Since Valve’s handheld was released in 2022, many gamers can now access their Steam library on the go. MeinMMO Tech author Jan Hartmayer has been playing on portable consoles for over 20 years and explains why the Steam Deck is not his first choice.
As a passionate gamer and hardware enthusiast, I love being able to game on the go. It all started in early childhood with a Gameboy and Pokémon from the first generation. I was fascinated early on by how small devices manage to deliver entire game worlds with performance.
This quickly led to a desire to collect these devices. Currently, I own 2 Steam Decks, several old Nintendo DS, 2 Gameboys, a Switch 1 & 2, and my current favorite: the Lenovo Legion Go.
I received the handheld about a year after purchasing my first Steam Deck as a gift from my partner. The device impressed me so much that I now only use my Steam Deck as a backup. But why?
Lenovo goes bigger than Steam and is even stronger
The Lenovo Legion Go was one of the larger competitors in the gaming handheld market early on. The device comes with the Z1 Extreme chip, which can deliver about 20 percent more gaming performance than a Steam Deck (via YouTube).
Additionally, the screen is a bit larger compared to the Steam Deck, which means a more immersive gaming experience for me. The extra weight doesn’t bother me personally, but it can be a dealbreaker for some people.
The device is also equipped with cool gimmicks like a kickstand and a vertical mouse in the form of a detachable controller. You can detach the right controller, place it in a small plastic holder, and voilà, you have a mouse on the go. Both sides of the gamepad can also be removed/used like a Switch.
However, despite these features making the device my favorite, there is still a major drawback that I need to address.
A major issue: The Legion Go uses Windows!
Another (at least seemingly) positive point about the Legion Go: It uses Windows instead of Linux. The latter sounded really cool at first. Now I can finally enjoy incompatible Linux games on the go.
However, the joy was short-lived. I was used to the user-friendly interface of SteamOS and had problems operating it after just a few minutes:
- Installing and launching games was cumbersome, and I could only select some fields via touchscreen.
- Although Lenovo provides software that acts as a game hub, it was confusing, crashed frequently, and did not include all installed games.
- The Legion Go does have a trackpad for mouse control, but for some reason, you have to hold the pad down for several seconds for a right-click. A control scheme that I still cannot understand.
It was quickly clear to me: I will not use this device with Windows. So I started looking for alternatives and came across BazziteOS, a Linux operating system designed for gaming handhelds.
Conclusion: Dare to switch the OS!
By switching from Windows to Bazzite and even temporarily SteamOS, I am much more satisfied with my handheld and can enjoy it fully: The interface is more aesthetically pleasing, the operation is simpler, and unnecessary bloatware like OneDrive or Cortana is absent.
That’s why my Steam Deck is slowly gathering dust in its case and is occasionally used by my partner. I also wonder when my Legion Go will become obsolete and which device it might someday replace. With the rising component prices, it will probably be difficult to find affordable devices, as: The golden age of gaming handhelds is over, you just don’t know it yet
Which handheld do you prefer? Steam Deck, Legion Go, or a completely different one? What do you think about gaming on the go? Are you a fan or do you find it more comfortable at the desk or on the couch? Feel free to write it in the comments!
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