The Final Handheld PC Review (for now) - ASUS ROG XBOX ALLY X

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X (7" FHD 120Hz screen, AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

My final review in the handheld PC gaming market is the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, the slick black-cased big brother to the Xbox Rog Ally base model I reviewed in the beginning of the month. It's a nice device, and in terms of the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip it sits neatly next to the Legion Go 2 and some of the new MSI Claw models that are imminently coming out. What it does not have over the Legion Go 2, however, is a larger screen (it's got the standard ASUS 7 inch screen, though the screen quality is very nice), and it is loaded with only 24GB of RAM, and I have to be honest, 32GB of RAM has been the sweet spot for performance improvements. I have run games on the Xbox ROG Ally X and then compared the same game on the Legion Go 2 and noticed that they do not always stack up; I can often see a slight bit of graphical hitching on the Xbox Ally X that I do not see on the other device, or even the MSI Claw 8 AI+. 

That said, the overall performance of the Xbox Ally X is just fine, and I enjoy playing games on it due to its best feature: the ergonomic controller-style grips and incredible sound make for a very pleasant playing experience. I have often reached for this device for travel over the last four weeks, and find that even with the smallest handheld screen its generally the thing I enjoy playing for a short spot here and there over the bulkier Legion Go 2 and MSI Claw. It's performance is still better overall than the older Z1 Extreme chip, so if you want cutting edge, this is the next best thing to the Legion Go 2 in terms of performance.

The Xbox Ally X suffers in a few spots. The smaller screen is noticeable compared to most of the competition; on the plus side if you only have this device you will not be wanting for a larger screen and just get used to it. The Xbox Full Screen Experience is fine, and better than Windows 11 by itself, but I often find the thing fiddly and periodically have to back out of the FSE mode to get things done. Like all ASUS products I notice its got terrible read/write speeds on its MicroSD.....to contrast, I can get shockingly good MicroSD performance out of other devices like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Legion Go 2 (and for some reason the Linux-based Steam Deck and Legion Go S models have the best r/w speeds on their MicroSDs of all the bunch). It does not seem to have the problem its weaker counterpart does in which some games are just too much to run from the MicroSD, however....at least none I've encountered as of yet.*

The other major issue with the Xbox Ally X is the obvious one: it's not really an Xbox, and you can't actually play your full Xbox library on it, only the Play Anywhere titles. You can use their PC game store and Game Pass on it, and you can set up to stream most games, but this does mean that you should not buy this with the idea of a console-like experience; it's a PC through and through.

The Xbox Ally X is honestly Perfectly Fine in every way except that it doesn't quite have as many bells and whistles as the Legion Go 2, and even the MSI Claw 8 AI+ feels a bit more prestigious than the Xbox Ally X. If you had $1,000 and wanted a handheld, I would say this thing is perfectly fine, but also advise that if you saved up another $100 you could get the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and then 3D print some grips for it, and if you save up $350 you can have a stellar experience with the Legion Go 2. But if you were totally fine with the Xbox Ally X as-is, you won't regret your decision, unless your eyes don't like the small screen! A B+ for what its worth, though the ergonomics are a solid A+++. 

*As an update, I don't know if this due to recent driver, bios or Windows updates, but I noticed just in the last day or so that both Xbox Ally X and the base model are suddenly performing better when it comes to the r/w speeds to the MicroSD cards. I even booted up a couple games on the white model that previously wouldn't run at all (Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning notably) and now they run just fine. I am thinking maybe some driver updates fixed this issue? if so, this puts light on a common handheld PC quirk: they start off buggy and weird, and thankfully do get better over time.   

The Legion Go S SteamOS Edition - A Short Review

Legion Go S (SteamOS Edition, version reviewed has the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 8" 120Hz refresh display, integrated RDNA graphics)

The Legion Go S is the intermediary step in Lenovo's attempt to dominate the handheld gaming PC market. Released after the original Legion Go and before the Legion Go 2, Legon Go S comes in no less than four flavors: A purplish edition with SteamOS as its operating system and a white edition with Windows 11 as the operating system, and each of those editions has either a Z2 GO chip or a Z1 Extreme chip. The model I picked up early on last year was the SteamOS Z1 Extreme edition. The price of these units varies wildly, but when I got mine it was $829 MSRP. During a sale I snagged another unit for my nephew for a measly $649 (Z1 Extreme, no less), and that was a very nice price indeed. At this exact moment Best Buy is listing it as on sale for $799 which is honestly not a bad price for what you get.

It was immediately clear from my first hands-on with this machine that it is a spiritual sort of Steam Deck 2, and the device effectively behaves in all ways like a Steam Deck, except with overall better performance. I can't comment on the Z2 Go version of the Windows 11 powered versions....but can say I wouldn't even want to bother with those myself, this is the one to get just for sheer performance and expectations at this price point. 

Unlike its fellow Legion Go and Legion Go 2 cousins, the Legion Go S does not have detachable controllers, and is instead a very solid feeling, comfortably ergonomic unit that feels like it can handle lengthy play sessions without discomfort. Until I got my legion Go 2 it was pretty much my default device for road trips, and the only devices I feel are more comfortable than it to hold for long play sessions is the Xbox ROG Ally models. It smokes the poor MSI Claw 8 AI+ in terms of comfort. It is also fairly lightweight in feel compared to the other devices; the distribution of weight in the Legion Go S feels just right.

Of all the devices I have written about this month, the Legion Go S has the biggest soft spot in my collection for just being friendly to use. It's got all the good features of the Steam Deck and none of the faults, and its better performing hardware means that you encounter very few glitches in software that is Steam Deck friendly when running on the Legion Go S. Just like the Steam Deck, because it is a Linux-based operating system with some restrictions on games that lean on Easy Anticheat and other services, that means you won't be able to play, say, Destiny 2 on this thing easily. But like any Linux based system, you can go into the OS proper and find work arounds for most non Steam game stores if you want. 

The screen on the Legion Go S is also my favorite non OLED screen of the batch. It is really clear and honestly if someone told me it was OLED I would have just believed them (though if you compare it to the Legion Go 2 the difference stands out). This screen's slightly larger size also makes it stand out against the ROG Ally lineup, which feel petite by comparison.

I really don't have a lot to say that is negative about the Legion Go S. It's....um....I guess it's main failing is that there isn't a Z2 Extreme version of it (I mean, there is the Legion Go 2 of course) but its performance is so good that for many I doubt the Z2 Extreme chip performance gain is worth paying $550 extra just to get. 

Oh, and while it's controllers are not detachable Joycon-style devices, this leads to a very solid design and something else no other handheld has: switches to set your preferred tactility of the trigger buttons. You have three level settings you can use, and it is a nice feature to have.

I've run a lot of games on the Legion Go S, and it was my go-to handheld for most of last year. I continue to reach for it just for chilling out, even if I can see better performance in the MSI Claw and Legion Go 2, simply because it is so comfortable and easy to use; none of the very annoying Xbox Full Screen Experience problems here, just good old SteamOS. 

It is with this review that I will give the Legion Go S SteamOS Edition a solid A+ and suggest that if you want to dive into handheld gaming and want to spend less than $1,000 to do so, that this is my top suggestion, especially if you can find it on an even cheaper sale this year! I would also advise jumping on it at such a price given we have no idea how long the market will bear lower prices on these devices with the cost of RAM going through the roof. 

The Legion Go S is absolutely the best overall experience of all the handhelds relative to price that I have in my collection. That said....if you've got money burning a hole in your pocket, the Legion Go 2 is also a no-brainer, but if you got the Legion Go S you would find this thing will serve you quite well. We shall consider this the Winner of the Best Mid-Tier Handheld Category; we'll reserve the "Best Budget Priced Handheld" for Switch 2, and the "Best Prestige Handheld" goes to Legion Go 2. Lenovo keeps knocking these out of the park, and I am intrigued to see what comes next....albeit with the caveat that I'd like to wait a couple years before I upgrade any of these devices, I need some proper time to really get my money's worth out of all these gadgets I have.