The rivalry in the realm of handheld gaming devices is escalating. The soon-to-arrive Legion Go is anticipated to be a strong competitor to the Ally, which is also powered by Ryzen Z1 series. The device’s specifications include faster memory, a bigger screen with superior resolution and refresh rates, enhanced battery capacity – all offered at the identical price (in Europe). Nonetheless, it’s uncertain whether ASUS will be able to lower the Ally’s price in response.
According to details from Windows Report, obtained from press materials related to the upcoming device, it seems that the Legion Go is scheduled for release next month. The company is preparing to unveil it this week, specifically on September 1st, presumably to align with IFA 2023, which begins on the same day.
It is now confirmed that the Legion Go will be powered by AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Extreme. This translates to the Go being outfitted with AMD’s potent Phoenix APU, optimized for gaming consoles, featuring 8 Zen4 cores and 12 RDNA3 compute units. Furthermore, it will offer a lower TDP when compared to Phoenix APUs for laptops.
A noteworthy detail is that the Legion Go will arrive with faster onboard memory, exceeding that of the ROG Ally. Instead of the 16GB LPDDR5-6400, the Go will incorporate LPDDR5X-7500. Given that gaming performance is frequently influenced by system memory in devices without dedicated graphics, this enhancement is anticipated to have a positive impact on overall performance.
This improved performance could play a vital role in rendering frames on the 8.8-inch screen, which offers a resolution of 2560×1600 and a rapid 144Hz refresh rate. This resolution surpasses that of the ROG Ally (1920×1080 at 120 Hz). The screen is said to be an IPS display, covering 97% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and reaching a peak brightness of 500 nits, placing it on par with the Ally.
In order to meet the energy requirements of the expanded screen, the Legion Go will feature a 49.2 WH battery, surpassing the capacities of both the Ally and Deck (40 Whr). Notably, the device’s weight won’t experience substantial growth compared to the Ally, adding merely 32 grams, albeit when the controllers are not connected. Importantly, the Legion Go will bring forth detachable controllers akin to Nintendo Switch joy-cons, enabling remote play. However, utilizing these controllers will raise the device’s weight to 854 grams.
In terms of its cost, the device is anticipated to be revealed on September 1st, bearing a price of €799 in the EU and $799 in the US. Notably, the console’s launch is set for a month later. Speaking of pricing, it will align with that of the ROG Ally in the EU but carry a $100 higher price in the US.
Furthermore, gamers will be given the choice to acquire Legion Glasses at a price of $499/€499, and they can also opt for the Legion E510 7.1 RGB Gaming In-Ear headphones for an additional €49. All in all, it’s evident that Lenovo is striving to rival the Ally by presenting comparable pricing, enhanced specifications, and more features. Nonetheless, certain gamers might still favor the lighter Ally, particularly those who don’t require detachable controllers.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 28, 2023
Via Windows Report