We suspected it a little, but the numbers are sometimes cruelly truthful. The Lenovo Legion Go S, this ambitious newcomer to the portable PC console market, had promised two faces: one powered by the familiar Windows 11, available since February, and the other, more anticipated by purists, powered by SteamOS, Valve's operating system optimized for gaming. The latter has just appeared on the shelves, and the verdict of the first testers, including the very popular YouTuber Dave2D, is in.
On paper, the two machines are almost identical with the presence of the same AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor (for the base models compared). They have the same amount of RAM (16 GB), the same storage space (512 GB), and the same 8-inch Full HD screen (1920 x 1200 pixels). The only notable difference comes from the conductor, namely the operating system, and the change is spectacular.
Performance and battery life: SteamOS gives a lesson
Dave2D's benchmarks speak for themselves. On demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, the Legion Go S under SteamOS boasts a stellar 59 frames per second, while its Windows twin struggles with 46 fps (with similar graphics settings, between low and medium). The gap is confirmed on The Witcher 3, which jumps from 66 to 76 fps, or even Doom Eternal (75 vs. 66 fps). Spider-Man, in Spider-Man 2, is the only one to contradict this dance with one frame per second less under Linux (63 against 64 fps under Windows). This doesn't really change things so much that on average, we're talking about a 5 to 15% improvement in raw performance, simply by changing OS.
But where SteamOS really hits the nail on the head is in the autonomy which remains the Achilles heel of these powerful and compact machines. With an identical 55 Wh battery, the SteamOS version takes off. Dave2D noted a battery life that was more than doubled on less demanding games like Hades or Dead Cells. The Legion Go S powered by Steam OS also lasts 25% longer (+25.3%) than the Windows version under Cyberpunk 2077. This is explained by the presence of a lighter system, with fewer unnecessary processes in the background, and above all, much more efficient management of sleep mode and game suspension, closer to the Steam Deck OLED.
Can price be the other selling point of SteamOS?
In As far as our wallet is concerned, there is a lot of incomplete or incorrect information circulating about the Legion Go S. The first thing to know is that, at the time of writing, the Legion Go powered by SteamOS is not available in France. The manufacturer Lenovo indicates that it will be on sale "soon" and invites you to discover the Windows variant. With Microsoft's operating system, the portable console is available from 629 euros in a version under Ryzen Z2 Go with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB (SSD). The price climbs to 799.99 euros for the version with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD, still with a Ryzen Z2 Go.
Lenovo mentioned a more powerful version with a Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, but this version does not seem to be promoted in France.
Prices are tightening in the United States
The comparison is more direct on the base models in the United States, but there's another element to consider. Donald Trump's recent tax decisions have pushed Lenovo to revise most of its prices upwards. For example, the Lenovo Go powered by SteamOS was initially supposed to be $499.99 (Z2 Go chip, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD), but the company quickly announced a $50 increase (to $549.99). At the time of its release, the console was finally listed at $599.99 at retailers like BestBuy, which is $100 more than the price listed in January.
As for the more powerful version (AMD Z1 Extreme, 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD), its price increased from $749.99 to $829.99.
On the other hand, Windows versions have been on sale for several weeks at $729.99 (Z2 Go, 32 GB, 1 TB) or $899.99 (Z1 Extreme, 32 GB, 1 TB). These versions are direct rivals to the SteamOS versions, but we can already find promotions that bring the Z2 Go version (with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage) below the $600 mark. This decision suggests that Lenovo is feeling the wind, but a final model could make the difference. Lenovo recently released a new Windows-based version (Z2 Go, 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage) in the United States, for $599.99.
Note that it's easy to tell the two variants apart, as the Windows-based models are available in white, while the SteamOS versions come in black.
0 Comments