Lenovo Legion Go Drops to $499 — 8.8-Inch Powerhouse Outprices Asus ROG Ally X and Valve Steam Deck OLED

Lenovo’s Legion Go handheld gaming PC has just gotten a significant price cut this week on Amazon, shedding $100 from its original cost. Now retailing at $499, it’s positioned as a strong competitor to the Valve Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally. This now makes the Legion Go $300 less than the beefed-up Asus ROG Ally X, which carries a $799 price tag, and a bit more affordable than the Steam Deck OLED, priced at $549.

Both the Legion Go and the Asus ROG Ally host the AMD Z1 Extreme chipset, delivering a performance edge over the Steam Deck and its OLED variant. This price adjustment places the Lenovo Legion Go as a highly competitive option, especially given its eye-catching 8.8-inch IPS display. In our extensive review of the Legion Go, we were impressed with its dual USB-C ports, attractive display, robust kickstand, and detachable controllers. Since that review, some updates have improved the device even further.

For those exploring handheld gaming PCs, the Legion Go presents an enticing choice if you’re considering something beyond the basic Steam Deck. Even if it means sacrificing the OLED screen quality, the larger IPS display might win you over. Compared to the ROG Ally X—which uses the same Z1 Extreme chip to boost performance—any negligible difference in performance (notable mainly in occasional slowdowns) becomes less of a concern given the cost difference.

The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme starts at $649, but it doesn’t match the performance of the Ally X. At $549, you could opt for the bigger screen of the Legion Go or the superior screen of the Steam Deck OLED, leaving the regular ROG Ally not as appealing as before.

Looking ahead, the Lenovo Legion Go seems to be a solid investment. There’s anticipation of a more budget-friendly or equally powerful Lenovo Legion Go Lite emerging soon, although that probably won’t matter if you’re purchasing within this budget already. Interestingly, there’s also speculation about a more advanced Lenovo Legion Go 2 making an appearance around 2025. While detailed specs are still under wraps, it’s worth considering whether the short-term price drop is linked to potential developments like the Legion Go 2 or Legion Go Lite.