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The Lenovo Legion Go is a handheld gaming PC with impressive performance, but the Steam Deck OLED is more portable. Read More
The Asus ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC that outperforms the Steam Deck and competitors like Ayaneo and Aokzoe, at only $699. Read More
The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Lenovo Legion Go are top alternatives to the Valve Steam Deck. Both handheld gaming PCs run Windows, unlocking easy access to any game regardless of launcher. They also pack the same relatively powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, which delivers a sizeable performance boost over the Steam Deck in the most demanding games.
Yet, despite these similarities, the Ally and Legion Go are far from interchangeable—and choosing between them comes down to the games you prefer to play.
The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Lenovo Legion Go share an entry-level MSRP of $700. That’s a lot compared to the Steam Deck’s base price of $399, but both the Ally and Legion Go come standard with 512GB of solid-state storage. Valve’s Steam Deck OLED with 512GB of storage is $550, so the price gap is smaller than it might seem at first glance.
You might expect pricing to be a draw since the Ally and Legion Go share the same processor, the same amount of RAM (16GB), and the same storage. However, frequent sales currently give Asus the advantage.
The Ally Z1 Extreme is a Best Buy exclusive and the retailer has been selling the handheld for $600, a $100 discount from the MSRP. It’s likely the Legion Go will someday see a similar cut, but in the few months after release, the price has only dropped $50 to $650 for the 512GB model, and $700 for the 1TB version.
That gives Asus a clear, though perhaps temporary, win on price. I recommend that shoppers check for sales on both before purchasing. It’s likely both will receive further price cuts in the future.
Our pick: Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme
Games look great on both handhelds, and they drain about the same amount of battery life.
The similarities between the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Lenovo Legion Go continue in performance, as both have an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. It’s an 8-core, 16-thread processor with integrated AMD Radeon 780M graphics.
So, if both have the same processor, they should perform identically—right?
Yes, with a few caveats. The overall winner varies depending on the performance profile you select on each device and the resolution you want to game at. The profiles differ slightly and can be customized to better suit your preferences. Lenovo’s Legion Go’s has a Performance profile targeting 20 watts of power draw, while the Ally’s Performance profile targets just 15 watts. But both can be customized to target between roughly 10 to 30 watts, and performance between the two is similar when targeting similar power draw.
That makes sense. Both have the same internal hardware, so any performance edge comes down to the power each handheld delivers to the Z1 Extreme processor. That also means performance comparisons will change slightly over time as each device receives firmware updates that tune the performance profiles available on each.
But these slim differences aren’t a good reason to buy one handheld over the other. Their performance is close to identical when each is tuned to draw the same amount of power.
Our pick: Draw
The Lenovo Legion Go has detachable controllers, one of which can be used vertically as a mouse.
It’s what’s on the outside that counts—at least, that’s true when it comes to the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Lenovo Legion Go.
Lenovo’s Legion Go is gigantic. The Go tips the scale at 1.88 pounds, about half a pound more than the Ally’s 1.36 pounds. It’s larger, too; the Go measures 11.76 inches wide against the Ally’s 11 inches, and 5.16 inches deep versus the Ally’s 4.37 inches. The Go’s size is necessary to fit its beautiful 8.8-inch, 2,560 x 1,600, 144Hz IPS display, which is more immersive and more comfortable to view.
The Ally’s lighter, more nimble design better fits its smaller 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz display but makes for a more comfortable and ergonomic experience. Asus’ handheld is less tiring to hold over long play sessions and more easily fits in a small messenger bag or purse for everyday carry.
The controls differ, too. Lenovo offers a trackpad and two extra shoulder buttons but moves the Start and Select buttons to the left of the display. Asus sticks with a traditional Xbox-style layout. Both use a touchscreen, but the Legion Go's larger display is easier to interact with. Lenovo also provides detachable controllers (like the Nintendo Switch), though it doesn’t add much to the experience.
Each design provides tradeoffs. The Ally is easier to use while traveling or commuting and fits better in your hand when playing games designed specifically for a controller. The Lenovo Legion Go’s larger display makes it a better choice for lounging around the house or playing PC-centric games that lack native controller support.
Our pick: Draw
The Lenovo Legion Go has a 49.2-watt-hour battery, while the Asus Ally Z1 Extreme has a 40-watt-hour battery. That’s a 20 percent advantage in favor of Lenovo, and while it’s somewhat offset by the larger, higher resolution display, it’s reasonable to assume the Legion Go will last a tad longer overall.
As with performance, however, the details matter. The Ally and Legion Go support various power profiles that various levels of power draw between roughly 10 and 30 watts. The Legion Go’s profiles include Quiet Mode (8 watts), Balance Mode (15 watts), and Performance Mode (20 watts). Asus’ Ally has a Silent profile (9 watts), Performance (15 watts), and Turbo (25 watts), and both support customization, enabling performance beyond what the default power configurations support.
Lower performance profiles are meant to extend battery life and reduce fan noise, while higher performance profiles focus on performance. While the Legion Go has a slightly larger battery, both the Ally and Legion Go can suck the battery dry in roughly an hour if the highest profile is used and display brightness is set to maximum, or last more than four hours if the lowest profile is used.
Lenovo also scores a small win with its Super Rapid Charge, a feature that can charge the battery from zero to 70 percent in just 30 minutes. Both models of the Ally support fast charging but only promise a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. The Legion’s faster recharge time means you can get back in the game more quickly.
Our pick: Lenovo Legion Go
Focus on your favorite games when making a decision.
The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Lenovo Legion Go have many similarities, including the internal hardware, so it’s not surprising they fight to a standstill. Still, some key features provide each with an advantage (or disadvantage).
The Lenovo Legion Go is best approached as a portable PC that happens to have controllers attached. It’s larger, but more versatile, and better suited to playing games that lack native controller support. It’s a good choice for games like Civilization VI and World of Warcraft, and those who don't mind tinkering will love the included touchpad.
The Ally’s more compact size makes it comfortable to hold and better suited to travel. It also feels more natural when playing games with native controller support, as its joysticks and buttons are placed in familiar, easy-to-reach locations. It’s a portable, pick-up-and-play experience.
Your decision should come down to the games you want to play on a handheld PC. I’m most interested in massively multiplayer and strategy games, so the Legion Go better fits my needs. But if you’re looking to play cross-platform titles, like No Man’s Sky or Cyberpunk 2077, the Ally is a sensible alternative.
The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is a portable (and more affordable) Windows gaming handheld.
The Lenovo Legion Go’s massive 8.8-inch screen and detachable controllers put a novel spin on handheld PC gaming.
review
Matthew S. Smith is a veteran tech journalist and general-purpose PC hardware nerd. Formerly the Lead Editor of Reviews at Digital Trends, he has over a decade of experience covering PC hardware. Matt often flies the virtual skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator and is on a quest to grow the perfect heirloom tomato.
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