ASUS ROG Ally X vs Lenovo Legion Go: Which is the best handheld?

The handheld gaming market has seen a rapid increase in popularity and consumer interest, and every company wants to take advantage of it. With the launch of the new ROG Ally X, ASUS is going after Lenovo's Legion Go and wants to come out on top. They are two of the most powerful handheld devices, but there can only be one winner.

This article will compare the ASUS ROG Ally X vs Lenovo Legion Go to determine which of these is the best handheld gaming device and why that's the case.

Note: Aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

A detailed comparison: ASUS ROG Ally X vs Lenovo Legion Go

The Rog Ally X is a fantastic handheld device and was designed with an emphasis on performance, battery life, and portability. The Lenovo Legion Go is equally impressive in these aspects and has some tricks up its sleeves to be even better. Let's look at the specs before we continue with the comparison.

Spec comparison

Here's the full spec list of the two devices:

Specifications	ASUS ROG Ally X	Lenovo Legion Go
Size and weight	280 x 111 x 24.7 ~ 36.9 mm and 678 grams	298.83 x 131 x 40.7mm and 854 grams
Display	7-inch IPS FHD display with 120Hz refresh rate	8.8-inch IPS QHD+ display with 144Hz refresh rate
Chipset	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
Operating system	Windows 11	Windows 11
RAM and storage	24GB dual-channel LPDDR5X-7500 RAM 1TB PCIe Gen 4 storage	16GB dual-channel LPDDR5-7500 RAM Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 storage
Battery and charging	80 Wh battery with 65W charging	49.2 Wh battery with 65W charging
Price	$800	$699/$799

While there are differences between the two handheld devices in size, RAM capacity, battery, and price, what actually distinguishes each is its screen.

Design and display

The ROG Ally X was designed with both performance and portability in mind. This product isn't too big and weighs just 678 grams, which is decent, considering its size. This will allow you to play for hours. It is also designed ergonomically and feels great to hold.

The ROG Ally's display has an FHD resolution and 120Hz refresh rate with variable refresh rate (VRR) support. Compared to this, the Lenovo Legion Go is larger, thicker, and heavier. It also has a bigger and better display. The Legion gaming device has a QHD+ display and 144Hz refresh rate, but you won't be able to play games at that resolution on this product, anyway.

The GPU inside this handheld doesn't have the power needed to run modern games at that resolution, so the upgrade in resolution won't be of much help. Not to mention, the higher resolution display will also drain the battery faster.

The ROG Ally X has a traditional controller layout with fancy RGB LEDs on the thumbsticks that gamers love. On the other hand, the Legion Go has a detachable controller design, similar to Nintendo Switch. This is a feature that some people prefer that others hate.

Read more: Lenovo Legion Pro vs Legion Slim

Performance comparison

The ROG Ally X running a game (Image via ASUS)

When it comes to performance, both handheld devices have the same hardware inside. They are powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset with LPDDR5X-7500 RAM, so both devices should perform similarly.

However, the ROG Ally has a better cooling system and support for VRR display, so it should offer slightly better performance. Apart from that, it also has a higher 24GB RAM capacity compared to Legion Go's 16GB RAM.

Games like The Last of Us: Part 1, Hogwarts Legacy, Returnal, and more have 32GB RAM mentioned in their system requirements. These games will run better on the ROG Ally than the Lenovo handheld.

Battery, charging, and ports

The battery is where the ROG Ally X takes a big win against the Legion Go. ASUS equipped its portable gaming device with an 80Wh battery capacity, which is 30W more than the Lenovo device provides. Therefore, the ROG handheld will last much longer than its opponent.

Both devices have the same 65W charging, but since the ASUS one has a larger battery, it will also take longer to charge. But when it comes to ports, the Legion handheld takes a win since it has three USB-C ports as opposed to ROG Ally's two.

But both devices support Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, so you can also connect external graphics cards (eGPU).

Who should buy ASUS ROG Ally X?

If you want a compact but powerful handheld device that you can use to play games for hours, the ROG Ally X is the way to go. It is also lightweight, making it better for portability and allows for more comfortable gaming sessions.

Who should buy Lenovo Legion Go?

The Lenovo Legion Go has a few factors that can make it more appealing than the ROG Ally X, such as a large display, detachable controllers, more USB-C ports, and a lower price tag. If these are things that you want, you should buy it.

Which is the best handheld gaming device?

The Lenovo Legion Go with its large screen (Image via Lenovo)

The ROG Ally X is the better handheld device out of the two. It has just the right display resolution and refresh rate, which don't compromise the battery life. It also has better thermals, which should deliver slightly better performance.

It also comes with more RAM and a significantly higher battery capacity than the Lenovo Legion Go. All these things make ROG Ally X the best handheld gaming device.

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Edited by Soumyadyuti Ghosh