Lenovo’s Legion Go S was one of the worst-kept secrets for CES 2025, but now we don’t need to pretend anymore, as we’ve not only seen it in the flesh, but we’ve had enough time to give it our full attention, and it’s good. Really good, in some ways. But there are some weaknesses that mean this 2025 handheld is still competing with the aging, but still-excellent, Steam Deck OLED. Can the Legion Go S’ higher resolution display, upgraded ergonomics, and more-modern graphics cores make it the better buy?
Here’s how the Legion Go S and Steam Deck OLED compare.
Although pricing is important for just about every technological product, portable gaming systems are particularly affected by it. They’re designed as a more affordable, more portable gaming solution for on-the-go play than laptops and desktops, offering a console-like experience for easy gaming wherever you are. Flagship devices like the ROG Ally X and first-generation Legion Go might impress, but they came in much more expensive than the Steam Deck when they debuted. That’s not the case with the Legion Go S.
The entry-level model starts at $500, which comes with the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip and runs SteamOS, but it won’t be launching until May. That price undercuts the Steam Deck OLED by $50. It’s still more expensive than the older LCD model, though.
There’s also the Windows 11 configurations to consider. That’s the model we tested in our review, and it was arguably our least-favorite aspect — it also costs $100 more. The first of all the Legion Go S models made available are this least attractive offering: the high-end $730 Z1 Extreme model, running Windows 11. In May, there will be an entry-level offering with the same specs as the SteamOS model, but it will cost $30 extra at $530.
The final wrinkle to consider is that, reportedly, there is no Z2-based Steam Deck 2 currently in the works to compete with the extra performance in the Legion Go S.
Spec tables never tell the whole story, but they’re a good way to begin one. We have a full spec sheet for the Legion Go S, from its CPU to its battery size, weight, and port configuration. Here’s how it stacks up against the Steam Deck OLED.
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme: 8 Zen 4 cores/16 threads, up to 5.1GHz
The Legion Go S it the newer device, so it’s no surprise to see it come in with more impressive specifications, but they are quite dramatic in a few instances. The CPU options are perhaps the most stark, with the higher-end Z1 extreme looking particularly overpowered compared to the older Zen 2 based CPU cores in the Steam Deck. The Z2 Go matches the core numbers of the Steam Deck, while upgrading them to Zen 3, with an improved clock speed.
Importantly, though, it doesn’t matter whether you pick the Z2 Go or the Z1 Extreme, they each have the same 12 core RDNA 3 GPU onboard, so it should deliver comparable graphical performance, even if the Z1 Extreme will be the more capable CPU.
The Legion Go S comes with double the memory of the Steam Deck, which should open up support for more demanding games in the future, as well as make it a more capable device for multitasking if you want to run background streaming apps, or similar.
The new Legion Go screen is bigger and brighter than the Steam Deck’s, with a higher refresh rate. It’s LCD, though, so as much as it might look excellent, even in brightly lit rooms, it won’t have the rich depth of contrast and color of the Steam Deck’s OLED panel.
Weight wise, there isn’t much between the two devices, although the Legion Go S is substantially thinner, giving it a sleeker profile. Batteries are around the same size, although the higher resolution display and more capable hardware in the Legion Go S could impact battery life.
The Legion Go S ditches the detachable controls of the original Legion Go (which is being saved for the Legion Go 2) for an integrated design that our own Jacob Roach said makes it “significantly more comfortable in the hands, with a smaller overall body that’s nonetheless packing an 8-inch screen.”
Indeed, in his extended review, he felt that the Legion Go S is the most comfortable gaming handheld. “It’s even better than the Steam Deck OLED,” Jacob said. “Valve is the only company that has been able to nail the ergonomics of this type of form factor, and shocking as it may sound, the Lenovo Legion Go S pushes things further.”
Meanwhile, note that the Legion Go S is a bit thinner than the Steam Deck OLED, but it’s slightly heavier.
The Legion Go S will come with your choice of Windows or SteamOS, depending on your preferences. Jacob was not a fan of the Windows version, so it’s probably better to aim for SteamOS if you’re buying the Legion. The larger touchpad design on the Steam Deck is more functional, but the miniature touchpad on the Legion Go S is perfectly usable for quick swipes and even some precision control.
The Steam Deck’s OLED panel is richer and more vibrant than the LCD on the Legion Go S, but it looks very crisp at 1080p and at 120Hz and is buttery smooth at higher frame rates. There’s an argument to be made that that added clarity and responsiveness could give the Legion Go S a slight advantage in competitive games, but there won’t be a lot in it when you factor in OLED’s faster pixel response time.
The triggers on the Legion Go S were a big upgrade for Jacob. They let you customize the depth of the trigger, including a rapid fire mode that lets you reduce actuation distance dramatically for more of a button-feel.
We haven’t tested the Z1 Extreme model of the Legion Go 2 S, so we can’t confirm how fast that model is, but the Ryzen Z2 Go model isn’t half bad. It’s newer graphics cores help push performance up at 1080p, and at 720P FPS is even higher. However, this only really makes it competitive with the Steam Deck OLED, and indeed, with the leaner Steam OS (versus Windows on our test version of the Legion Go S), the older Valve system often pulled ahead in our testing.
The Steam Deck might be nearing its three-year anniversary, but Valve has made it clear it’s not ready to replace it just yet. With such an aging piece of hardware, it’s no surprise to see newer alternatives from big names like Lenovo easily offering more performance at a comparable price. It also has a bigger, faster, and brighter display — even if it can’t quite offer the contrast and vibrant coloring of OLED.
But it is more comfortable, and you can play at great frame rates at higher resolutions. Definitely get the SteamOS version if you’re buying it, though, we really didn’t enjoy the Windows handheld experience.
However, Steam Deck OLED is more readily available as of February 2025, and its battery life is better.
This one is a real toss up depending on what matters for you. Battery life and better pricing right now? The Steam Deck OLED is the better option. Better ergonomics and display technology in a more-modern design, go with the Legion Go S.
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