Sorry, Home windows. Lenovo’s Legion Go S runs higher with SteamOS

Lenovo’s Legion Go S gaming handheld is thrilling as a result of it’s the primary one to be supplied straight from producer with each official Home windows and SteamOS help. Now that the latter is formally in the stores, it’s now doable to make direct comparisons to the disappointing Home windows-powered model. One YouTuber did simply that… and shock, shock, SteamOS certainly makes the hand-held higher.

Dave2D ran direct comparisons between the 2 variations of the Legion Go S, with the white mannequin operating Home windows 11 (because it has since launch) and the black SteamOS Version operating, properly, SteamOS. In any other case, these two devices are an identical with the identical AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and 8-inch 1200p display screen decision, and many others. Evaluating the Home windows and SteamOS variations of the gadget, Steam runs most video games by means of the Proton compatibility layer 5-15 p.c quicker.

However the battery life is the place SteamOS actually shines, and on these compact, highly effective gaming units, that’s an enormous deal. Dave2D discovered that the Legion Go S operating SteamOS was a lot nearer to the Steam Deck OLED for battery life, beating out the Home windows version by greater than double on low-power video games like Hades and Lifeless Cells, and getting an additional 30 p.c on intense 3D video games like Cyberpunk 2077. It additionally handles sleep and droop features significantly better than Home windows.

Sadly, that $500 base launch value for the SteamOS Version has been sacrificed on the altar of the Trump administration’s import taxes. The gadget is now $600 base at Greatest Purchase and the like, which places it $50 above the Steam Deck OLED… a way more tough selection, even with its higher display screen and extra highly effective chip choices. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless cheaper than the Home windows model and its $730 retail value. (Although, as of this writing, Greatest Purchase is promoting the Home windows model for $600, maybe cognizant that it doesn’t appear like an ideal deal at its retail value.)

Extra highly effective variations with a Z1 Excessive chip, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD can be found at $830 and $900 for the SteamOS and Home windows variations, respectively, although the previous remains to be “Coming Quickly” in response to Greatest Purchase. Nothing’s stopping you from shopping for the Home windows model and putting in the official model of SteamOS… apart from the actual fact you’d be throwing away $70 and a pair hours of your time.