100% confirmed today by Lenovo that there is no VRR. But, they actually did go into a no BS -marketing explanation of why and after dealing with the silence from ASUS for so long, it was super refreshing.
When a handheld struggles to hit a stable 60fps Vrr is the best solution for a smooth feeling gameplay the rog ally does this beautifully but I guess Lenovo wanted to keep the cost down to aggressively compete with the ally. 😢 If the legion go turn out to be a micro stutter mess then this is a deal breaker for me. But I want this device so bad.
It's pretty hard to source a native landscape display. This is using a tablet screen and most portables stick to that portrait format even the steam deck they are easier to source. The price probably would have went way up so I think it is a happy compromise at $699 considering we thought this was going to be way more expensive. To think the regular Z1 will be cheaper blows the mind.
I hate being a handheld enthusiast.... I have the steam deck and the ally which I love so much even through the Sd card reader burned out already, and now Lenovo's Go seems even more compelling then ever even without VRR. i love these dockable, switch - like pcs. Wish I could have been on this podcast to give my thoughts from my interesting streaming perspective with these devices. Great job guys!
For text heavy turn based rpgs it would be nice. But for anything action heavy I'd probably just lower it to 720p (or even lower) to maintain real 60fps as much as possible. Performance >>> resolution.
If it had VRR, it would be PERFECT... especially for aggressively changing framerates and to have as low-latency as possible. I want to jump on this device after getting the ROG Ally, because it has everything the ROG Ally could use, and even has the Touch/Trackpad of the Steam Deck that it sorely misses... and double USB Type Cs that I don't why they never thought it wasn't essential in the previous devices for both charging and connecting anything else besides the charging cable and at the bottom of all places that would be perfect for a Switch-like docking manner. Also detachable controls which turns the system into just a tablet, with a BUILT-IN kickstand a la Switch OLED style, is SOOOOO attractive. I don't know why the other two didn't think of adding a built-in kickstand... you have the Switch, you have the blueprint for features to consider. I'm surprised they neglected those things... Now my question is, will Lenovo's UI windows interface be superior than the ROG Ally's Armoury Crate under Windows OS, we will have to wait and see... I'm cautiously excited, the lack of VRR is kinda of a bummer to me though.
To be honest, the Ally isn’t perfect either: Micro SD card reader that is almost guaranteed to fail if you use it long term, narrow color coverage, and VRR adds display latency. VRR is a buzzword that sometimes people too much focus on when it is the sum of the parts of the display’s abilities, including color coverage, which is a clear step up here, that make the difference.
Might still get it even without VRR, it looks so much better, and the screen is large enough to play with friends in a cafe. Also, if the controller breaks, it should be easier to buy a replacement because its detachable
@@ricksanchez7250 remember the controls x2 also charge of the main unit. Then you have way more screen to light at 1600p 😳 not sure if we even have the technology 🤣🤣
i watched a video recently that showed the ally now performing significantly better than the steam deck at 10w... only 10w though, the video didn't detail 6/7/8/9w performance which is likely still going to favour the deck but who knows. I think it shows that perhaps retesting the devices after recent updates is important before parroting that the steam deck performs better still at lower wattage because that may not be the case anymore. As for the legion go, yes VRR is a deal breaker, particularly on a handheld device we know isn't very powerful, we may pretend the 7840u is almighty but its really not, the majority of bigger AAA games we have to play below 60fps, its a handheld reality. With that in mind i think the biggest dealbreaker for the lenovo is its just another 7840u in what is now a huge ocean of 7840u devices... is nobody just sick of one after the other after the other of the same core hardware wrapped in clothing it really cant take advantage of, i mean a 7840u paired with a 144hz 1600p screen, really? How many more 7840u's are they going to cram into handhelds before the year is out and before you know it they are talking about 8000 series and we start the train up again. There is really nothing compelling about spending another close to £1000 on another 7840u handheld, who is doing that and why, buy one and wait 12 months for updated hardware, you are nuts buying multiple different versions of these things knowing how short a time it really is for a meaningful hardware update not the same thing in different clothes.
Please cite the video that shows the Ally beating the SD at 10W. Gamer's Nexus just dropped a video that shows the Ally marginally beating the SD (even losing at times) at 15W.
@@elementxc I will try to find the video sometime today, I absolutely for sure seen a video showing this. The gamers nexus video for the most part was great but rather unusually for Steve he does not actually ever specifically state which bios version he was using when doing performance testing only that they were using the ''latest drivers'', he did point out that “some users were experiencing issues with bios 319” and that he could not stop the bios updating to 319 on their unit and he also showed early in the video that the bios in use at that time was 319 so we must assume their testing was done on 319… he did briefly show a screen showing the bios 323 being available but we don’t know if they updated to that before performance testing or if performance testing was already done, we would like to think that it was the very latest version of all updates but we can’t be sure because he only ever specifically states they were forced to update to 319 and so we’re using 319. From my understanding they have been testing this product for quite some time so who knows, the ally has had very specific updates to boost performance at 15w specifically way after 319 was released and there are videos out there showing a specific bump at 15w putting it way ahead of steam deck at that wattage now. I’ll do my best to get those videos linked today, just on school runs etc lol
@@elementxc i think the video i was referencing about 10w was the recent ayaneo 2s review done by digital foundry where they showed (in one specific game mind) that the 10w performance had jumped significantly for ally over deck, before the recent updates the ally was trailing massively something like 30fps vs 60fps on deck in that game but now on latest updates the ally is around 20fps ahead in that same test... it is ofcourse only one game and test though but does indicate improvement at low wattage. in the same video they show that 15w performance in general is close in some games while taking a bigger lead on ally in other games but if you watch videos comparing deck vs ally, specifically later ally updates you will see most games do perform better on ally at 15w, not all ofcourse but many. When it comes to the gamers nexus video its likely steve was using the latest bios, i cant imagine they wouldn't but its difficult to say because they do indicate using 319 and show it being used in the bios early in the video before later stating before performance tests that they used the latest update. i suspect they did update, they are smart enough to do so and it was likely just the results of their specific game selection.
Mr shifty is one of the early games I picked up for the switch. I still to this day don’t know why it’s only got 66 on metacritic - it’s a great hidden gem!
It becomes pretty obvious during the video what the game is in the background regardless of the fact it's out of focus Panzer Dragoon for the Sega Saturn.
I like the idea of the bypass charging, BUT only if its an option that can be turned off. ~70% of the time I trickle charge my Ally from the usb port on the exercise bike while playing to extend the play time a bit
Battery life on devices like the Deck, Ally, etc. is a pretty minimal concern to me because the places that I'll realistically be playing at will most likely have an outlet nearby anyways. That said, the 50-ish Wh Legion Go might not have much better battery life than the Ally since the screen is like 60% bigger, but who knows.
I find it interesting that VRR was listed among the features in the Windows Report leak and yet it's conspicuously missing. It could be that the Panel itself is VRR Capable but the drivers and software isn't ready.
I got the asus rog ally . Really enjoying it. When I bought it I knew something would come out with better things and so on . I realize you can't keep up with technology. I'll upgrade a few years down the road . For the people getting the lenovo go just watch what will be released in 5 years and 5 years after that
I agree with that. If I had known this would come out, I probably would of gotten it instead of the Rog Ally but I don't have any regret in buying it, it's still amazing to use.
@saiyan981 That's if it's in the spotlight at all. Lol. These handhelds are all pretty niche, steamdeck is only doing well because it already had a built-in fanbase.
One thing to consider, I could be wrong but the 9 extra watt hours is gonna go to the bigger screen. They market it like Russ said at 11:53 to help upsell the product. Don’t get me wrong it looks and sounds great and I’m glad the market is expanding just gotta know what you’re getting and using it for. People see and hear that has a bigger battery but don’t think of where that power needs to go to compensate.
I'm definitely getting the Legion when it drops, so glad I returned my Ally as I was not taking any chances with the Micro sd card being fried ...Still love my steam deck, but that massive screen panel on the Legion is going to be so wild, I can't wait to get my hands on one.
Just as a reminder VRR is used to eliminate tearing without adding latency and stuttering. Nothing more and nothing less Another way to eliminate tearing is to use vsync which can introduce latency and stuttering depending on the screen refresh rate. For a 60Hz screen, with vsync and double buffering, the fps can range between 60, 30, 20, 15... which is annoying and introduces a maximum latency of approximately 16ms. With a 144Hz screen the fps can range between 144, 72, 48, 36, 28.8, 24, ... and the latency is as much as 7ms so the latency and stuttering are much less noticeable. With "triple buffering" is even better. The biggest problem with this screen is that it will not be landscape and the battery consumption at 144Hz. This will be partially offset by the use of vsync since it can saves some battery. Steam deck this makes it very simple. If you select 60HZ and limit it to 30 fps, you know that if the GPU at some point does not reach 30 and you do not allow tearing, it will be 20fps. If you set 30Hz and 30fps if it does not reach 30 it will be 15. 40Hz and 40fps allowing tearing is also a good solution.
If it doesn't have VRR that's a huge downside for me. I guess, I never did try Freesync, as I have a monitor that comes with the expensive Gsync chip (not just the "compatible" one), but if it feels that smooth then I would love that experience on a handheld. The funny thing is on my desktop I often wouldn't really need it as much, because I could lock it to 60fps, (although when games like Starfield come along it basically is the only thing making the game playable for me), but on handhelds, where even stable 30fps can be hard to achieve, VRR is a feature that's unfortunately not very common.
Everyone ignores the fact that the TDP can go up to 48w. That means higher frame rates and better performance compared to the ally. The z1 extreme seems capable, but was not fully utilized on the ally
With 144hz the factors are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 24, 36, 48, 72, and 144, so is it not posible to have the screen at 144hz and limited the games fps to one of these numbers? that should give you consistent framing.
Hey guys love the podcast. Even when there are only two of you is fun, don't stop please (only for breaks lol). Hey I was thinking maybe for the next episode you guys can talk about what character you guys picked on Starfield (with treats if you want) and why you picked them. I think it would be could just knowing the different reasons why everyone pick different characters. Cheers!!! 😊
My lower score game I loved was wet on Xbox 360 I felt like it was really innovative with the movement and gunplay and it felt good to control and was just fun to push through each level and figure out new creative combos !
I agree that buying the 1TB upfront rather than DIY upgrading to 1TB after is the best option. IIRC Lenovo uses the M.2 2242 which tends to be more expensive. Then one would have to decide what to do with the 512GB taken out from the Go. So, in Oct/Nov, I would be looking at the 1TB model.
@@mrwalker6026 For gaming, probably best to have a bigger primary storage. As I'm not much into gaming when on the go, I think 1TB is a good compromise.
Big missed opportunity is they should have made the controller batteries bigger and the whole system could feed off them when attached for a battery life boost
Really enjoy these collaborations, brings out a lot expert opinions, you guys are so helpful in navigating great deals among the competition. Like how each voices there preferences on specs, *feel*, and offering experience as possible customization solutions... For the life, I'm still trying to understand 😅what I'm doing anytime I click "advance settings*....
Faster ram in mhz doesn't mean more performance if the timings are loose. In most high end and extreme high end systems, DDR5 6000 TO 6400 mhz is the best performance memory due to tighter timings. The Gskill Trident Z memory is so stable and practically destroys all competition at 6400mhz.
Thanks for the mouse suggestion, I had the G502 which I loved, but I live in a studio with my GF sleeping next to me and I drive her crazy with the clickyness of the mouse. Y use a magnet USB cable so for the PC I use the wireless dongle and for the deck I use the cable. The MX master solved those 2 issues. I picked up just now from Best buy and paired with my deck. Super happy with it, thanks again!
Critic scores for games are much less useful than reading through a few pages of user reviews. Critics cannot be 100% honest else they risk their access to getting their free review copies and being sent software/hardware by companies. The community however spends their own money and while some may be to harsh or fan boyish, it doesn't take long to see the trend. That's never failed me in many years.
One thing you didn’t mention is: USB 4.0. It should be compatible with thunderbolt eGPU enclosures, much better than the proprietary expensive eGPUs from Asus.
@@creaturecore13 depends on the GPU. But at least its going to be compatible with other devices, and you can buy an off the shelf gpu to put there, and use it in the future in other pcs or handhelds
11:30min Russ one more case for QHD+ 144Hhz (without VRR) is for the AAA desktop game streaming to your handheld. It's probably also part of a mouse fps mode user case. And lastly perhaps this Go will double as a Windows Tablet where the higher DPI and higher refresh is better for the multi touch experience. I believe we can run native Android apps too in Windows right? Hopefully software updates will open up more supported resolutions with more varied refresh rates.
The main case for the 144fps screen is exactly as Dave2d showed it: Competitive Shooters. Things like Fortnite, Overwatch, Valorant, COD etc will actually be perfectly playable on the Legion Go with its sizable 8'8 screen, sturdy built in kickstand, then the detachable controllers with one turning into a competent vertical mouse (Dave2d said after getting acclimated to it he believes he would be able to retain his Grandmaster rank in Overwatch with it), and then the 144hz will actually matter since the Z1 Extreme with Lpddr5x at 7500mhz should pretty easily be able to hit that constantly with lowered settings (which all Pro players use even with the highest end systems). There is no handheld even remotely close to as good as the Legion Go for shooters or competitive games, since its the only one that can BY ITSELF (i.e without external monitor, mouse/keyboard etc) play them well enough.
@@slickrounder6045lol if you buy this thinking your going to get a constant 144 in any of those games you are going to be in for a rude awakening maybe if you play at 400p lol
@@WuFluChan At 800p (half resolution with Integer Scaling) all the titles i listed can hit 144fps on low settings (some like Valorant easily, some like Fortnite less so). You are underestimating the top Phoenix Apu in conjunction with Lpddr5x at 7500mhz, and also the ability for the Legion Go to push up to 48w in Docked mode. I guarantee you performance in FPS games will be much better than you are giving it credit for. Go watch some reviews on top Phoenix Apu's or Mini-Pcs (Beelink, Minisforum etc) with them at higher tdp.
Good and hope you get the device that serves your needs best! For me, I am totally fine without it. The display’s still image quality (thanks to almost 100% DCI-P3 coverage) is a step above the Ally’s so it is an acceptable tradeoff for me. I also know that like VSync, VRR is known to add display latency so while it may add some fluidity in certain scenario, you add several frames of latency which can be make-or-break in competitive titles.
VRR many times adds latency which is what the Lenovo representative Sergey explained. This is why eSports players often will display VSync and VRR so they have maximum display latency. The upside here is the Legion Go offer nearly 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, meaning colors will absolutely ooze radiance and vibrancy. For someone like me who could care less about VRR up until the Ally fans touted its virtues, as long there is no ghosting like the Ally, trading VRR for color range is a fair swap.
Vrr is a huge deal but if there is more battery life with detachable controllers and a bigger screen with a more comfortable hold then I think it's a good trade off. That said I would pay the extra 100 bucks for a vrr version
I wonder what the granularity of the refresh rate setting is? If its finely adjustable i guess you could set it to double the fps cap, e.g. 80Hz for a 40fps game. Atleast it shouldnt have any stutter, but will be a waste of battery and is not a real subsitute for VRR
So far, im sold on the legion go. My plan is to use it for my tv with wither its controllers or another one, so it's probably going to be docked 80+% of the time. I will say i have lived my life till now without vrr, and i can continue too maybe the legion 2 will have it, but I'd rather support the bigger screen, bigger battery, and nice controllers one with 2 usb c and hope they keep stepping it up. Either way me supporting it will keep rog on the toes
If on a TV plugged in a more powerful gaming laptop would probably be better, with a Xbox controller and Bluetooth mouse. I put my laptop beside the TV with the screen partially open and upside down, so it gets improved airflow. It’s not quite as portable but easy to take with you in a laptop bag. I do like the look of these handhelds but think some games could look quite bad on a big screen at lower settings and frame rate.
I LOVE Enslaved. That was my first pick for game-that-didn't-review-well. Thing is, it kind of did. So, I think it's more that I have this thing for games like Enslaved or Alan Wake that are generally well regarded and have vocal fans but never got the kind of success that they maybe deserved.
When it comes handheld screens, the ultimate one for me would be an 8" OLED screens with a VRR range from 20Hz to 60Hz (rather than high refreshrate). And being able to lock framerate to any number within that range... That way you can lock to a framerate that will offer good battery life, but the VRR would take care of small dips, even into the 20's... and honestly 120Hz+ for scrolling text on your phone is nowhere near the same use case as panning a camera in-game. Especially if the game is running at 720p/800p. Higher refreshrates really only become important with higher resolutions as there are more information loss in-between frames... On a Steam Deck, 60fps feels pretty much like a 144Hz desktop display, the reason being that there fewer pixels or smaller space in-between every rendered frame compared to the same refreshrate at 1440p or 4K.
It would probably have been too perfect with VRR after hitting the amazing $700 price point (and only $750 for 1tb!). For me it ticks off every box otherwise, with maybe only a 49.2wh battery being a bit smaller than optimal (albeit still much better than the paltry 40wh on steam deck/Ally). Love the 8'8 screen, amazing controls, trackpad, ability to detach controllers and use one as an effective mouse. Only question is should I finally buy a Handheld this year, or wait for Strix Point in ~8-9 months when inevitably there will be a Legion Go 2 ready to to go. Also with the Glasses being lowered to only $329, I'm curious how they work and if it would be a substitute for an actual monitor, such as when playing Strategy Games like Civilization or whatever (which even on an 8'8 screen would be far from optimal). I just have no experience with those type of glasses, so not sure how viable they would be. Maybe they will be on display in Best Buy and one can try them out as well as get hands on with the Legion Go.
oh, for sure these classes are a replacement. you’ll enjoy them very much. I’ve used devices like it such as VR gaming in the theater room and it’s breathtaking but having these classes just make sure system more portable that means you can take a screen monitor with it anywhere you want to go that’s why you should get them.
@@slickrounder6045 yeah I haven’t really done much research. I’m just waiting for the game system to come out before I even choose which I’m so excited for my friend. It’s going to be epic.
So, the determining factor for me is if the legion go is going to have a thunderbolt port. If it does, then I’ll definitely be getting a legion go, however if it does not, It will definitely be a debate for me
The play station portal is useful in the same way I don't play on any other console at home with my gf anymore now that i have the steam deck because it's easier to just sit on the couch watching TV with her while also playing my games and I can spend time with my family and not neglect them
The high refresh rate screen will make this an ideal, but expensive, device to use the highest tier of GeForce Now. Weird that it's underpowered for games at 144 Hz but great for things like GFN at 120 fps.
This is exactly what I want it for but I’m not sure if it will be good without VRR and idk if it will be able to do 4k 120fps let alone be able to handle that network side only Wi-Fi
If the Legion’s panel can have its framerate set at the hardware level, couldn’t you set a game to 40fps and the panel itself to 80 or 120? This wouldn’t tax the CPU, since it’s just the hardware frequency and you’d have smooth frame pacing. Only drawback I see is faster battery drain.
I've got far more gaming nastalgia for Zelda ocarina of time.....and yet Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game and favorite game of all time. Definitely wasn't many people's cup of tea haha
sounds like you are all set but as I've heard from another onexplayer owner who said the Go was lighter being slightly wider screen with higher refresh. He'll buy at bestbuy to try it out and then decide on what to keep.
Great discussion! Honestly I am a bit overwhelmed when trying to weigh which one I should buy: Rog ally, Steamdeck or Legion Go. Love your both content which I use to help of my thinking and decision.
Rush 2: Extreme Racing, is a game that I can play for hours and hours on my N64. I absolutely LOVE it! However when it launched, it was universally panned. The visuals weren't great, the physics are bad, and the difficulty spike is . . .pretty brutal. But damn, I love it!
I like the device so far. I think this Mouse Mode ( FPS ) is a real benefit, if you use it for gamaing or not, if i use Windows or the Desktop in Steam Os a Mouse is always necessary to me.
A game I really liked but got bad reviews wasThe Bureau: XCOM Declassified. I've finished it about 3 times and still think about it. I love the 60s aliens setting and I also make the effort to micro manage my team like it was turn based using the tactical pause mechanic
I've been playing Modern Warfare 2 on my Steam Deck and its usually around 60fps and its fine to me....will definitely get the Legion Go...worst case is I don't like it and return it.
Has-Been Heroes has a 79% on Steam. Could be a user score vs reviewer score thing but I think it speaks to a difference between platforms. Same goes for Shadowgate, poorly received on NES but it wasn't meant for that crowd - it's a Mac RPG aimed at computer nerds.
Most ally screens are capable of overclocking to 144hz, some people can’t hit it. You can up the vrr to 144 and also lower it down to usually at least 20 something. That said most games can’t get there even at 720p and the ones that do will still bounce around and drop down into the 120s 130s here and there which isn’t noticeable with vrr but obviously would be horrible without it. A lot of brand new games can’t do even 40 much less 60 at 720p with a 7840u so they are going to be a terrible experience unless you lock your fps for the lowest a game goes for each individual game
This was a must buy for me until I saw that it had no VRR. I'll wait for reviews. Also, CES is just around the corner so we might see rumblings of the 8840U, with refreshes coming in March to April. This is definitely the best handheld released so far, I'd compare it to a smaller version of the Asus Flow Z13. Get a lapdesk and you can play in bed with the controllers detached. Lenovo does have quite a few sales at the end of the year, so if I can get a good cashback or better yet a nice discount, then I can overlook the VRR screen. Plus you can still manually lock the FPS via software.
Ooooo that might be a deal breaker. Is it possible at least to force software to run only at like 40fps? I know some games have this in the options menu.
On Shadowgate, I can't say about all critics, but contemporary reviews for those games (Macventure ports) were relatively positive from what I can remember. Not super positive though, probably like 7.5/10 level.
Im have the ROG and SD now but im considering the lenovo. The battery life on my rog is terrible and at times i cant even play for an hour. I use the SD for this exact reason.
I am so torn between getting the Legion Go or going in the total opposite direction and ponying up for the GPD Win Mini. I love the super compactness of the Mini but I also know it costs way more, get's pretty hot and eats through battery more than the Rog Ally. Many videos show a 20W TPD drains more battery than the Rog at 25W. Too bad we cannot get the Win Mini with a Z1E! The other thing is the 7" screen. I want bigger and the Lenovo Legion Go seems to scratch that big screen itch. I do worry about that extra weight though. So I flip back and forth trying to justify which benefits and comprises would best serve. Get a chunky 8.8" brick or a sexy 7" hot pocket that's worse in other areas but so damn clutch. My eyes argue with my brain if that makes any sense?
@@GStatus232 the phawx now says 13w is probably the max TDP for your hands on the Win Mini. So far I've seen the Win Mini is draining the battery faster than the Z1E Rog Ally at the same TDP. Later hands on videos have shown the Legion Go has a max TPD slider up to 48W! Also there is a 20W TDP whisper quiet power profile for it. That to me is the sweetspot for the AMD 7000 series. This will help steer my decision.
not able to charge the console while playing is a real bummer ... imagine if you grab to play and realize that the battery is flat ... you'll have to wait to charge in order to start playing ? not great, not convenient
I wonder if Lenovo are gambling on us all using FSR3 and frame insertion so games that can run at 30, 40, 50 etc. with frame insertion will work best with a refresh rate of 60, 80, 100hz. Again still doesn't beat VRR. One other question is what is the additional power draw when a screen is running in VRR mode?
i play 99% handheld so i dont need the removing controlers or the second usbc ( the 1T ssd is cool), still whant to see the diferenc in performance with the faster ram compared to the ally. i rader have a heaviera rog ally with 90Wh battery
You serious about the Portal being $200, a fair price?! You gotta be kidding. (Also "only $200". I wish I'd have that money to waste on a streaming device without the minimum acceptable specs)
Someone correct me but I have a gaming pc 3080ti 165hz monitor and everytime i have attempted to use freesync or gsync (vrr?) It feels gross (unplayable) and i have to turn it off and just limit my games themselves to 165hz, i just dont understand the giant fuss especially since the ROG Ally is the only handheld with VRR? 😅 What was everyone crying about before the Ally was released im just curious? 🤔 I really want the Lenovo Legion Go but everyone is turning me off because of this no VRR 😢😢
@@jc74435 I live in Asia, it's actually fairly cheap here. And from what I've looked up, GPD has a lot of parts where I live (ordered from china) such as batteries and joysticks. But I'd say it's still best to have a Legion Go because of the detachable controllers (should be easier to replace)
@@Jerome-iwnl that sounds promising for DIY repair. I live in the states. I guess I could source parts from AliExpress? I am also torn between getting the Legion Go or the GPD Win Mini. I know they are polar opposites but I like the compactness of the Mini but it is so costly compared to the Go. I didn't see you list the mini as one of your choices. Thoughts?
@@tomoprime217 For me, I don't like how the dpad and face buttons are inset. I also don't like the small battery life on the gpd win mini. To me, the win max 2 is better in every way except portability (they both need grips to be conmfortable) Maybe we should wait for the review of legion go before pulling the trigger on GPD now :)
Is the hardware not significantly better in the legion go than in the steam deck? Obviously, it won't have a problem hitting 60hz for most big games, no?
I’m sold, just waiting for final reviews for ordering my Legion Go 😁
100% confirmed today by Lenovo that there is no VRR. But, they actually did go into a no BS -marketing explanation of why and after dealing with the silence from ASUS for so long, it was super refreshing.
What was the reason
I've checked their product page, and looked around on Google. I can't find anything supporting this. Can I have your source?
DAM FUX
GONNA suck over 50fps
will still be goo at 40fps
When a handheld struggles to hit a stable 60fps Vrr is the best solution for a smooth feeling gameplay the rog ally does this beautifully but I guess Lenovo wanted to keep the cost down to aggressively compete with the ally. 😢
If the legion go turn out to be a micro stutter mess then this is a deal breaker for me. But I want this device so bad.
It's pretty hard to source a native landscape display. This is using a tablet screen and most portables stick to that portrait format even the steam deck they are easier to source. The price probably would have went way up so I think it is a happy compromise at $699 considering we thought this was going to be way more expensive. To think the regular Z1 will be cheaper blows the mind.
agreed they got a great panel !
@subzero-ku2wx agreed if it is bad enough, you can get sick 😫
I mean the switch doesn’t have VRR so shouldn’t really be that much of a issue now that I think about it
Woooooooooooow
I hate being a handheld enthusiast.... I have the steam deck and the ally which I love so much even through the Sd card reader burned out already, and now Lenovo's Go seems even more compelling then ever even without VRR. i love these dockable, switch - like pcs. Wish I could have been on this podcast to give my thoughts from my interesting streaming perspective with these devices. Great job guys!
For text heavy turn based rpgs it would be nice. But for anything action heavy I'd probably just lower it to 720p (or even lower) to maintain real 60fps as much as possible. Performance >>> resolution.
If it had VRR, it would be PERFECT... especially for aggressively changing framerates and to have as low-latency as possible. I want to jump on this device after getting the ROG Ally, because it has everything the ROG Ally could use, and even has the Touch/Trackpad of the Steam Deck that it sorely misses... and double USB Type Cs that I don't why they never thought it wasn't essential in the previous devices for both charging and connecting anything else besides the charging cable and at the bottom of all places that would be perfect for a Switch-like docking manner.
Also detachable controls which turns the system into just a tablet, with a BUILT-IN kickstand a la Switch OLED style, is SOOOOO attractive. I don't know why the other two didn't think of adding a built-in kickstand... you have the Switch, you have the blueprint for features to consider. I'm surprised they neglected those things... Now my question is, will Lenovo's UI windows interface be superior than the ROG Ally's Armoury Crate under Windows OS, we will have to wait and see... I'm cautiously excited, the lack of VRR is kinda of a bummer to me though.
To be honest, the Ally isn’t perfect either: Micro SD card reader that is almost guaranteed to fail if you use it long term, narrow color coverage, and VRR adds display latency. VRR is a buzzword that sometimes people too much focus on when it is the sum of the parts of the display’s abilities, including color coverage, which is a clear step up here, that make the difference.
Courtesy of MS Surface Pro.... the origin of the Kickstand... Copied by Nintendo switch Oled...🫠🙃
Might still get it even without VRR, it looks so much better, and the screen is large enough to play with friends in a cafe.
Also, if the controller breaks, it should be easier to buy a replacement because its detachable
idk
Insta buy
@ricksanchez7250 I'll wait till battery life this could be sub 40 minutes 😪
@@ricksanchez7250 remember the controls x2 also charge of the main unit. Then you have way more screen to light at 1600p 😳 not sure if we even have the technology 🤣🤣
i watched a video recently that showed the ally now performing significantly better than the steam deck at 10w... only 10w though, the video didn't detail 6/7/8/9w performance which is likely still going to favour the deck but who knows. I think it shows that perhaps retesting the devices after recent updates is important before parroting that the steam deck performs better still at lower wattage because that may not be the case anymore.
As for the legion go, yes VRR is a deal breaker, particularly on a handheld device we know isn't very powerful, we may pretend the 7840u is almighty but its really not, the majority of bigger AAA games we have to play below 60fps, its a handheld reality. With that in mind i think the biggest dealbreaker for the lenovo is its just another 7840u in what is now a huge ocean of 7840u devices... is nobody just sick of one after the other after the other of the same core hardware wrapped in clothing it really cant take advantage of, i mean a 7840u paired with a 144hz 1600p screen, really?
How many more 7840u's are they going to cram into handhelds before the year is out and before you know it they are talking about 8000 series and we start the train up again. There is really nothing compelling about spending another close to £1000 on another 7840u handheld, who is doing that and why, buy one and wait 12 months for updated hardware, you are nuts buying multiple different versions of these things knowing how short a time it really is for a meaningful hardware update not the same thing in different clothes.
Please cite the video that shows the Ally beating the SD at 10W. Gamer's Nexus just dropped a video that shows the Ally marginally beating the SD (even losing at times) at 15W.
@@elementxc I will try to find the video sometime today, I absolutely for sure seen a video showing this.
The gamers nexus video for the most part was great but rather unusually for Steve he does not actually ever specifically state which bios version he was using when doing performance testing only that they were using the ''latest drivers'', he did point out that “some users were experiencing issues with bios 319” and that he could not stop the bios updating to 319 on their unit and he also showed early in the video that the bios in use at that time was 319 so we must assume their testing was done on 319… he did briefly show a screen showing the bios 323 being available but we don’t know if they updated to that before performance testing or if performance testing was already done, we would like to think that it was the very latest version of all updates but we can’t be sure because he only ever specifically states they were forced to update to 319 and so we’re using 319.
From my understanding they have been testing this product for quite some time so who knows, the ally has had very specific updates to boost performance at 15w specifically way after 319 was released and there are videos out there showing a specific bump at 15w putting it way ahead of steam deck at that wattage now.
I’ll do my best to get those videos linked today, just on school runs etc lol
@@elementxc i think the video i was referencing about 10w was the recent ayaneo 2s review done by digital foundry where they showed (in one specific game mind) that the 10w performance had jumped significantly for ally over deck, before the recent updates the ally was trailing massively something like 30fps vs 60fps on deck in that game but now on latest updates the ally is around 20fps ahead in that same test... it is ofcourse only one game and test though but does indicate improvement at low wattage.
in the same video they show that 15w performance in general is close in some games while taking a bigger lead on ally in other games but if you watch videos comparing deck vs ally, specifically later ally updates you will see most games do perform better on ally at 15w, not all ofcourse but many.
When it comes to the gamers nexus video its likely steve was using the latest bios, i cant imagine they wouldn't but its difficult to say because they do indicate using 319 and show it being used in the bios early in the video before later stating before performance tests that they used the latest update. i suspect they did update, they are smart enough to do so and it was likely just the results of their specific game selection.
Mr shifty is one of the early games I picked up for the switch. I still to this day don’t know why it’s only got 66 on metacritic - it’s a great hidden gem!
No vrr isnt stopping me from giving the go a go.
It becomes pretty obvious during the video what the game is in the background regardless of the fact it's out of focus
Panzer Dragoon for the Sega Saturn.
I like the idea of the bypass charging, BUT only if its an option that can be turned off. ~70% of the time I trickle charge my Ally from the usb port on the exercise bike while playing to extend the play time a bit
Best thing about the Portal and what helps it work as intended is lack of Bluetooth. Should be recognized; not complained about.
Battery life on devices like the Deck, Ally, etc. is a pretty minimal concern to me because the places that I'll realistically be playing at will most likely have an outlet nearby anyways. That said, the 50-ish Wh Legion Go might not have much better battery life than the Ally since the screen is like 60% bigger, but who knows.
40 min 🤞
15 mins max
lol@@tfark2904
I find it interesting that VRR was listed among the features in the Windows Report leak and yet it's conspicuously missing.
It could be that the Panel itself is VRR Capable but the drivers and software isn't ready.
My thoughts exactly and please can any windows alternative do a steam deck like 40hz mode.
I got the asus rog ally . Really enjoying it. When I bought it I knew something would come out with better things and so on . I realize you can't keep up with technology. I'll upgrade a few years down the road . For the people getting the lenovo go just watch what will be released in 5 years and 5 years after that
I agree with that. If I had known this would come out, I probably would of gotten it instead of the Rog Ally but I don't have any regret in buying it, it's still amazing to use.
@@TenteeRGB in 2-3 years the lenovo go won't be in the spotlight
no way you have VRR native portrait no other handheld dose that i am aware of .
@saiyan981 That's if it's in the spotlight at all. Lol. These handhelds are all pretty niche, steamdeck is only doing well because it already had a built-in fanbase.
@@TenteeRGB not sure if 3 million is niche the aya just did 3 million in pre sales !!
Two main things that are missing in the Go that I consider a deal breaker: no VRR and no Windows Hello on a device with no keyboard!
One thing to consider, I could be wrong but the 9 extra watt hours is gonna go to the bigger screen. They market it like Russ said at 11:53 to help upsell the product. Don’t get me wrong it looks and sounds great and I’m glad the market is expanding just gotta know what you’re getting and using it for. People see and hear that has a bigger battery but don’t think of where that power needs to go to compensate.
I’m glad “Rich” was available for the video today. :P
I'm definitely getting the Legion when it drops, so glad I returned my Ally as I was not taking any chances with the Micro sd card being fried ...Still love my steam deck, but that massive screen panel on the Legion is going to be so wild, I can't wait to get my hands on one.
If I had it to do over again I would've waited for the Legion Go.
Just as a reminder VRR is used to eliminate tearing without adding latency and stuttering. Nothing more and nothing less
Another way to eliminate tearing is to use vsync which can introduce latency and stuttering depending on the screen refresh rate. For a 60Hz screen, with vsync and double buffering, the fps can range between 60, 30, 20, 15... which is annoying and introduces a maximum latency of approximately 16ms. With a 144Hz screen the fps can range between 144, 72, 48, 36, 28.8, 24, ... and the latency is as much as 7ms so the latency and stuttering are much less noticeable. With "triple buffering" is even better.
The biggest problem with this screen is that it will not be landscape and the battery consumption at 144Hz. This will be partially offset by the use of vsync since it can saves some battery.
Steam deck this makes it very simple. If you select 60HZ and limit it to 30 fps, you know that if the GPU at some point does not reach 30 and you do not allow tearing, it will be 20fps. If you set 30Hz and 30fps if it does not reach 30 it will be 15. 40Hz and 40fps allowing tearing is also a good solution.
If it doesn't have VRR that's a huge downside for me. I guess, I never did try Freesync, as I have a monitor that comes with the expensive Gsync chip (not just the "compatible" one), but if it feels that smooth then I would love that experience on a handheld.
The funny thing is on my desktop I often wouldn't really need it as much, because I could lock it to 60fps, (although when games like Starfield come along it basically is the only thing making the game playable for me), but on handhelds, where even stable 30fps can be hard to achieve, VRR is a feature that's unfortunately not very common.
Everyone ignores the fact that the TDP can go up to 48w. That means higher frame rates and better performance compared to the ally. The z1 extreme seems capable, but was not fully utilized on the ally
a product designer confirmed they are targeting 20w portable and 25w docked, they are working on 35w docked but it's 'not a given'
@@ExtremalMetal that's irrelevant cause we've already seen the 48w option on a hands-on UA-cam video
Exactly legion go is better period. It don't even need vrr
@@ricksanchez7250 n1 going to run 48 W without plugging in, pointless
With 144hz the factors are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 24, 36, 48, 72, and 144, so is it not posible to have the screen at 144hz and limited the games fps to one of these numbers? that should give you consistent framing.
Hey guys love the podcast. Even when there are only two of you is fun, don't stop please (only for breaks lol). Hey I was thinking maybe for the next episode you guys can talk about what character you guys picked on Starfield (with treats if you want) and why you picked them. I think it would be could just knowing the different reasons why everyone pick different characters. Cheers!!! 😊
My lower score game I loved was wet on Xbox 360 I felt like it was really innovative with the movement and gunplay and it felt good to control and was just fun to push through each level and figure out new creative combos !
I agree that buying the 1TB upfront rather than DIY upgrading to 1TB after is the best option.
IIRC Lenovo uses the M.2 2242 which tends to be more expensive.
Then one would have to decide what to do with the 512GB taken out from the Go.
So, in Oct/Nov, I would be looking at the 1TB model.
Unfortunately 1Tb isn't enough..2TB is what I put in my Ally
@@mrwalker6026
For gaming, probably best to have a bigger primary storage.
As I'm not much into gaming when on the go, I think 1TB is a good compromise.
@@RUHappyATM yeah if tou loading it up with bigger games like Call of Duty,RDR2, Starfield and Baldur's Gate 3 then 2Tb is a must
Yeh I would get one I think but apparently only 512GB available in UK. If I can’t order the 1TB model then Lenovo lose out on me being a customer…
Big missed opportunity is they should have made the controller batteries bigger and the whole system could feed off them when attached for a battery life boost
Weight thou
absolutly because nothing is running at 1600p... the screen is absolute overkill with out VRR
Really enjoy these collaborations, brings out a lot expert opinions, you guys are so helpful in navigating great deals among the competition. Like how each voices there preferences on specs, *feel*, and offering experience as possible customization solutions...
For the life, I'm still trying to understand 😅what I'm doing anytime I click "advance settings*....
Lenovo does that to their gaming laptops as well, I've a Legion gaming laptop with a nice 144hz IPS panel that has no VRR (freesync/gsync)
Faster ram in mhz doesn't mean more performance if the timings are loose. In most high end and extreme high end systems, DDR5 6000 TO 6400 mhz is the best performance memory due to tighter timings. The Gskill Trident Z memory is so stable and practically destroys all competition at 6400mhz.
Thanks for the mouse suggestion, I had the G502 which I loved, but I live in a studio with my GF sleeping next to me and I drive her crazy with the clickyness of the mouse.
Y use a magnet USB cable so for the PC I use the wireless dongle and for the deck I use the cable. The MX master solved those 2 issues. I picked up just now from Best buy and paired with my deck. Super happy with it, thanks again!
Critic scores for games are much less useful than reading through a few pages of user reviews. Critics cannot be 100% honest else they risk their access to getting their free review copies and being sent software/hardware by companies. The community however spends their own money and while some may be to harsh or fan boyish, it doesn't take long to see the trend. That's never failed me in many years.
One thing you didn’t mention is: USB 4.0. It should be compatible with thunderbolt eGPU enclosures, much better than the proprietary expensive eGPUs from Asus.
Except it's going to give you so much bandwidth loss it won't be worth spending the money on an enclosure
@@creaturecore13 depends on the GPU. But at least its going to be compatible with other devices, and you can buy an off the shelf gpu to put there, and use it in the future in other pcs or handhelds
It’s always good to see vets discussing games
I think the high refresh rate is great for indie games and just regular stuff like menus, browsing, videos, etc.
So disappointed that the Playstation Portal isn't coming to Australia as of yet. 😔😔
11:30min Russ one more case for QHD+ 144Hhz (without VRR) is for the AAA desktop game streaming to your handheld. It's probably also part of a mouse fps mode user case. And lastly perhaps this Go will double as a Windows Tablet where the higher DPI and higher refresh is better for the multi touch experience. I believe we can run native Android apps too in Windows right? Hopefully software updates will open up more supported resolutions with more varied refresh rates.
The main case for the 144fps screen is exactly as Dave2d showed it: Competitive Shooters. Things like Fortnite, Overwatch, Valorant, COD etc will actually be perfectly playable on the Legion Go with its sizable 8'8 screen, sturdy built in kickstand, then the detachable controllers with one turning into a competent vertical mouse (Dave2d said after getting acclimated to it he believes he would be able to retain his Grandmaster rank in Overwatch with it), and then the 144hz will actually matter since the Z1 Extreme with Lpddr5x at 7500mhz should pretty easily be able to hit that constantly with lowered settings (which all Pro players use even with the highest end systems). There is no handheld even remotely close to as good as the Legion Go for shooters or competitive games, since its the only one that can BY ITSELF (i.e without external monitor, mouse/keyboard etc) play them well enough.
@@slickrounder6045lol if you buy this thinking your going to get a constant 144 in any of those games you are going to be in for a rude awakening maybe if you play at 400p lol
@@WuFluChan At 800p (half resolution with Integer Scaling) all the titles i listed can hit 144fps on low settings (some like Valorant easily, some like Fortnite less so). You are underestimating the top Phoenix Apu in conjunction with Lpddr5x at 7500mhz, and also the ability for the Legion Go to push up to 48w in Docked mode. I guarantee you performance in FPS games will be much better than you are giving it credit for. Go watch some reviews on top Phoenix Apu's or Mini-Pcs (Beelink, Minisforum etc) with them at higher tdp.
The 2242 m.2 drive also runs faster with the on board cache. Getting the 1TB for $50 more is a no brainer.
It’s a 1600p 144hz screen…No VRR is a deal breaker. But then again it’s size and weight were a deal breaker for me before the official reveal.
Good and hope you get the device that serves your needs best! For me, I am totally fine without it. The display’s still image quality (thanks to almost 100% DCI-P3 coverage) is a step above the Ally’s so it is an acceptable tradeoff for me. I also know that like VSync, VRR is known to add display latency so while it may add some fluidity in certain scenario, you add several frames of latency which can be make-or-break in competitive titles.
I OCed my rog screen to 144hz with vrr so not missing anything really.
VRR is a must moving forward on all handhelds!
Agreed but imo a steam deck like 40hz mode is more practical
VRR many times adds latency which is what the Lenovo representative Sergey explained. This is why eSports players often will display VSync and VRR so they have maximum display latency. The upside here is the Legion Go offer nearly 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, meaning colors will absolutely ooze radiance and vibrancy. For someone like me who could care less about VRR up until the Ally fans touted its virtues, as long there is no ghosting like the Ally, trading VRR for color range is a fair swap.
for 3d games but not for games like dead souls or hades they run at 120fps-90fps on rog ally so yeah it is a big deal . @@Spencerwalker21
how? have you seen the repose on the rog ally it is 17ms @@sonichedgehog36
why would we accept a worse panel moving forward?
No VRR is fine I rather them implement a a 40hz mode like the deck.
Think they said there will be 40hz 60hz and 120hz modes on their twitter.
Vrr is a huge deal but if there is more battery life with detachable controllers and a bigger screen with a more comfortable hold then I think it's a good trade off.
That said I would pay the extra 100 bucks for a vrr version
If you’re going to play at 40hz might as well save a lot of money and just get the deck at that point though
@@WuFluChan save a lot of money you mean just save $400 not that much money compared to what this is gonna be supposedly
I wonder what the granularity of the refresh rate setting is? If its finely adjustable i guess you could set it to double the fps cap, e.g. 80Hz for a 40fps game. Atleast it shouldnt have any stutter, but will be a waste of battery and is not a real subsitute for VRR
So far, im sold on the legion go. My plan is to use it for my tv with wither its controllers or another one, so it's probably going to be docked 80+% of the time. I will say i have lived my life till now without vrr, and i can continue too maybe the legion 2 will have it, but I'd rather support the bigger screen, bigger battery, and nice controllers one with 2 usb c and hope they keep stepping it up. Either way me supporting it will keep rog on the toes
If on a TV plugged in a more powerful gaming laptop would probably be better, with a Xbox controller and Bluetooth mouse.
I put my laptop beside the TV with the screen partially open and upside down, so it gets improved airflow. It’s not quite as portable but easy to take with you in a laptop bag. I do like the look of these handhelds but think some games could look quite bad on a big screen at lower settings and frame rate.
I don't have a ps5, I don't have time to sit down at 1 screen.. I want a ps5 handheld not a portal. 😢
I LOVE Enslaved. That was my first pick for game-that-didn't-review-well. Thing is, it kind of did. So, I think it's more that I have this thing for games like Enslaved or Alan Wake that are generally well regarded and have vocal fans but never got the kind of success that they maybe deserved.
When it comes handheld screens, the ultimate one for me would be an 8" OLED screens with a VRR range from 20Hz to 60Hz (rather than high refreshrate). And being able to lock framerate to any number within that range... That way you can lock to a framerate that will offer good battery life, but the VRR would take care of small dips, even into the 20's... and honestly 120Hz+ for scrolling text on your phone is nowhere near the same use case as panning a camera in-game. Especially if the game is running at 720p/800p. Higher refreshrates really only become important with higher resolutions as there are more information loss in-between frames... On a Steam Deck, 60fps feels pretty much like a 144Hz desktop display, the reason being that there fewer pixels or smaller space in-between every rendered frame compared to the same refreshrate at 1440p or 4K.
agreed
It would probably have been too perfect with VRR after hitting the amazing $700 price point (and only $750 for 1tb!). For me it ticks off every box otherwise, with maybe only a 49.2wh battery being a bit smaller than optimal (albeit still much better than the paltry 40wh on steam deck/Ally). Love the 8'8 screen, amazing controls, trackpad, ability to detach controllers and use one as an effective mouse. Only question is should I finally buy a Handheld this year, or wait for Strix Point in ~8-9 months when inevitably there will be a Legion Go 2 ready to to go.
Also with the Glasses being lowered to only $329, I'm curious how they work and if it would be a substitute for an actual monitor, such as when playing Strategy Games like Civilization or whatever (which even on an 8'8 screen would be far from optimal). I just have no experience with those type of glasses, so not sure how viable they would be. Maybe they will be on display in Best Buy and one can try them out as well as get hands on with the Legion Go.
oh, for sure these classes are a replacement. you’ll enjoy them very much. I’ve used devices like it such as VR gaming in the theater room and it’s breathtaking but having these classes just make sure system more portable that means you can take a screen monitor with it anywhere you want to go that’s why you should get them.
but I wouldn’t say you have to get these particular ones there’s money on the market I would find the best ones for the price.
@@gatesroyale Yeh i'd consider it. Would want to try them out in person, but I guess worse case scenario i could return them if I don't like them.
@@gatesroyale Well $329 is a good price, and I'd rather get the Glasses that are "meant" for the Legion Go.
@@slickrounder6045 yeah I haven’t really done much research. I’m just waiting for the game system to come out before I even choose which I’m so excited for my friend. It’s going to be epic.
So, the determining factor for me is if the legion go is going to have a thunderbolt port. If it does, then I’ll definitely be getting a legion go, however if it does not, It will definitely be a debate for me
It has thunder bolt. One on top one on bottom support for E-gpu
The play station portal is useful in the same way I don't play on any other console at home with my gf anymore now that i have the steam deck because it's easier to just sit on the couch watching TV with her while also playing my games and I can spend time with my family and not neglect them
The high refresh rate screen will make this an ideal, but expensive, device to use the highest tier of GeForce Now. Weird that it's underpowered for games at 144 Hz but great for things like GFN at 120 fps.
This is exactly what I want it for but I’m not sure if it will be good without VRR and idk if it will be able to do 4k 120fps let alone be able to handle that network side only Wi-Fi
I think the game that I would say I loved but probably no body liked it was Bushido Blade 1 & 2 for 1st gen Playstation.
No vrr, is fine. Lenovo made the Ally look like a really bad deal and product
It's a big pie... every major PC Manufacturers tries to have some slices...🫠🙃
I love the Ally and am not interested in the Go for various reasons including size & weight
If the Legion’s panel can have its framerate set at the hardware level, couldn’t you set a game to 40fps and the panel itself to 80 or 120? This wouldn’t tax the CPU, since it’s just the hardware frequency and you’d have smooth frame pacing. Only drawback I see is faster battery drain.
I've got far more gaming nastalgia for Zelda ocarina of time.....and yet Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game and favorite game of all time.
Definitely wasn't many people's cup of tea haha
my next handheld has to be VRR @8inch or bigger and 60watt battery or i will just hold on to my omxplayer pro
So a laptop?
@@Yanto-rv1qu no not a laptop. I want the form factor of a hand held
sounds like you are all set but as I've heard from another onexplayer owner who said the Go was lighter being slightly wider screen with higher refresh. He'll buy at bestbuy to try it out and then decide on what to keep.
Great discussion! Honestly I am a bit overwhelmed when trying to weigh which one I should buy: Rog ally, Steamdeck or Legion Go. Love your both content which I use to help of my thinking and decision.
took the key, thx! Feels great on SD
Ah You Mfer......I was gonna take it....sad gamer noises.
Rush 2: Extreme Racing, is a game that I can play for hours and hours on my N64. I absolutely LOVE it! However when it launched, it was universally panned. The visuals weren't great, the physics are bad, and the difficulty spike is . . .pretty brutal. But damn, I love it!
I like the device so far. I think this Mouse Mode ( FPS ) is a real benefit, if you use it for gamaing or not, if i use Windows or the Desktop in Steam Os a Mouse is always necessary to me.
A game I really liked but got bad reviews wasThe Bureau: XCOM Declassified. I've finished it about 3 times and still think about it. I love the 60s aliens setting and I also make the effort to micro manage my team like it was turn based using the tactical pause mechanic
ROG ALLY is my pick. I have a battery pack holder 3d printed and it weighs the same with a total of 180+ watt hr
Well then I hope the Dock works on the TV and not like the original Steam Dock which isn't compatible with Philips Ambilight tv's
So going into 2024 which is the best handheld on the market!
Lmao 😂 Rog ally destroys the deck- think what you want - more competition the better
I disagree steam deck crushes ally but yes more competitors is better
I have both devices and I prefer everything steam deck minus the rog ally screen
@@realfastkx that’s awesome 👏 glad you are enjoying both.
I've been playing Modern Warfare 2 on my Steam Deck and its usually around 60fps and its fine to me....will definitely get the Legion Go...worst case is I don't like it and return it.
I agree I would not use it too that way. More like what it's is a handheld.
After hearing you guys talk about the Portal...I still haven't heard a compelling argument for that thing lol
Has-Been Heroes has a 79% on Steam. Could be a user score vs reviewer score thing but I think it speaks to a difference between platforms. Same goes for Shadowgate, poorly received on NES but it wasn't meant for that crowd - it's a Mac RPG aimed at computer nerds.
You read wrong in terms of the battery. I noticed when you read it.
Most ally screens are capable of overclocking to 144hz, some people can’t hit it. You can up the vrr to 144 and also lower it down to usually at least 20 something. That said most games can’t get there even at 720p and the ones that do will still bounce around and drop down into the 120s 130s here and there which isn’t noticeable with vrr but obviously would be horrible without it. A lot of brand new games can’t do even 40 much less 60 at 720p with a 7840u so they are going to be a terrible experience unless you lock your fps for the lowest a game goes for each individual game
Numbered scores are useless to me. Like what does your score even mean
This was a must buy for me until I saw that it had no VRR. I'll wait for reviews. Also, CES is just around the corner so we might see rumblings of the 8840U, with refreshes coming in March to April.
This is definitely the best handheld released so far, I'd compare it to a smaller version of the Asus Flow Z13. Get a lapdesk and you can play in bed with the controllers detached. Lenovo does have quite a few sales at the end of the year, so if I can get a good cashback or better yet a nice discount, then I can overlook the VRR screen. Plus you can still manually lock the FPS via software.
Which countries will be in the initial launch/pre-order for the Legion Go eh? Can't seem to find this info...
I just how the ps portal get access to some form of internal or external memory so we can rom emulators and roms
Ooooo that might be a deal breaker. Is it possible at least to force software to run only at like 40fps? I know some games have this in the options menu.
Does VRR matter? I’ve always felt that higher Hz was only useful when playing mouse and keyboard. You controller boys don’t need it.
Does VRR works differently on a portrait screen?
Bill if you want to play a game that will make you use pen a paper to take notes and solve puzzles plaay Tunic
On Shadowgate, I can't say about all critics, but contemporary reviews for those games (Macventure ports) were relatively positive from what I can remember. Not super positive though, probably like 7.5/10 level.
Deal breaker for me, no VRR no buy.
Im have the ROG and SD now but im considering the lenovo. The battery life on my rog is terrible and at times i cant even play for an hour. I use the SD for this exact reason.
bill i also broke my left hand and WASD is painful!
I am so torn between getting the Legion Go or going in the total opposite direction and ponying up for the GPD Win Mini. I love the super compactness of the Mini but I also know it costs way more, get's pretty hot and eats through battery more than the Rog Ally. Many videos show a 20W TPD drains more battery than the Rog at 25W. Too bad we cannot get the Win Mini with a Z1E! The other thing is the 7" screen. I want bigger and the Lenovo Legion Go seems to scratch that big screen itch. I do worry about that extra weight though. So I flip back and forth trying to justify which benefits and comprises would best serve. Get a chunky 8.8" brick or a sexy 7" hot pocket that's worse in other areas but so damn clutch. My eyes argue with my brain if that makes any sense?
7840U is better than the Z1E so win mini is technically better. Can’t go wrong with either. They do the same thing pretty much.
@@GStatus232 the phawx now says 13w is probably the max TDP for your hands on the Win Mini. So far I've seen the Win Mini is draining the battery faster than the Z1E Rog Ally at the same TDP. Later hands on videos have shown the Legion Go has a max TPD slider up to 48W! Also there is a 20W TDP whisper quiet power profile for it. That to me is the sweetspot for the AMD 7000 series. This will help steer my decision.
not able to charge the console while playing is a real bummer ... imagine if you grab to play and realize that the battery is flat ... you'll have to wait to charge in order to start playing ? not great, not convenient
I think it’s an option
@@NerdNest ok it's fine as an option 🙂
I wonder if Lenovo are gambling on us all using FSR3 and frame insertion so games that can run at 30, 40, 50 etc. with frame insertion will work best with a refresh rate of 60, 80, 100hz. Again still doesn't beat VRR. One other question is what is the additional power draw when a screen is running in VRR mode?
i play 99% handheld so i dont need the removing controlers or the second usbc ( the 1T ssd is cool), still whant to see the diferenc in performance with the faster ram compared to the ally. i rader have a heaviera rog ally with 90Wh battery
Russ my favorite I’m a big fan. Pre Order it!🎉
Bill is right. BG3 is one of the best games of all time.
Topic: what is your most played non steam game. for me right now its Dungeon Keeper 2 from GOG
Emulation
Gamepass
Thanks for the topic suggestion @qbusqbus here's a steam code - Donated by ImRichardB
Shiny The Firefly I9QVX-52VAG-JRIA8
You serious about the Portal being $200, a fair price?! You gotta be kidding. (Also "only $200". I wish I'd have that money to waste on a streaming device without the minimum acceptable specs)
love to play rpgs and rts on this..sold my ally waiting for this..imagine already return 2 rog ally due to o sd failures.dont want to replace any ssd.
I don’t care about the 144 refresh rate. In my desktop, 120hz is the sweetspot. I will go with VRR anytime.
It's great that it charges 0-70 in 30 min but not being able to charge while gaming is a deal breaker for me.
From memory you will be able to turn this feature off, I could be wrong though.
Yeah. But it’s better to just take a break and let it charge.
VRR is not important, please give me an option for 32GB RAM.
whats the actual gain between 30-48 tdp, it's probably not much
Someone correct me but I have a gaming pc 3080ti 165hz monitor and everytime i have attempted to use freesync or gsync (vrr?) It feels gross (unplayable) and i have to turn it off and just limit my games themselves to 165hz, i just dont understand the giant fuss especially since the ROG Ally is the only handheld with VRR? 😅 What was everyone crying about before the Ally was released im just curious? 🤔 I really want the Lenovo Legion Go but everyone is turning me off because of this no VRR 😢😢
I'm considering Legion GO, GPD Win 4, GPD Win Max 4, Ayaneo Geek 1s or Ayaneo Kun
GPD and Ayaneo have terrible support and warranty. Also, you need to import them from china and pay customs taxes.
@@jc74435 I live in Asia, it's actually fairly cheap here. And from what I've looked up, GPD has a lot of parts where I live (ordered from china) such as batteries and joysticks.
But I'd say it's still best to have a Legion Go because of the detachable controllers (should be easier to replace)
@@Jerome-iwnl that sounds promising for DIY repair. I live in the states. I guess I could source parts from AliExpress? I am also torn between getting the Legion Go or the GPD Win Mini. I know they are polar opposites but I like the compactness of the Mini but it is so costly compared to the Go. I didn't see you list the mini as one of your choices. Thoughts?
@@tomoprime217 For me, I don't like how the dpad and face buttons are inset. I also don't like the small battery life on the gpd win mini. To me, the win max 2 is better in every way except portability (they both need grips to be conmfortable)
Maybe we should wait for the review of legion go before pulling the trigger on GPD now :)
Is the hardware not significantly better in the legion go than in the steam deck? Obviously, it won't have a problem hitting 60hz for most big games, no?