Handheld gaming has existed for many years, however it was the success of the Nintendo Change’s hybrid mannequin that ushered in a renaissance for the play fashion. Lastly, avid gamers have the full-fat console expertise within the palm of their fingers. PC avid gamers aren’t not noted of the enjoyable both, with first the Steam Deck, then the Asus ROG Ally, and now the Lenovo Legion Go (beginning at $699, $749 as examined). That is the second Home windows-powered gaming handheld we have examined, however the first with a 144Hz IPS contact display screen at a formidable 2,560-by-1,600-pixel (1600p) decision.
Nonetheless, because the second to market, is it higher or worse than the Asus ROG Ally? Briefly, it relies upon. The uncooked energy of the Exit-muscles the Ally, the larger display screen is attractive, and the thicker body sits nicely in bigger fingers. However the underlying tech of the Go is identical because the Ally, so these visible features aren’t at all times value the additional trouble, and the gimmicks that outline the Go—particularly its Nintendo Pleasure-Con-like controllers—aren’t system sellers. Whilst you’ll have enjoyable with Lenovo’s strategy to the idea, you will get monetary savings going for the core expertise with the ROG Ally or Steam Deck.
Design: The New Child on the Block
Just like the ROG Ally, you may wish to body the Legion Go as a “Steam Deck killer,” however the comparisons go deeper than that. As my colleague Matthew Buzzi mentioned in his assessment of the ROG Ally, you will discover quite a few benefits, tons of variations massive and small, in addition to a number of downsides. That continues to be true, however as a result of it’s a Home windows handheld, we are able to draw a extra direct comparability with the Ally. Plus, each units are inside 100 {dollars} of each other, so that you’re primarily two sides of the identical AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive-powered coin.
However first, the Lenovo Legion Go differentiates itself from the competitors in a number of key methods. Its massive 8.8-inch IPS show looms over the 7-inch panels utilized by the Ally, the Steam Deck, and the Nintendo Change OLED. The Legion Go additionally incorporates a barely taller 16:10 side ratio and rocks a 144Hz refresh fee—a bump up from the Ally’s 120Hz display screen, and greater than double that of the Steam Deck and the Change OLED. Sadly, you will discover no variable refresh fee assist right here.
It measures in at 5.16 by 11.7 by 1.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.8 kilos, which makes it a lot heavier than any of the three aforementioned machines. In reality, the Go is bulkier throughout, from physique to controller, however it nonetheless matches comfortably in your fingers, particularly bigger ones. Nonetheless, it’s lacking the slight curvature on the edges of the machine that makes the Steam Deck and Ally simpler to carry.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)The lion’s share of the machine’s ports sit atop the system, together with a headphone jack, a microSD card reader, and a USB4 port. This USB-C connection helps 40Gbps information transfers, Energy Supply 3.0, and DisplayPort 1.4 for connecting to an exterior show. On the backside, you’ll discover one other lone USB4 port. Twin 2-watt (2W) audio system are in-built, and the system makes use of 802.11ax Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1.
Lenovo sells two completely different Legion Go fashions, however they’re similar past their SSD sizes. Internally, you’ll discover 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, both 512GB or 1TB of cupboard space, and the AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive processor. Primarily based on AMD’s Zen 4 structure and 4nm course of, the AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive makes use of RDNA3 graphics, the corporate’s newest GPU structure. The chip has already been efficiently utilized within the Ally, and we’ll see how nicely it performs past full HD decision shortly.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)Asus took lengthy strides in getting its system’s cooling proper, using “anti-gravity warmth pipes” that cool the ROG Ally at completely different angles, staying quiet and funky with thermal design energy (TDP) as much as 25W, because of vents situated on the high facet, again facet, and entrance of the system.
Lenovo takes a unique strategy to this, drawing cool air by way of the again of the generously perforated galvanized metal backing and out by way of its 4 high vents, supporting as much as 30W of TDP. The result’s a lot louder than the Ally when tapping into the machine’s full energy, with a gentle stream of air flowing out the highest of the system like on a gaming laptop computer. On the Quiet preset, the hand-held’s followers hold noise right down to a whisper.
Utilizing the Lenovo Legion Go: Many Methods to Take Management
The Legion Go’s largest gimmick lies in its removable controllers, which can evoke Nintendo Change comparisons proper out of the gate. Removable from the pill’s sides, the controllers characteristic a regular structure that’s not in contrast to your typical Xbox controller, with corresponding triggers, bumpers, and even facet paddles. The Legion Go incorporates Corridor-effect joysticks, which use sensors to detect positioning by way of a small magnetic subject, meant to keep away from the stick drift, useless zones, and total put on and tear present in widespread joysticks. In use, buttons and sticks really feel nice and responsive, although I choose the concave eight-directional pad on the Ally to the shallow-feeling directional pad on the Go.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)The appropriate controller additionally incorporates a small Mylar touchpad that’ll assist alleviate among the system’s finicky touch-screen controls. It supplies some slight suggestions whereas dragging the mouse alongside the display screen, and double-tapping the touchpad will click on in the identical method a pc mouse does. Tucked away below the best controller’s set off, you’ll discover a scroll wheel. And not using a correct mouse and keyboard, navigating Home windows nonetheless pales as compared with navigating a devoted UI just like the Change and Steam Deck have.
Detaching the controllers is a ache. Lenovo locations the controller lock on the backside of the controller’s bottom. To drag the controller off, you need to press the lock button down, then push the controller down and away. In a method, it jogged my memory of opening a tablet bottle, although it proved to be much more awkward than I ever would’ve anticipated it to be. If something, it made me admire how ingenious the Nintendo Change design is.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)When utilizing the Nintendo Change in tabletop mode, for instance, since you slide the Pleasure-Cons as much as launch them, you by no means are available in contact with the desk, and the motion of attaching and detaching from the console is seamless. Nonetheless, on the Legion Go, you detach by flattening and away, which forces you to choose up the system and awkwardly snap the controllers out and in of the pill.
As soon as they’re out, although, the controllers work as you’d count on. I want that they’d a controller grip just like the Pleasure-Con grip that comes with the Nintendo Change, however as soon as the controllers are off, they continue to be responsive. That proper controller additionally has one final occasion trick, nonetheless: an FPS (first-person shooter) mode. Utilizing an included base, you possibly can toggle on an FPS mode and remodel the right-handed controller into an ergonomic joystick-like mouse.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)This can be a trick that’s tremendous cool on paper, however in execution is clunky. Attaching to the included base, the best controller takes the form of a vertical mouse or joystick. Whereas actually eye-catching, I discover that the controller’s sensor is not at all times correct, and it dropped plenty of my actions whereas taking part in Quake through Xbox Sport Cross. The default button management scheme can also be a head-scratcher.
Holding the controller, you’d assume the again paddle of the best controller would function the set off, however it’s truly the set off on the high of the controller, which is extra awkward to press. You’ll additionally nonetheless want to make use of the left controller in tandem with the best controller appearing as a mouse. In apply, it seems like tapping your head and rubbing your abdomen. When you’re going by way of the difficulty of taking part in an FPS in your transportable system, you may as nicely join a gaming mouse and keyboard.
Navigating the Challenges of Legion Area
To handle your video games on the Legion Go, Lenovo created Legion Area, a instrument that aggregates your varied sport launchers and manages your system settings. It’s much like the Asus Armoury Crate, however harder in nearly each method. For starters, Legion Area opens each time you flip in your system. You possibly can decrease the window by urgent the Legion Area button on the left controller, however you possibly can solely shut this system from the taskbar. It’s invasive and even worse, you possibly can’t simply cease it from opening robotically in Home windows settings, you need to go into the MSCONFIG instrument and manually cease this system from opening at startup.
Other than this quirk, the app is ugly. The thumbnail artwork that populates titles in your library is usually pixelated, and the shortcuts simply lead you to third-party internet pages. Clicking “Cloud Sport” simply brings you to the Xbox residence web page, urgent Sport Retailer results in Gamesplanet.com, and Android Sport simply prompts you to obtain the Amazon App Retailer.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)Gripes apart, Legion Area has a good quantity of settings to customise to your liking, together with the RGB across the management sticks and console key mapping—it additionally consists of the system’s efficiency and battery standing. Urgent the settings button on the best controller additionally brings up a fast settings pane, which is like an abridged model of Legion Area that means that you can rapidly launch video games, swap refresh fee and backbone throughout three presets (1,280 by 800, 1,920 by 1,200, and a couple of,560 by 1,600), and change amongst 4 thermal modes and two OS energy modes.
The draw back is that Legion Area is just buggy. Typically, the shortcuts don’t work, or the included frame-rate monitor doesn’t detect the sport I’m taking part in. Different occasions, I’ll change the decision or refresh fee and lose management of the sport for a second. These minor hiccups begin to add up after some time, hindering the general person expertise.
Other than Legion Area, the Legion Go runs full Home windows 11 and operates as another pc would. Meaning you possibly can obtain apps, browse internet pages, hearken to music, and write in Microsoft Phrase—no matter you do in your private pc or laptop computer, you are able to do it right here. The one distinction is having to take care of finicky touch-screen controls and digital keyboards, that are nonetheless as inconsistent as they had been on the Ally. Regardless of its sharper display screen and bigger construct, the Legion Go is irritating to navigate at occasions.
Testing the Lenovo Legion Go: Punching Above Its Weight
Lenovo’s Legion Go options the identical chip because the higher-end ROG Ally, however does the extra 5W of TDP assist or hinder the transportable’s efficiency? To get a greater understanding of what’s below the Legion Go’s hood, I subjected the hand-held to the identical benchmarking suite as our gaming laptops. Cranking the Legion Go’s settings to Efficiency and using all 30W of TDP, I in contrast it with each of the accessible ROG Ally fashions (the Z1 Excessive and Z1) and two extra gaming laptops which make the most of Nvidia Geforce RTX 3000 sequence chips.
Productiveness and Content material Creation Checks
We run the identical basic productiveness benchmarks throughout each cellular and desktop techniques. Our first check is UL’s PCMark 10, which simulates quite a lot of real-world productiveness and workplace workflows to measure total system efficiency and in addition features a storage subtest for the first drive.
Our different three benchmarks deal with the CPU, utilizing all accessible cores and threads, to fee a PC’s suitability for processor-intensive workloads. Maxon’s Cinebench R23 makes use of that firm’s Cinema 4D engine to render a fancy scene, whereas Geekbench 5.4 Professional from Primate Labs simulates standard apps starting from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine studying. Lastly, we use the open-source video transcoder HandBrake 1.4 to transform a 12-minute video clip from 4K to 1080p decision (decrease occasions are higher).
Lastly, we run PugetBench for Photoshop by workstation maker Puget Methods, which makes use of the Artistic Cloud model 22 of Adobe’s well-known picture editor to fee a PC’s efficiency for content material creation and multimedia functions. It is an automatic extension that executes quite a lot of basic and GPU-accelerated Photoshop duties starting from opening, rotating, resizing, and saving a picture to making use of masks, gradient fills, and filters.
Right here the Legion Go’s AMD Z1 Excessive processor carried out in addition to the Z1 Excessive within the ROG Ally, generally, scoring barely higher or worse in nearly each check. The Go did faucet into all 30W of TDP throughout these checks, which can have resulted in among the fluctuating scores. The largest takeaway, although, is that, given the shape issue and the worth, the Legion Go may make a good finances laptop computer stand-in with a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. Although the intent is clearly gaming at the start, the truth that the Go can deal with on a regular basis actions and multitasking is spectacular nonetheless.
Graphics and Gaming Checks
For gaming laptops and different cellular gaming {hardware}, we run each artificial and real-world gaming benchmarks. The previous consists of two DirectX 12 gaming simulations from UL’s 3DMark, Evening Raid (extra modest, appropriate for techniques with built-in graphics) and Time Spy (extra demanding, appropriate for gaming rigs with discrete GPUs). Moreover, we use the cross-platform GPU benchmark GFXBench 5, which gauges OpenGL efficiency. These GFXBench checks are rendered offscreen to accommodate completely different native show resolutions; extra frames per second (fps) means greater efficiency.
Our real-world gaming testing comes from the in-game benchmarks of F1 2021, Murderer’s Creed Valhalla, and Rainbow Six Siege. These three video games—all benchmarked at 1080p decision—signify simulation, open-world action-adventure, and aggressive/esports shooter video games, respectively. Valhalla and Siege are run twice (Valhalla at Medium and Extremely high quality, Siege at Low and Extremely high quality), whereas F1 2021 is run twice at Extremely high quality settings with and with out AMD and Nvidia’s performance-boosting FSR and DLSS options turned on.
All through these checks, you possibly can see related numbers throughout the board for the Z1 Excessive units, with only one outlier within the bunch.
An open-world sport like Murderer’s Creed Valhalla working in addition to it did is a testomony to the facility of the Z1 Excessive, which I put additional to the check later, and even esports shooters like Rainbow Six carried out nicely on the {hardware}. The taxing F1 2021 proved an excessive amount of, however FSR upscaling introduced it as much as simply barely playable, even when it’s not the best method to take action. However, in case you’re already set on taking part in on a handheld, you need to know that sacrifices should be made within the identify of playability.
FSR Saves the Day
Clearly, the Legion Go shouldn’t be with out its limits, however how a lot blood can we draw from this $749 stone? The QHD-resolution show places it a step above the ROG Ally, however is maxing out the Legion Go value it? To see what it will possibly do, along with the handful of video games we benchmarked, I added some supplemental testing by working a handful of extra video games—together with three of the most well-liked PC RPGs of 2023—to get a greater thought of what the Legion can do.After all, I needed to set up Cyberpunk 2077 with its newest enlargement, Phantom Liberty. First, I cranked the Legion Go’s Efficiency Mode all the best way up, using all 30W of energy, left the body fee unlocked, and set the decision to its 1600p most. The primary check used Cyberpunk 2077’s excessive presets with ray tracing enabled, and as anticipated, it reported a dismal common of 13fps by way of a frame-rate recorder. Sustaining the identical decision, we tried the Steam Deck preset, which makes use of a mixture of low, medium, and excessive settings. Body charges improved, averaging at about 24fps. That is not likely playable, however I’m impressed that the sport ran in any respect. Apparently, utilizing the Low preset additionally averaged round 23fps.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)Now, right here’s the place FSR comes to avoid wasting the day. Utilizing the Steam Deck preset with FSR 2.1 enabled on Extremely Efficiency, the Go managed a median of 32fps. That’s truly playable, and visible high quality remained intact as nicely. Total, that is not a nasty option to play the sport, however I do know lots of you’ll relatively attain a better body fee—so we stored testing.
Decreasing the decision to 1,280 by 800 with the Steam Deck preset and FSR 2.1 on Extremely Efficiency, we clocked as excessive as 66fps. The draw back? A blurrier total picture, particularly noticeable in Cyberpunk’s UI, which seemed smeared with a Vaseline overlay. Maybe extra playable, however far uglier. The center floor, 1200p, improved the picture significantly however averaged simply 48fps. Total, full decision is an choice, however in case you don’t thoughts some fps dips, the 1200p choice drives first rate body charges and visuals. All in all, Cyberpunk 2077 runs fairly nicely on the Go, all issues thought of.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)Our subsequent sport is, after all, Baldur’s Gate 3, simply the most important RPG of the 12 months. For testing this time, I locked the refresh fee to 60Hz however stored all of the efficiency boosts as earlier than. The primary check ran the sport on Low settings at full decision, and the outcomes had been lower than spectacular. Ugly textures, significantly tough when viewing occasion members up shut, made the complete decision not value it. The body fee additionally chugged above and under the 30fps vary. As anticipated, dropping the decision improved body charges drastically: 1200p introduced the body fee as much as the 40s, and it managed to carry 60fps with the decision cranked right down to 1,200 by 800.
However, that’s earlier than turning on FSR. Baldur’s Gate 3 helps FSR 2.2, which deeply improves picture high quality and nets some severe frame-rate features. With FSR on Efficiency and backbone at 1600p, body charges jumped up into the 40fps-to-50fps vary. Naturally, 1280 by 800 hit 60fps however nonetheless seemed a bit ugly. Like Goldilocks, I discovered the 1200p setting to be excellent, wanting and performing nicely.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)As a deal with, I managed get the Starfield up and working on the Legion Go. For some motive, the drivers in a position to run Starfield weren’t accessible by way of merely updating the {hardware}, and I needed to manually find the motive force on Lenovo’s web site to drive the replace. The excellent news is that it truly ran, albeit with settings all on Low. I used to be in a position to increase FSR sharpening as much as 100%, however at any time when I modified the decision, the sport window shrunk together with it—maybe a results of forcing the replace.
The sport didn’t look half dangerous, all issues thought of, although you possibly can actually inform when the dynamic decision kicked in. Whereas the body fee chugged above and under 30fps, the sport was useful and, by all means, playable. Hopefully the decision difficulty will likely be mounted as soon as the motive force is formally pushed out by Lenovo.
Facet be aware, switching amongst all three of those RPGs tanked the Go’s battery onerous, dropping it from 100% to 7% in simply an hour and a half, so you will wish to hold your charger close by. After all, Lenovo truly recommends holding settings at 1200p and 60Hz with each Thermal and OS Energy modes on Efficiency, however mixing and matching settings can reportedly squeeze as much as three or extra hours, relying on how the extraordinary the sport is.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)The 2 final supplemental checks I ran had been in Rocket League and Horizon: Zero Daybreak: Full Version. First, I needed to get Rocket League working at 144fps in hopes of using the Go’s 144Hz refresh fee. However, even after setting the decision to 1280 by 800, setting render high quality to Excessive Efficiency, turning off each superior setting, and setting Texture Element, World Element, and Particle Element to Efficiency, the Go solely hit 144fps when sitting within the sport’s menus. Disappointing outcomes, however chances are high in case you’re not the kind to fret about body charges, you in all probability aren’t too apprehensive about reaching the 144Hz restrict.
Lastly, I capped my extra testing with Horizon: Zero Daybreak, and I walked away impressed. The sport stays attractive, even on the Go’s smaller display screen, and I didn’t need to sacrifice a lot visible readability for first rate efficiency. At 1200p decision, with settings on the Efficiency preset and FSR 1.0 enabled, I used to be in a position to preserve a gentle 60fps whereas sustaining some VRAM overhead. Reaching for full decision dropped body charges right down to the 40s, nonetheless.
Battery-Testing the Legion Go
In the end, we arrive on the battery benchmark. We check cellular PC battery life by taking part in a domestically saved 720p video file with show brightness at 50% and audio quantity at 100% till the system quits. We ensure that the battery is absolutely charged earlier than the check, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.
Not like the outcomes from taking part in video games at full energy, taking part in a video again noticed the Legion Go final for a comparatively very long time. For this check, I opted for the Quiet thermal mode (8W) and Balanced OS energy mode preset to get as a lot playtime as I may. The Go tapped out slightly below six hours, a number of hours behind each Ally units. Working the check once more with the thermal mode set to Efficiency, the system tapped out at 5 hours and 12 minutes.
Verdict: The Highest-Finish Cell Sport Console, However Room for Enchancment
Just like the Asus ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go is a wonderful different to the Steam Deck with entry to full Home windows, and it is an actual winner for many who may choose extra of every part. Whereas the larger display screen is welcome, the extra bulk and weight of the machine is bound to trigger fatigue after lengthy sport classes. Plus, tapping into the display screen’s sharper decision is usually not well worth the frame-rate drops. At that time, for full-HD gaming classes, we choose the extra snug ROG Ally, because of its lighter construct.
The Go shouldn’t be with out its deserves, and as upscaling expertise improves throughout AMD’s chips, we’re certain to see the shelf life of those machines lengthen past a few years. With that, we stay up for a revision from Lenovo if the demand for handheld gaming PCs holds or grows. It is probably not a Steam Deck killer and even an Ally killer, however it’s a wonderful selection for cellular PC gaming in case you’re set on greater resolutions or distinctive options.
