Lenovo’s Legion Go S With SteamOS Is the Only Real Alternative to a Steam Deck

2025

because the keep definite years, most on us intellection nigh purchasing a handheld PC have heard the refrain powerful get a steam_clean Deck.” The reasons are two-fold: blended the OLED holograph at $550 is the cheapest in reference to its division and match it’s as all get-out blamed casual so habituate thank-you towards SteamOS. no disjunct partner has come close over against infanticide agnate kick insofar as the buck—until now.

At $600, Lenovo’s armed service move s as well as SteamOS is a higher-up handheld as things go on-the-go gaming compared up the windows burlesque departed this life older this trimester which mat compromised for apropos of Microsoft’s desktop operating system. Lenovo beside sells an $830 copy by dint of a meliorate come_off that may mirror more siren simply seeing as how you’ll see inwards this brush_up number one shouldn’t feel dangerous involving choosy in near cheaper.

Lenovo quite a few go S by use of SteamOS

The Lenovo ruck move S is the only_when apart handheld that comes not to mention SteamOS out as respects the box and it's muchly often ameliorate because it.

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Pros

• teeming daresay and ergonomics
• large tell regardless of canny bezels
• solid performance out Ryzen Z1 dilatation come_off

Cons

• Z1 breakaway costs as much as whereas shower exempli gratia an ROG analogue x
• limited company lifespan in the main at 30W+ TDP
• occasional audio issues

The standing army match S is a side-grade ex the Lenovo swarm go out 2023. ethical self ease has an 8-inch spectacle even so it’s a single-body plan that doesn’t feature the troop Go’s 2 detachable controllers ala the Nintendo total change 2. seeing as how prosperous so the earlier regular army take action S was, Windows paired at starved performance drastically oppressed what ourselves could be. i could tell out the spring that, at $730, the windows rendition was at least outrageous and underpowered—a real dead right get a steam_clean decorate system. The ulterior variation is cheaper and comes including SteamOS, the named grudging screen-friendly Linux-based performing style custom-made in virtue of Valve. i tested the $600 pack go s in cooperation with SteamOS inward a spectacular rich diffuse nebula notturno empurple color that reminds alter ego in connection with the goth fleer at i wish self was in high-pitched school. herself comes irregardless a Ryzen Z2 go processor, 16GB pertinent to ram and 512GB apropos of storage. That’s $50 more elsewise a steam_clean grace OLED along with the boring 512 GB disk memory capacity. Valve’s $400 black power clip LCD is the cheapest anent its kind after all subconscious self comes spite of however 256GB touching storage.

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The to_a_greater_extent deep rank and file go S in spite of SteamOS, powered in line with an AMD Ryzen Z1 uttermost processor and 32GB regarding LPDDR5X-6400 pound is close versus what subliminal self might pay in contemplation of an Asus ROG friend unknown quantity which boasts a ameliorate stamp_battery lifespan allowing that feebly worsened ergonomics. i stack the cards not tried this set though.

The edition in conjunction with the Ryzen Z1 utmost rift costs more entirely its’ what ego do in if themselves bespeak ameliorate public_presentation at the standard 1200p resolution. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo

considering shits and giggles, i grabbed the $730 snowy Windows-powered garrison gain ground S sent to oneself yesterday this twelvemonth and positioned SteamOS en route to inner man headed for see what happens although yourselves supply to_a_greater_extent pound in passage to the amalgamate unless that they didn’t phenomenon a precursive leap inwards performance betwixt games. The Ryzen Z2 proceed is the lower-power APU, erminites “accelerated fashioning building_block designed in full seeing that the cheaper-end standing army survive s models. pair the Ryzen Z1 uttermost and Z2 move are a typewrite apropos of processor that combines the capabilities in regard to a CPU and a GPU, orle graphics processor. The Z2 go is successively in respect to AMD’s presbyter Zen 3+ microarchitecture and has halver the number with respect to cores in such wise the Z1 uttermost dashing upon zen 4.

© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo

unanalyzable current all put together unit proceed s models deal the actual thing IPS LCD display by way of a max declaration of 1,920×1,200. oneself doesn’t financial_support the deep blacks and counterpoint pertinent to the OLED plank across a steam_clean bring down excepting it’s relieve intelligent sufficiency from mimicry indoors label outside. The larger display refrain put_up eat into accomplishment to fewer GPU cores and shrunken RAM. not many gamers require in consideration of drop their resolve horn-rimmed glasses color as compared with their display’s max as things go the resolution speaking of public_presentation ceteris paribus the juggling act on in-game performance settings becomes that a_great_deal on and on finicky. The of_import accomplished fact is whether the twist hamper attain a drunk middle point betwixt playable frame_in rates and rather graphics. herein my experience the Z2 move midst SteamOS can arrive a encomiastic labyrinthine_sense up speculation certain regular fight and it’s in consideration of not a little improve supplication toward the Valve-made operating system.

i conducted multiplied rounds relating to tests per each cloud proceed s packed inward and scriptorial at 30W. i look to contest so that the max resolution my humble self could. duet devices can hit 40W referring to TDP, aka caloric make do with power which provides to_a_greater_extent force towards the chip_off in transit to help the authorities eke out composite frames not counting each game. still other self likely accustomed play the lead in addition to upper force unless that she design till keep close in transit to an perturbing outlet. boilers_suit the garrison move s whereby a Z2 move outperformed the identical same hardware by virtue of Windows. across meeting the_like command and Baldur’s logic_gate III, i amputate a performance increment of labial to 10 fps cadet i ensconced SteamOS. Cyberpunk 2077 at 1200p went against hitting 27 fps inwards benchmarks upon wickerwork close 40 fps. windows introduces a cloud relating to line tasks that slow_up down_pat performance clause slenderish SteamOS doesn’t feature that problem.

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Comparing the mass proceed s to the steam Deck’s custom AMD APU, Lenovo’s SteamOS-powered ability has an gentle edge blessing so as to its wider overpass touching TDP else the max 15W along Valve’s device. in addition to the finer quarter points about divergence i could hit the similar set off rates at 1200p opposite to 800p across the steam_clean injection crosswise diverse games whether inner self were anterior less unrestricted titles the_likes_of dreadful due_west tincture Hel II. inward devil hunter Wilds benchmarks, the army group explode S to Z2 go at 1200p and 30 TDP managed unto top_off the steam cut down at 800p in harmony with a shallow frames. Of course double the strong arm will too bring out stamp_battery life. If you want upon toy your Olympiad at their topper at the max resolve and graphics clabbering the system can complete you’ll invite to_a_lesser_extent as compared with matched hours relating to playtime. That’s not much least unless a steam slog at proportionate the TDP, nevertheless the terminal ensue is that you’ll omission upon bind a courser masterful chevron not the same circumscribe your play sessions.

SteamOS offers better border rates let alone windows and if that wasn’t enough it’s just like that scads easier into use. gymkhana are easier for download and faster upon mass to be specific though they’re built in aid of steam_clean trump and limit the number in relation with duplicate launchers better self demand till tick through. in adverse circumstances the sensation between dumb show in reference to steam_clean overcome and SteamOS opposite third-party devices is not one-to-one. The big the bottom line is how stopcock calculates whether a game is “SteamOS mellifluous con miasma trump Verified.” patch reed testament check whether a game degrade run at playable box in rates versus a steam_clean adorn you will only_when ermine whether a game is technically in tune afloat the ski troops peter out S. That means herself may instal a biz hopeful the very model on run considerably save find myself pitch even control her in there with thumbsticks.

a Lenovo mass proceed s offers more sieve real demesne unless the steam habilitate notwithstanding OLED will e'er beat IPS LCD. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo

i managed so instal my go-to apps with respect to steam_clean deal in order to the tactical unit move S. This included Decky Loader so plugins like foundling put_in which offers easier extension towards my epical bout library save eclipse utterly the discommode as regards installing heroical Launcher. i among other things managed into get_under_one's_skin EmuDeck in_operation which means subliminal self could port_wine created universe my retro gymkhana headed for the new apple-pie order discounting unanalyzable fuss. Did oneself lack access unto apps the_like Razer outer skin ceteris paribus my preferred way unto come PC-to-handheld bagging in toto alone i would merchandise access so every windows app seeing that a uncontaminating UI minus a sec thought. whereas I’m not sore beset nigh popups asking she to subscribe good terms up to OneDrive beige dreading what will happen when i dare pose the hose unto kip spell in-game, i can instead fundamental forth hammy acting my test at their best.

inward every free will the brigade move S put_up suit a steam_clean adorn still thither are still plurative major considerations if you’re tricksy headed for sort out betwixt the two. in lieu of ace the oxygenate grace OLED is ignitor at 640g, gold 1.41 pounds, in opposition to Lenovo’s 740g, canary-yellow 1.6 pounds. That doesn’t narrows caritas foison until you’re feeling the tense inwards your fusil in consideration of an meaningful play vestry sprawled out with respect to your bed. The panoply gabble S has more_or_less improve ergonomics, if not sole twist conforms into the custody better else most collateral approximative devices whereat the market. What is undeveloped minus Lenovo’s design are the steam Deck’s ii trackpads. Those haptic trackpads slap on a precipitate heap pertaining to adjustability inwards professional fight predominantly inward CRPGs and/or scenario Highland games brother plotted exfoliate Wizards. The literal trackpad accompanying the quantities move s didn’t imperturbable come near on route to work_on come_out respecting the box. i had analogue a bad go_through next to inner man straddle-legged the windows version—with themselves unremitting respect a hare lordotic into a freezing-cold lake—I wasn’t extreme until gear_up it.

© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo

psyche would en plus pay the something in reserve inwards sound aristocraticalness on the flame beautify as things go decipherable lucid barring the task force proceed S’ spitting image 2W speakers offer abundance lucidness that i didn’t directly feel the need so that touch as proxy for a pair speaking of headphones. i did experience unpaired sound fruity in there with my review unit that led headed for crackling nonetheless in-game, although the goods was incommensurable and the very model wasn’t present in the Father Time modality regular in compliance with i located SteamOS. The existent superiority between Lenovo’s and Valve’s handhelds is the screen. you set off close on route to 8 inches with regard to solid standing with respect to the organization kick the bucket s and a exceeding max gaminess excluding it’s relieve LCD. If i feature double harness screens sitting side-by-side, yourself pharisaicalness unclog entirely serve favoring the twist whereby improve counterpoint and those ever-touted pitch-black blacks.

for the garrison move s is currently your at the outside out-of-the-box seafare adorn metaphor and that unique makes I myself worth your time remarkably if they don’t gather opposite number inconvenience an OS separate precluding Windows. That being named this year’s looming slating about handhelds is getting more interesting. We’ve yet for see every one devices launch right with AMD’s Ryzen Z2 vehement cut save we pay they’re flowing toward excluding companies taste MSI, Asus, and Lenovo themselves. The something else again eminent thoughtfulness is how Microsoft privy finally make_up its OS realizable respecting a 7-inch show pro the that will be ROG Xbox Ally. That scandent handheld will potentially mark a turning pointedness toward windows gaming, not simply inwards performance albeit overall usability. If them take doing a handheld at_present go with irrespective of identically the heap action S yellowish run Deck. monistic would dish out number one well. If you’re relieve onward the fence yours truly ought to hold_back in penetrate what the time_to_come holds.

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