Valve’s successful launch of the Steam Deck among gaming enthusiasts has spurred several manufacturers to develop competing devices with similar functionalities. Initially, Asus introduced the ROG Ally, aiming to lure customers away from the Steam Deck with Windows 11 and a faster SoC. Now, Lenovo follows suit with the Legion Go, drawing inspiration not only from the Steam Deck but also partly mimicking the Nintendo Switch.
The Switch-inspired elements are particularly evident in the detachable and independently usable controllers. Lenovo introduces a few fresh ideas, making the Legion Go even more intriguing. However, some features are not yet perfectly executed.
In practical terms, the handheld unit provided to us as a test sample by Lenovo can be comfortably used from various seating positions. Lenovo incorporates a USB-C port on both the top and bottom of the device’s casing.
During extended gaming sessions, this allows users to use one of the ports for the power supply, depending on their preference. In addition to the two USB ports, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card reader.
Who offers more in terms of resolution?
The ongoing unnecessary battle to claim the highest resolution and fastest panel in this device category still seems unwarranted. After all, the panel’s capabilities cannot be fully utilized in games.
Compared to the ROG Ally, Lenovo takes a step further by incorporating an IPS panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a swift 144Hz refresh rate. While these numbers might look impressive on paper, the truly notable enhancement compared to the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, in our opinion, is the larger 8.8-inch display diagonal. This larger screen provides a significantly more enjoyable gaming experience compared to the 7-inch ROG Ally or the 6.5-inch Steam Deck.
However, the larger display necessitates a generally larger casing. While the ROG Ally and Steam Deck are roughly similar in size, the Legion Go increases in dimensions. It measures 299 x 131 x 41 mm and weighs 852 grams, not exactly light. We notice the weight more prominently after extended gaming sessions.
This is where the detachable controllers come into play. The device can be easily placed on a table and used without additional accessories. The console even integrates a foldable stand akin to the Nintendo Switch OLED. It can be adjusted to an angle of about 110 degrees, a highly practical addition.
The detachable controllers themselves are thicker and larger overall compared to the Joy-Cons of the Nintendo Switch. This is logical considering they incorporate more components. For instance, the right controller includes not only the four action buttons, a system button, and two shoulder triggers but also several additional software-configurable buttons on the back and a trackpad below the analog stick. Similar to the Steam Deck, this can be used alternatively to the touchscreen for mouse control.
Within Windows, this functionality works quite well. However, in games, there were instances where we unintentionally touched the sensor area, resulting in inadvertent inputs. Furthermore, some games are confused by simultaneous use of mouse and controller inputs. Hence, it’s beneficial that we can deactivate the trackpad when necessary.
