🗂️Keep in Mind CES 2025: Finally, SteamOS Runs on a Handheld Other Than the Steam Deck

[_=*Croft*=_]

Ever since it kicked off a renewed interest in handheld PC gaming in 2022, the Steam Deck has been my go-to recommendation for anyone with even a passing interest in taking their PC games on the go. It now has plenty of competition, some with better chips and some with better screens, but none have matched the convenience of Valve’s SteamOS operating system—until now.

The Lenovo Legion Go S runs SteamOS​

While most Steam Deck competitors use Windows, Lenovo announced during this year’s CES that its new Lenovo Legion Go S will be the first PC handheld not from Valve to offer SteamOS at launch. That means it’ll have a dedicated Steam button, easy access to Steam’s store and your Steam Library (although it can still play games from other stores), immediate remote play functionality, and, perhaps my favorite feature, Valve’s unmatched quick menu support (for adjusting everything from brightness to power consumption).

SteamOS is also a bit more lightweight than Windows, so games could theoretically run better. Although, since it is based on Linux, some games will face limited compatibility.

Still, the tradeoff is well worth it to me. The Proton tech SteamOS uses to help Windows games run on Linux has been generally reliable across my library, even with games that are supposed to have issues, and SteamOS is much easier to navigate with a controller than Windows.

That said, the Legion Go S will have a Windows version as well, which will accommodate anyone who needs to play a game with anti-cheat, since those have difficulties running on SteamOS. Sadly, it's limited to white, while the SteamOS version comes in what looks like black to me, but Lenovo assures me it's a type of purple.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Legion Go S vs. Steam Deck​

So, why get the Legion Go S over a Steam Deck? Primarily, the chip and the screen.

The Steam Deck is still an impressive bit of kit for its starting price point of $400 (or cheaper when buying refurbished), but it’s getting a little long in the tooth when it comes to performance and visuals. The more expensive OLED upgrade can help a little bit with the latter, but the Legion Go S is generally more modern, and more akin to other competitors like the Asus ROG Ally.

While I’ve previously been skeptical about these competitors due to their lack of SteamOS, the Legion Go S promises the best of both worlds—modern hardware and Valve’s convenient software. Let’s start with the chip: over the base Steam Deck, it has either the existing AMD Z1 Extreme processor or the new, exclusive AMD Z2 Go processor.

The Z1 Extreme has already proven itself in devices like the aforementioned Asus ROG Ally, putting out a dozen or so extra frames over the Steam Deck in the latest AAA games, while the as-yet-unreleased Z2 Go seems to be a more modest improvement over the custom AMD Steam Deck chip. According to AMD’s CES press conference yesterday, you can expect the Z2 Go to have roughly the same compute core count as the Steam Deck’s chip, but with a higher clock speed, the ability to use up to 30W of power, and four extra graphics cores. Both should perform better than the Steam Deck, although the latter will certainly be a little cheaper.

That extra performance plays into the other reason to upgrade: the improved screen. While the Steam Deck tops out at an 800p OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, the Legion Go S has a higher resolution 1920 x 1200 panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is LCD, so you’ll lose out on the crisp OLED color contrast, but if you’re like me and still running a Steam Deck LCD rather than the newer Steam Deck OLED, it’ll be a definitive upgrade. If you do have the OLED, it’ll largely be a matter of whether you prefer fidelity or speed. The Legion Go S will be able to show a higher frame per second count (hence the need for extra performance), but the Steam Deck OLED will probably have better colors, even if it has a slightly lower resolution.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

You can configure the RAM to be twice as high as any Steam Deck, which should help make the handheld smoother to use. The remaining factors, then, are a matter of comfort and looks.

The Legion Go S is a little thinner and lighter than the Steam Deck, and also marks an overhaul on the first Legion Go design, ditching the detachable controllers for a singular body. The right-hand touchpad from the first Legion Go is also still there, albeit smaller, although it doesn't have the dual touchpad setup that the Steam Deck has. On the plus side, it does have an extra USB-C port that the Steam Deck doesn’t, as well as a slightly larger battery and optional trigger stops for a shorter pull.

All of that makes for a compelling combo for me: the first device to really tempt me away from the Steam Deck since I got it. You’ll want to wait for reviews to make a final decision, but Lenovo has put itself in a comfortable position here, especially with the Legion Go S’ price.

Pricing​

The Legion Go S Powered by Steam, which is the model that runs SteamOS, will launch in May starting for $500. That will get you a Z2 Go processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Meanwhile, a 512GB Steam Deck OLED is $50 more expensive, at $550. Upgrades to storage and RAM will also be available, which also brings me to the Windows version of the device.

The Windows Legion Go S is actually getting a head start out the door, launching this month for $730. It comes with the Z2 Go processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. That’s a lot to pay for some extra memory and storage, so it should put you at ease to know a Windows model that’s otherwise identical to the SteamOS version will also drop in May for $600, alongside additional upgrade options for both models. Those upgrades will include models with the Z1 Extreme chip, although specs for those configurations aren't fully available yet.

Credit: Lenovo

Note that Lenovo isn’t considering the Legion Go S a full-on next-generation version of its existing Legion handheld. That would be the Legion Go 2, which is also at this year’s CES, but in a prototype stage. The latter is set to ship with the new Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, an OLED screen, a new finish, and a fingerprint reader. There’s still no word on pricing or whether it'll include SteamOS, but Lenovo did tell me that it's aiming to ship within 2025. Fans of the first version can also rest easy knowing that the detachable controllers are still there, too.
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