Between the Steam Deck, the ROG Ally and the Legion GO from Lenovo, we can say that manufacturers are throwing themselves headlong into the PC format in console form.
So, has the Chinese company worked well on its copy, or has the Legion GOIs a response a little too quick to the Steam Deck which has just been improved with an OLED version? Let's discover together the machine that runs Windows 11.
Price and availability
The Lenovo Legion GO is available immediately for 799 euros, this also includes the official cover as well as 3 months of Xbox Game Pass subscription.
An imposing machine, and heavy, very heavy
< p>The first thing you notice when trying the Legion GO for the first time is its imposing size, as well as its weight, which is far too heavy. With an 8.8 inch screen and a weight of 854 grams on the scale, the machine really makes itself felt after just a few minutes of play.
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© Presse -citron.net
© Presse-citron.net
This is probably why the Lenovo Legion GO has a large adjustable support, like that of the Nintendo Switch OLED< /strong>. Besides, this is not the only thing that the Legion GO borrows from the Switch, by also having detachable controllers. It will in fact be more comfortable to place the console on a table or desk given its significant weight.
But why bother making a PC in console format if it is also uncomfortable important to use, and a size that makes it barely transportable? In a backpack, the Legion GO will take up about two thirds of it, which means that a laptop PC accompanied by a controller will take up less space.
The screen the most important resolution of all
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The size of the console is also explained by its 8.8-inch screen, which is the largest compared to that of the Steam Deck or ROG Ally.
If it unfortunately does not use OLED technology unlike its competitor the new Steam Deck, it still has a major ace up its sleeve. Indeed, it has a higher resolution and refresh rate. The resolution of 2560 x1600 pixels offers much more detail than other PCs in portable console form, and its 144 Hz refresh rate makes everything smoother.
It is obviously possible to change and lower the resolution on the fly using the Legion GO's parameter button, allowing you to run the most demanding games. However, for office automation, multimedia and games that run on the Legion GO with this resolution, it's rather comfortable.
A sensible FPS mode, but needs reworking
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© Presse-citron.net
© Presse-citron.net
© < p>Given that the Legion GO is easier to use in tabletop mode given its heavy weight, why not take advantage of it to play FPS on the console? This is where the FPS mode comes in, with a strange feature imagined by Lenvovo.
The manufacturer provides a plastic element allowing you to insert the right controller of the Legion GO, which includes a sensor identical to that of the mice. Thus, the controller transforms into a mouse in vertical format, allowing keyboard/mouse gameplay to be simulated. If the idea is rather good, we will quickly understand in practice that the economy is not ideal, the joystick preventing you from actually taking the controller in your hand.
In any case, even if it means carrying a machine as imposing as it is heavy that you will probably take in a bag, you might as well take a real mouse with you. This is a troubleshooting solution in our opinion, which remains rather practical for office use, if you do not have a mouse nearby.
Close the window
Using a Steam Deck running under Linux on a daily basis, my opinion was that Windows had this more practical side of allowing the different launchers to be installed without difficulty, which is indeed the case.
On the other hand, I was not prepared for the fact that Windows 11 is so poorly optimized and poorly suited to PCs in console format, and vice versa. So, know that when you receive the Legion GO, you will have to go to the manufacturer's official website to update the drivers, like a computer, wherethe Steam Deck carries out its updates simply like a console .
For the purposes of this test, I then installedCuphead as well as Red Dead Redeption II. For this first one, launching the game on the Legion GO was rather chaotic, given that the orientation of the screen instantly flipped. A problem that has not been resolved for more than 6 years if we are to believe the Reddit post that I had to consult in order to understand how to resolve the situation. A problem present in the version from the Windows store, and absent from the Steam version.
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As for Red Dead Redemption II, the launch of it on the Legion GO also proved chaotic, with the window appearing reduced in size on the left side from the console screen. In order to access the game settings in order to be able to play normally, I had to play with the resolutions of the Legion GO settings menu, in order to obtain a window of sufficient size, to then change the settings. game settings. Phew.
This way, it is indeed possible more easily to install the Rockstar Launcher and the Epic Games Store (to name a few) on the Legion GO, but not you certainly don't expect to find a simple and smooth user experience, as it can be on Valve's Steam Deck.
The performance of Legion GO
Symptomatic of the experience I had previously, the FPS counter of the Legion GO no longer works since the last driver update, which is obviously much less practical for taking measurements. As for Cuphead, I was very surprised to discover that it was possible to play it with the highest possible resolution, in 2560×1600 with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Not having a 'an average FPS on the title, I still had the feeling that it presented no fluidity problem, which is essential in Cuphead.
Fortunately, it was possible to carry out benchmarks in Red Dead Redeption II, as well as in Forza Horizon 5. As you can see in the screenshots taken, RDR2's average of 38 FPS with graphics settings low in 1280 x 800 is respectable given the power required by the title.
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© Presse-citron.net
The Legion GO also does very well on Forza Horizon 5 with an average of 58 FPS at 1280 x 800 @ 60Hz or 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz. There is no denying the performance offered by the Legion GO and its AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor truly answer the call.
A quick update on the interface offered by Lenovo with its LegionSpace application, it is, as was to be expected, well below of what Valve and its Steam Deck offer. To forget quickly.
A point on autonomy
Who says (trans)portable console, says autonomy test. This is an essential aspect in this PC format, which allows more or less ease in transport for example. As for the Legion GO, it has a 49.2 Wh battery, larger than that of the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally.
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According to my tests, it is possible to use it for around four hours in office work, while using it with a demanding game like Red Dead Redemption II does not offer more than an hour and a half of battery life. It's not much, but not really surprising when you know the significant consumption of Windows.
As for its recharge time, it will take one hour and ten minutes for the Legion GO to regain 100 % of its autonomy.
Our opinion on the Lenovo Legion GO
If we had high hopes about the Lenon Legion GO, the user experience using Windows 11, which is absolutely not optimized for this type of machine, has completely shattered our expectations.
The advantage of having a PC in the form of a portable console is to be able to easily transport it to play without necessarily having to put it down. So why did Lenovo create such a large and heavy machine? If the point here is to put it down to play, why not just buy a laptop that will offer a better experience overall? Difficult here to say that Lenovo did not release its machine too quickly, in order to follow the release of the Steam Deck.
Materially, it will not really respond to use portable, and the user experience with regard to Windows 11 is absolutely not optimized in order to make it as easy as possible. If you want a successful experience, we can only advise you to keep your 799 euros to buy a Steam Deck, Oled or not, which will cost you almost half as much.