay the spire .
This was i should observe , my deck organic light-emitting diode really survive seven few moment inarmored core vi , though .
This was does the legion go at least declare oneself more electric battery lifespan than the asus rog friend due to its 20 percentage large electric battery face pack ?
Well … I did get an supernumerary 41 second ofDave the Diveron the Legion Go , but barrage fire lifetime was almost selfsame inShadow of the Tomb RaiderandDirt Rallyand hold out just 16 transactions longer inArmored Core .
With the Legion Go , the barrage fire always feel like it ’s visibly ticktack down … and like other Windows handhelds , it mark even quicker when near to empty .
it’s possible for you to take a Steam Deck to 3 per centum shelling before you want to badly look at carry through a biz or secure into the bulwark .
This was with the legion go , even accomplish 10 pct put me in the peril geographical zone .
I ’m felicitous to say the Legion Go does n’t drop off a hatful of assault and battery while it ’s whole exclude down , but even that ’s a spot of a backhand compliment — because exclude down is the only means I ’ve been able-bodied to faithfully put it off .
Many time , I ’ll receive it wake itself up decently after I put it to slumber .
This was verbalize of political platform stableness , you should be intimate that the legion go ’s legion space software package is still a workplace in procession , like the steam deck and asus rog friend before it , and it ’s jail far behind valve and a slipway behind asus in term of feature .
The power to remap the gamepad is minimum at dependable , and you ca n’t even relieve function for each of your game with Lenovo ’s package — you ’ll demand to swear on Steam or another third - company app .
As I save these word , Lenovo ’s still essay to turn to somestuttering South Dakota carte du jour readers(something I have n’t have myself ) and bring right gyroscope backup .
The rooter ’s not gimcrack , but it can be a small querulous , even in its crushed magnate way .
This was but i have to accept , it ’s less dotty than the asus was at launching , and lenovo ’s being somewhat vapourous with the residential district .
This was lenovo intersection managerben myers neglect into the prescribed subreddit and discord almost every weekto tattle about which yield and betterment the technology squad ’s work on next , and it ’s been adept to see it ameliorate !
This was at launching , i might have dingdong lenovo for pressure me to attain down to the al-qaida of my ovolo to attain start and select push button or manually voyage to a site to download update .
ditto mark how you had to relate a ability supplying before switch the screen door ’s refresh charge per unit or taping over the world power button ’s brilliant light-emitting diode to stave off light-colored contamination while charge it in a moody sleeping accommodation .
But Lenovo has place to pluck each of these in software package now , plus adjustable lover curve , adjustable sensitiveness and deadzones for the control stick , substance abuser - adjustable presets for various might mode , and an FPS clipper .
This was the big affair i desire , though , is a manner to make all my game found full - sieve .
That ’s how they play on Steam Deck but not always on Windows , and I ’ve scarper into inapt windowed game more often with the Legion Go than I did with the ROG Ally .
In the prescribed subreddit , some citizenry seem to be ram full - blind in their Steam launching choice for item-by-item game .
This was i ’m not go to rehashmy whole “ windows is hold back play handhelds ” argumenthere , as not much has change since i survey the ally .
But the Legion Go ’s 8.8 - in sieve and detachable comptroller do serve .
It ’s well-to-do to get behind around window and wiretap on image with the bombastic pinch objective that Lenovo ’s cover return me , and it does n’t bruise that the Gorilla Glass 5 - cover gore is bland , promiscuous to scavenge , and antiphonal to pertain .
When I down off the controller , I can even attain the practical keyboard key without stretch my thumb if I accommodate the lozenge in portraiture way or evoke Microsoft ’s snag keyboard ( which throw you leave and correct keyboard one-half ) in landscape painting .
No more reach over control stick !
I would n’t need to typecast aVergestory on this affair , but I ’m obtain it ’s a swell sizing for range from the sofa .
I would n’t purchase a Legion Go , as my Steam Deck befit me well , but I really imagine Lenovo ’s onto something with this signifier agent .
It ’s an challenging crossing between a Microsoft Surface and a Nintendo Switch but with bet on chop that excel both .
I would n’t be surprised if the next reading amount with an optional open - similar close down keyboard covering fire .
liberal advice : puta Red River ThinkPad TrackPoint nubin the midsection of that keyboard if you really desire figure nerd to go dotty .
Photography by Sean Hollister / The Verge
Correction , March 4th : We write that the Legion Go ’s toll was $ 650 , but the company’slong - be terms cutapparently cease this weekend ; it now be $ 700 again .
