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Head-to-head · Best Handheld Gaming PCs

Lenovo Legion Go S (Z2 Go, SteamOS) vs Valve Steam Deck OLED

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Valve Steam Deck OLED comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.2 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about SteamOS users prioritizing battery life — read the strengths below before deciding.

Lenovo Legion Go S (Z2 Go, SteamOS)
Ranked #5 in Best Handheld Gaming PCs
Lenovo Legion Go S (Z2 Go, SteamOS)
4 sources1 derived$849.99as of Jul 31

The Lenovo Legion Go S gets pitched as the better Steam Deck, and its AMD Z1 Extreme chipset, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD back that up on portable AAA gaming. PCMag's Zackery Cuevas called it a 'better Steam Deck' that surpasses expectations, and digitalchumps reviewer Will Silberman watched it run demanding titles like The Last of Us Part II smoothly. Reviewers criticized the loud fan noise and the limitation that blocks background game updates during sleep mode. Gamers who want SteamOS compatibility and high performance should look; anyone who values quiet operation or battery efficiency shouldn't.

Strengths
  • — Runs graphically intensive games smoothly with consistent framerates
  • — Features an 8in WUXGA LCD touchscreen with 120Hz refresh rate and VRR
  • — Powered by AMD Z1 Extreme chipset with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD for high performance
Watch-outs
  • — Fan runs loudly even during light usage
  • — Game installation and updates cannot be done while device is in sleep mode
$849.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Valve Steam Deck OLED
Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Handheld Gaming PCs
Valve Steam Deck OLED
5 sources2 derived$924.98as of Jul 6

The Valve Steam Deck OLED's big change over the original is the display: vibrant HDR images and 1,000 nits peak brightness. Reviewers said the screen on its own makes the handheld feel notably better, with excellent color reproduction and a 90Hz refresh rate. Battery life improves, the fans run quieter, and Wi-Fi 6E is supported. The AMD APU hardware is showing its age on some newer games, though titles like Diablo 4 and God of War Ragnarök still pull off immersive play. For anyone who wants a better screen and a performance bump, it's a solid upgrade.

Strengths
  • — OLED display delivers vibrant HDR image with 1,000 nits peak brightness and 110% P3 color gamut
  • — Improved battery life with 50Whr battery and 6nm AMD APU for better efficiency
  • — Quieter fans compared to original Steam Deck model
Watch-outs
  • — AMD APU hardware shows age with some recent big-budget games
  • — Still uses sub-1080p resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels which may seem like a downgrade
$924.98 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Lenovo Legion Go S (Z2 Go, SteamOS)

The Lenovo Legion Go S outperforms the Steam Deck OLED and Valve Steam Deck OLED in terms of hardware specs, featuring a Z1 Extreme chipset and 32GB RAM, making it superior for graphically intensive games. Unlike the ASUS ROG Ally X, it avoids the Xbox UI but suffers from loud fan noise and lacks the OLED screen quality of the Valve model.

Valve Steam Deck OLED

The Valve Steam Deck OLED improves upon the original Steam Deck OLED with better battery life and quieter fans, but lags behind the MSI Claw 8 in terms of hardware performance and battery capacity. It also doesn't match the Lenovo Legion Go S's Z1 Extreme chipset or the ASUS ROG Ally X's Xbox UI integration.

Specs side-by-side

SpecLenovo Legion Go S (Z2 Go, SteamOS)Valve Steam Deck OLED
ProcessorAMD Z1 ExtremeZen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz
Display8in WUXGA (1900 x 1200)7.4" OLED, 1280 x 800
Memory32GB16 GB LPDDR5
Storage1TB M.2 SSD1TB NVMe SSD
Battery~55.5Wh50Whr battery
GraphicsAMD Ryzen Z2 Go8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.6GHz
Refresh Rate120HzUp to 90Hz
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