Lenovo - Legion Go 8.8" 144Hz WQXGA Gaming Handheld - AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme - 16GB with 1 TB SSD - Shadow Black

I really really really like my Lenovo Legion Go! But I'm also not a typical user. I've already installed Linux on this device and unlocked more power in doing so. This device is excellent for anyone with patience or who loves to tinker. However, the default experience isn't the best and the first few hours with the device are better spent with a mouse and keyboard - even on windows. At a high level - Good: - Screen is wonderful from a refresh rate and color perspective, but I think the lack of an OLED panel is a mistake. - Performance is outstanding, likely the best of the 2023 handhelds. - Versatility - Again, likely the best of 2023 with a seamless FPS mode and a robust set of features. - Linux compatibility - Plug-and-play with Nobara, Bassite, and ChimeraOS linux distributions with only minor caveats and usually superior performance in every way. - USB4 - Having not one, but TWO full speed (40 Gbps) USB4 ports means this thing can already make use of external GPUs, thunderbolt docks, and other high performance peripherals. Meh: - Battery life is kinda meh. You can get a notable upgrade in battery life by switching to linux, but the display still likely consumes more power than the competing devices. It's not BAD if you know what you're doing and optimize games for 15 watts TDP or less, but still not as good as other devices. - Storage - I have the 1TB model, and I wish I had double the space with modern games reaching 200GB. The SD card slot helps a bit with older/smaller games, but provide a notable impact to load times on games over 40GB in size. USB4 is a far more effective way Bad: - Lenovo's software coupled with Windows is a terrible experience. Since this device has 16GB of memory shared between the CPU and the GPU, you'll often experience issues configuring the GPU with more than 4GB of RAM (leaving 12GB for the cpu) since Windows, on a clean boot, will take up 4-5GB of Ram without loading legion-space or the other tools. Add to this every launcher you'll need and maybe a web browser tab or two, and you run out of RAM fast. This problem is almost entirely a non-issue when running Linux where the RAM usage running Steam Big Picture is less than 2GB - meaning you can go up to an 8GB allocation for the RAM and unlock a TON of performance. - Lack of RAM - as stated above sharing 16GB of ram is tough. That's why modders are already offering upgrades to 32GB (which further unlock 10% MORE performance). In Linux, ZRAM helps make it hurt less.

I also have the non-OLED Steam Deck (since Aug 2022). I upgraded the SSD to 2tb, installed the Hall effect sticks, and even installed the DeckHD screen. While the SD did the things I needed it to, it was frustrating to get a few of the games working. What led me to look at the ROG Ally and Legion Go was because all of a sudden, Balders Gate 3 stopped opening and Persona 3 Reload was running at a measly 15 fps in a few areas. I was also finding that I was continuously needing to tweak my games just so it could run properly. I scoured reviews of both the Ally and Legion Go and decided on the Legion Go due to the screen size and the recent updates which made it a lot better. It was also widely known the Ally had SD card issues due to its placement. I was also concerned about running Windows, but I’m glad I chose the Legion Go. The Ally would’ve just been an incremental upgrade to the SD. Pros - the screen is amazing - since it runs Windows, it can run all my games effortlessly (BG3, Diablo IV, FFXIV with all mods) - Windows allows the flexibility to install everything you would normally on a PC - it can be used as a normal PC especially if you use OneDrive - Hall effect sticks are a game changer - Steam input controls makes navigating Windows a lot better - All my games run better and look better. - Disconnecting the controllers is great - the weight doesn’t bother me. It’s a noticeable difference but doesn’t affect me. - Chianti (for PS5 remote play) runs better than on the SD Cons - battery life is much worse than I thought it would be. It only lasts maybe an hour and a half so I have to plug it in frequently. I’ll eventually tweak the settings to get better battery life, but it gets annoying. - the fan gets really loud in performance mode. You will want to tweak your game settings - the sound out of the box is so bad. You will want to install the Realtek Audio Control app, then look on Reddit for the best settings. This improved it dramatically. Overall I’m glad I got the Legion Go. It’s a significant upgrade, and with the FSR 3.0 mod, it is incredible. Starfield looks almost as good on my PC (AMD 7700x with a XFX 6800 XT card) and runs at about 40 fps.

I love my Legion go. I don’t find it hard to hold and I have small hands. I can run all games player very smoothly. With some small adjustments the sticks work great with call of duty. I haven’t changed much with settings, just changed the bios to 6 and I’m hitting 65-100 fps in call of duty mw3. I love being able to just sit on the couch and play and still engage with others around me. I have average computer knowledge and I find this device rather easy to set up and use. Anything that I’m wanting to do that might be out of my scope is easy to follow along with a YouTube video. I love this and I definitely recommend the legion go. I don’t find portability to be much of an issue. It fits well in my backpack and the case that comes with it is very adequate in protecting it. I do recommend getting a screen protector for extra screen protection. Even with the controllers being able to detach I don’t find the the controllers to be unstable when holding. Even with the extra buttons on the back of the controller I don’t find it awkward to hold and I have little to no hand fatigue. I do enjoy the customizable settings to make games run smoother. Depending on your goal and expectations you can adjust the legion go rather easy to make the game you play run and smooth as you need it. If you’re on the fence I say choose this I love the screen size and it just feels nice when using. I definitely don’t regret my purchase.