With the advent of gaming PC handhelds, your entire library of PC games is at your fingertips. Now you can play Clair Obscur, Hades, Silksong, or Baldur’s Gate on a device that’s not much bigger than a Switch console. Some of these handhelds are pretty expensive, and the highest end models can cost upwards of $1,000. Fortunately, a couple of SteamOS models happen to have major discounts for Black Friday, including one of our favorites. SteamOS is more intuitive to use on a handheld than Windows and anyone who wants an easy, bug-free plug and play experience that “just works” should stick with this over a Windows-based handheld.
Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme SteamOS Edition
Lenovo Legion Go S 8″ 120Hz AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme SteamOS Gaming Handheld PC (32GB/1TB)
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This particular Lenovo Legion Go S is equipped with the more powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 32GB of RAM, 512GB storage capacity, and it runs off SteamOS instead of Windows. The Z1 Extreme is much more powerful than the APU found in the Steam Deck and as such, it will outperform the Steam Deck in pretty much any situation. Graphics also look sharper with more fluid movement, thanks to a bigger 8″ 1200p display with a higher 120Hz refresh rate. The Legion Go S also supports a much higher maximum charging rate (up to 100W vs 40W for the Steam Deck). This deal prices the Legion Go S on par with the highest end Steam Deck, but it’s superior in almost every way.
Check out Jacqueline’s 9/10 review of the Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme, SteamOS model), in which she concludes that it is one of the “best handheld gaming PCs on the market, and a legitimate Steam Deck alternative.”
Lenovo Legion Go S Z2 Go SteamOS Edition
Also on sale is the Legion Go S Z2 Go Edition, which is currently $449.99 after a $200 discount. Despite the fact that the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go is a 2nd gen chip, it’s actually less powerful than the Z1 Extreme. Fortunately, it’s still more powerful than the Steam Deck’s APU and you should expect slightly better performance out of it, especially if you knock the resolution down to 1280×800. Since a Steam Deck with equivalent specs will still cost you $549, this is a much better value: you get more features and pay less money.
Xbox Ally X Z2 A Windows Edition
Xbox Ally X 7″ 120Hz AMD Ryzen Z2 A Gaming Handheld PC (16GB/512GB)
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The Xbox Ally X was released last month, with the AMD Ryzen Z2 A model retailing for $599.99. For Black Friday, both Amazon and Best Buy have docked $100 off the price. The Xbox Ally X is based on the ROG Ally X platform but with Microsoft’s collaboration. You can read our Xbox Ally X review to see what the differences are from the original, however keep in mind that Jackie reviewed the $1,000 higher-end model with the Z2 Extreme processor. This model is equipped with a Ryzen Z2 A processor, which is comparable in performance to the Steam Deck’s APU.
Steam Deck 256GB LCD Edition
Steam Deck 256GB LCD Gaming Handheld PC
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For Black Friday, Steam has discounted its base model with a 7″ 1280×800 LCD display and 256GB of storage to $319.99, a 20% discount from its $400 list price. If you’re pinching pennies, you won’t find a less expensive gaming handheld PC. Every Steam Deck is equipped with the same processor, so the base model will still run games just as smoothly as the highest end $650 system. You can also upgrade the storage yourself with some technical know-how.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
