Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Which gaming handheld is better?

The Lenovo Legion Go and the ASUS ROG Ally are PC gaming handhelds that run Windows 11 and feature the powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip. Otherwise, their designs are very different, with either offering features and perks the other doesn't have. Both are excellent gaming devices, but one of them is generally better than the other.

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Specs

Now that we've seen the specs, it's time to discuss what they specifically mean for you as the user. 

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Price

If you're attempting to decide between the ROG Ally and the Legion Go based on which one is the cheaper gaming handheld, then the ROG Ally is technically the winner. That's because there are two versions to choose from: An AMD Ryzen Z1 Ally (up to 2.8TFlops) for $599 or an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Ally (8.6 TFlops) for $699. 

Meanwhile, the Legion Go comes in two versions, but one is more expensive than what ASUS offers. The 512GB version is $699, while the 1TB (1000GB) version sells for $749. Additionally, since the Legion Go doesn't release until Nov. 1, 2023, it's more feasible at the moment to get your hands on the ROG Ally, which is already on store shelves.

Both the ROG Ally and the Legion Go can be purchased from Best Buy and their respective company websites. 

PRICE WINNER: The AMD Ryzen Z1 version of the ROG Ally is $100 cheaper than the least expensive Legion Go. Still, price shouldn't be the only thing you consider when determining what handheld to go with.

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Performance & User experience

By looking at the chipsets used in the Legion Go and the ROG Ally, it's clear that the two devices should offer relatively similar performance. That's because both the Legion Go and the more expensive version of the Ally utilize an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, which has proven to be a powerful handheld processor that's more than capable of keeping up with gaming needs. The lesser AMD Ryzen Z1   Ally likely won't perform as well as the costlier version. 

However, it isn't just the CPU or GPU that determines how well a gaming handheld functions. The more crucial factor is how well all components work together to keep the system running efficiently, leading the discussion into memory, storage, and fan cooling. 

I personally ran several tests with the ROG Ally to check it's performance during my ROG Ally review. It proved surprisingly powerful and offered several command center options to help games run more smoothly. However, the system has an issue when it comes to overheating. Due to the placement of the ROG Ally's microSD card slot near the fan vents and the charging port, a user's microSD card can overheat and malfunction. That can be extremely frustrating and cause players to lose hours of playtime data, severely damaging ROG Ally's user experience grade.

While doing testing for my Unitek Cooling Dock review, I used a thermal camera to check the heat of an ROG Ally that is charging while playing Baldur's Gate 3 on 30W TDP Turbo mode, which is when the system is most likely to experience its highest heating output. This allowed me to see for myself that the ROG Ally's microSD card slot can get extremely hot, around 114 to 117 degrees Fahrenheit.

As far as the Legion Go goes, we at Windows Central haven't been able to test it in-depth since it hasn't officially launched. That said, we have some experience with Lenovo's gaming handheld since my colleague, Zac Bowden, could go hands-on with the Legion Go. Of this experience, he says, "From the build quality of the hardware to system performance, it looks like it will be a real contender in this space." 

At any rate, likely, the Legion Go doesn't have the same microSD card overheating issue that the ROG Ally does, which could make it a better performer by default. Not to mention, it's available with a much higher storage amount of either 512GB or 1TB compared to Ally's only option of 512GB. More space means you might not have to worry so much about going through the tedious process of archiving, deleting, or uninstalling game data as much. 

PERFORMANCE WINNER: It's likely the Legion Go. However, it's difficult to fully pin down who is the better performer at this point since we haven't been able to conduct testing on the Legion Go, whereas we have done so with the ROG Ally. Both devices use the same chipset, so they're likely pretty close, but the ROG Ally's microSD card malfunction issues make it so that the Legion Go is likely the better of the two. 

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Display

It's hard not to get excited about the Legion Go's massive display, considering that it is far superior to any other gaming handheld screen currently available, so much so that some might say that the display is a bit overkill for a gaming handheld. 

It's extremely large at 8.8 inches and might just be the largest gaming handheld display out there. It certainly has the 7-inch ROG Ally display beat. ROG Ally's resolution is far better than the Steam Deck's at 1920 x 1080. However, the Legion Go supports an even higher resolution that's uncommon for a handheld with its 2560 x 1600, allowing us to see our games in far more crisp detail.  

Both screens are IPS touchscreen displays, meaning they likely produce a similar color gamut, contrast, and level of detail. Lenovo states that the Legion Go display produces 97% of DCI-P3, which is very good, but we'll need to test it to see if this claim is valid. For example, ASUS claims the Ally display produces 100% of sRGB. However, in my testing, it only ever reached as high as 73% of sRGB. This is a decent result, but nothing to be super excited about. Still, after hours of gaming on the ROG Ally, I know details and colors come through beautifully. So, it's not like it's a bad gaming experience. 

The one significant way the Legion Go and ROG Ally display differs is their refresh rate. The refresh rate refers to how many times a display presents a new image sent to it from the system each second. The more frequent the refresh rate, the faster the latest imagery is displayed so gamers can respond to environmental changes. It's especially important for competitive gamers who play online against others.

The ROG Ally's ability to choose between a 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rate is very useful and should be enough for most gamers. However, the Legion Go overshadows the Ally thanks to its 60Hz or whopping 144Hz refresh rate, which is really really good for a handheld display. 

DISPLAY WINNER: Of the two gaming handhelds, the Legion Go, hands down, has the better screen. It's larger at 8.8 inches, offers significantly higher resolution, and a notably faster refresh rate of 144Hz. That being said, the ROG Ally's screen is plenty good (much better than Steam Deck) and will serve people well with a fast refresh rate option, good resolution, and respectable picture quality. 

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Buttons, joysticks, and grip

Determining a controller and grip winner between the ROG Ally and Legion Go is mostly a matter of preference since they are designed rather differently. 

On the one hand, the ROG Ally's joysticks and buttons are placed in a way that resembles an Xbox controller, which many believe is the best console controller design out there. The A, B, X, and Y buttons are large and easy to press, while the bumpers and triggers feel good and have great placement. Including two extra buttons (one on either side of the display) makes accessing Ally's Armoury Crate software for adjusting settings or customizing the controllers' RGB lighting mid-game easy. 

The grips on the Ally don't seem all that substantial at first glance. Still, I've never experienced cramping when holding this system, which I almost always feel when holding my Nintendo Switch. It also helps that the ROG Ally feels light and well-balanced, so it doesn't strain your hands as much as other devices do. 

Meanwhile, the Legion Go's detachable TrueStrike controllers look far more experimental in design, which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. The front layout itself is more akin to a Switch with smaller joysticks and buttons, which might be less convenient for some people to use. However, the right controller also features a trackpad much like the Steam Deck's, which allows for better cursor control. Additionally, there is also a mouse wheel and a left and right click button on this right controller which should theoretically also make it easier to browse the internet or get through game menus efficiently. 

The Legion Go's right controller also has a very unique feature we've never seen before. It can be detached from the main system, put in FPS mode (First Person Shooter), and slipped into the included controller base via magnets. This enables the controller to be used sort of like a joystick thanks to the optical eye on the bottom of the controller, which Lenovo says "allows for more precise aiming and control necessary during competitive FPS games, akin to using a mouse." Again, it's somewhat experimental, so we'll have to see just how useful this is, but it does have the potential to be a great innovative idea.

CONTROLS AND GRIPS WINNER: This is probably the hardest judgment call to make. When going for comfort and familiarity, the winner is ROG Ally thanks to its more straightforward layout that feels familiar to anyone who likes using an Xbox controller. However, it's possible that the Legion Go's trackpad, mouse wheel, and right and left click buttons could make it a whole lot easier to surf the web or play certain PC games. Meanwhile, the right controller's FPS mode could either be very innovative or just awkward.

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Compatible games & Operating system

Since both the ROG Ally and Legion Go run Windows 11 Home as their operating system, both can be used to surf the internet, run various programs, and play games from digital distribution storefronts or cloud services (Steam, Epic Games, Xbox Game Pass, etc.). Basically, you can do anything on the Legion Go or ROG Ally that you can do on a straightforward gaming laptop. 

In addition to the OS, both gaming handhelds come with proprietary software that allows users to adjust settings like frame rate, resolution, RGB lighting, and more. I cannot say how well the Legion Go's software works, but from my own experience with the ROG Ally, I can say that its Armoury Crate app is both convenient and clunky at the same time. 

It's possible to launch my favorite, recently played games in this software, which makes it easier to get a gaming session started. Pressing the button on the left side of the screen brings up a side menu for toggling off settings like FPS, resolution, Air Plane Mode, and more. However, I didn't like that there was a limit to how many setting toggles I could put in this side menu.

SOFTWARE WINNER: We really cannot say at this time which gaming handheld has the best proprietary software for launching games and changing settings. However, thanks to the fact that both run Windows 11, it's guaranteed that you'll be able to run a wide variety of programs or access various services on both devices. 

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Battery life

While testing the ROG Ally, I ran the handheld on various modes and settings while playing games to see how long the battery could last. I could get it to run for up to three-ish hours when not playing anything. However, while playing Diablo 4 on 15W Performance mode with 50% display brightness, the system lasted only roughly an hour and 38 minutes. It's not that great. 

The thing is, one of the most power-hungry parts of a gaming handheld is the screen. As such, it's possible that the larger, higher resolution and increased refresh rate of the Legion Go display could make it so Lenovo's handheld has even worse battery life. That being said, Lenovo seems to have found a way to partially make up for this by including Super Rapid Charge support, allowing the system to reach a 70% battery after charging for just 30 minutes. That's a fast recharge time for a handheld, but it might not mean much if the system needs to be constantly plugged in for a decent gaming session. 

BATTERY WINNER: This is yet another one where we cannot declare a winner until complete battery testing can be done on the Legion Go. The ROG Ally really doesn't have good battery life, but considering that the screen is often the most power-sucking part of a gaming handheld, the Legion Go's larger and fancier screen might make battery life even worse. We'll update this section once we can perform our own testing. 

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Accessories

Asus released a separately sold carrying case alongside the ROG Ally for safer transport. Also, they made it clear that the gaming handheld could work with the ASUS XG Mobile eGPU to dock the device to a monitor or TV while boosting performance even further. Meanwhile, a carrying case comes with the Legion Go, so you don't have to make an additional purchase. It also comes with a base for the right controller's FPS mode. So far, there haven't been any announcements regarding a Legion Go dock, but that could change.

When the ROG Ally launched, there weren't any third-party accessories for it, but online sellers started carrying some as time went on. This being the case, it's very likely that we could see more Legion Go accessories come out if the device sells well. It's also worth noting that several accessories explicitly made for Steam Deck also work with ROG Ally, so the same could be true of Legion Go. For instance, certain carrying cases and docking stations work with both handhelds as long as the wattage is up to snuff for the hungrier ROG Ally. 

By connecting a keyboard and mouse to my ROG Ally via a dock, I've personally used my ROG Ally to write up documents, watch YouTube, and surf the web. You can use it like a small laptop if you have the right accessories; the same will likely be true for the Legion Go.

ACCESSORY WINNER: The Legion Go has a carrying case, while the ROG Ally must be bought separately. However, the ROG Ally has more third-party accessories available simply by having been out for a few months. But if the Legion Go sells well, it will very likely see several third-party peripherals explicitly made for it as well.

Legion Go vs ROG Ally: Which should I buy?

In all honesty, both the ROG Ally and the Legion Go are great gaming handhelds for playing PC games or cloud games, thanks to their AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chips. However, the Legion Go looks like it will be the superior device between the two. This doesn't mean it will be perfect, as there will likely be things we discover during deep testing, but overall, the performance will likely be better on Legion Go. 

For one thing, the Legion Go's larger 8.8-inch IPS touchscreen offers a much higher resolution and a higher refresh rate to keep up with competitive gaming. The buttons on the detachable controllers might be smaller, but they also make room for innovative features that might make it much easier to play certain PC games, such as a mouse wheel, trackpad, and right and left click buttons. 

True the Legion Go's starting cost is higher than the cheaper ROG Ally, but if you want the very best that handheld gaming currently offers, then this is the price to pay.