With Legion Go gaming handheld, Lenovo takes aim at the ROG Ally

theverge.com:

By Monica Chin, a senior reviewer covering laptops and other gadgets. Monica was a writer for Tom's Guide and Business Insider before joining The Verge in 2020.

Every company and its mother seems to be putting out handheld gaming PCs these days, and Lenovo is next to the plate. The company has announced the Legion Go, its first Windows-powered gaming handheld, which will be available for purchase in October. It’s got an 8.8-inch QHD Plus screen, an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, and a 49.2Wh battery (which is bigger than those of the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck). Oh, and the controllers pop off, which is neat.

While Valve’s Steam Deck tends to be the first product that comes to mind when this category is discussed, the Legion Go seems more like a cross between the Nintendo Switch and Asus’ ROG Ally. For one, with models starting at $699, the Ally is clearly what Lenovo is trying to match on price. But it also, like the Ally, is running old-school Windows and has more controls (a touchpad, primarily) that are tailored toward operating that system.

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With controllers attached, the Legion Go is about half a pound heavier than the ROG Ally (and a bit heavier than the Steam Deck). It is a noticeable difference when you pick the device up; it feels heavier. That didn’t particularly impact my gaming experience since I was largely using the device with the kickstand propping it up.

Nevertheless, I know this is something some potential customers will be unhappy about, particularly those who are buying a handheld for frequent travel. The case definitely feels bulkier than the one I carry my Switch around in.

The presumable upside of this extra bulk is battery life. Asus was very focused on keeping the Ally’s size and