Lenovo Legion Go S vs. Valve Steam Deck OLED: Which Is the Best Gaming Handheld?
We pit the lightweight Legion Go S against Valve’s OLED refresh to see which one actually deserves a spot in your backpack.
Lenovo just made its boldest handheld move yet: ditching Windows for SteamOS on the new Legion Go S, a lighter, slimmer version of last year’s Legion Go. That alone puts it in direct competition with the Steam Deck OLED—Valve’s refined handheld that set the bar for what gaming on the go should feel like.
The Steam Deck OLED is already a fan favorite with its stunning display and comfy build. But the Go S is now more affordable, lighter, and has native Steam integration thanks to SteamOS. That changes everything.
So, spec sheets aside, which one should you actually buy in 2025? Let’s break it down.
David Adubiina
/1. Design & Display
The Steam Deck OLED is famous for how comfortable it feels during long gaming sessions. At 640g (1.41 lb.), it’s not feather-light, but it’s well-balanced and comes with a gorgeous 7.4-inch HDR OLED panel and up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness that makes games pop. The 90Hz refresh rate doesn’t hurt either.
The Legion Go S, meanwhile, weighs 730g (1.61 lb.), a bit heavier, but squeezes that into a slimmer, more streamlined shell. However, it ditches the detachable controllers and kickstand from the original Legion Go, making it feel more like a traditional handheld console.
Display-wise, the Go S comes with an 8-inch 1920×1200 IPS LCD with 120Hz refresh and VRR support that maxes out at 500 nits. But LCD just can’t match OLED’s deep blacks and color depth.
Verdict: Steam Deck OLED wins for visual quality and ergonomic comfort.
/2. Performance & Internals
The Steam Deck OLED is powered by a custom AMD APU (4c/8t Zen 2 + 8 RDNA 2 CUs), which is basically a custom Z1 Extreme variant with solid real-world performance across AAA titles.
The Legion Go S, however, comes in two variants: one with AMD Ryzen Z1 (6 RDNA 3 CUs) and another with the more powerful Z1 Extreme (12 RDNA 3 CUs). Both handhelds also use 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and support PCIe 4.0 SSDs, so you’re not short on speed.
Still, when it comes to raw GPU power, Z1 Extreme > Z1, and Valve’s optimization for its hardware shows in smoother frame rates on the Deck OLED.
Verdict: Steam Deck OLED wins.
/3. OS & Ecosystem
Here’s where things get interesting. The original Legion Go ran Windows, and while flexible, it was clunky for handheld play. Now, Lenovo has adopted SteamOS, bringing a much more console-like UI to the Go S. That’s a huge upgrade for usability.
But Steam Deck has been running SteamOS since day one and its deep integration with the Steam ecosystem, Proton compatibility layer, and offline support are still unmatched.
So even though Lenovo caught up in OS, Valve’s years of optimization still put it slightly ahead in polish and community support.
Verdict: Steam Deck still leads in ecosystem maturity, but Legion Go S finally feels like a real gaming handheld—not a Windows workaround.
/4. Battery & Thermals
The Steam Deck OLED bumped battery capacity to 50Wh, giving it nearly 30–50% better battery life than the original Deck. It also added a bigger fan and improved thermal performance.
The Legion Go S, on the other hand, comes with a 49.2Wh battery, which is close, but not quite there. And since it lacks a kickstand or detachable controls, it also loses a bit of thermal headroom compared to the bulkier Legion Go.
Verdict: Steam Deck OLED edges ahead with smarter thermal tuning and longer battery life.
/5. Pricing & Value
Here’s where Lenovo fights back.
The Legion Go S starts at $650 (₦1,003,275/₹55,939), making it more affordable than the Steam Deck OLED, which starts at $829 (₦1,279,051/₹71,315) for the 512GB model and goes up from there. For price-sensitive buyers who don’t mind a few trade-offs (like the LCD panel), Lenovo delivers impressive value.
Plus, with SteamOS now native, you're not paying the “Windows tax” anymore, neither in dollars nor frustration.
Verdict: Lenovo wins on price. For $650, you get native SteamOS, a sharp screen, and decent performance.
Conclusion
If what you want is the most refined experience, with best-in-class display, performance, and community support, the Steam Deck OLED still reigns supreme.
But if you're looking to save a few bucks and don’t mind trading OLED for LCD, the Legion Go S offers a compelling, lighter alternative that finally plays nice with Steam out of the box.
Winner (Overall): Steam Deck OLED. It wins where it matters most: display, performance, and polish. But the Legion Go S is closer than ever, and for many, it may be the smarter buy.
Oyinebiladou Omemu
