Lenovo Legion Go
A slightly back-to-basics approach.
This sleek, minimalist handheld packs AMD’s latest processors and RDNA 3 graphics into a premium aluminum chassis, delivering stunning 1200p visuals and AAA performance anywhere.
Asus ROG Ally
The spec-ed out competitor.
The aggressively stylish alternative, featuring cutting-edge AMD hardware, a razor-sharp 1600p display, intelligent cooling solutions, and optional external GPU support for a more optimized experience.
Quick Links
When it comes to portable gaming hardware, the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally are in a league of their own (along with theSteam Deck, of course). Sure, the Ally has built up quite a reputation for itself as a strong contender, but the Legion Go has been making some waves as well.
And when there’s two such heavy hitters in the running, we have a little spidey-sense in our brains that goes off, just nudging us to make an in-depth comparison that literally no one asked for. So get ready, folks, because this is going to getlong.
Updated on Jun 18, 2025, by Sai Vsr:In this update, we have added a section comparing how both products offer you customizable options.
Design And Build
When it comes to design, Lenovo and ASUS clearly took two very different approaches with the Legion Go and ROG Ally. The Legion Go has thisreally clean, minimalist vibe going on.The aluminum body has these smooth, understated lines and just an overall premium minimal look with the black and gray colorway.
In contrast, ASUS went full-on gamer mode with the Ally’s design. The angular lines, pronounced vents, and RGB lighting accents just scream “lean-mean gaming machine.” The magnesium-aluminum body still feels solid, butthe overall aesthetic is much more in-your-face compared to the subdued Legion Go.
While the looks are quite different, both companies put a ton of thoughtful engineering into the build quality and ergonomics. The Legion Goweighs just under 600 grams, which is insanely light for how much power is packed inside. And even though theROG Ally is a bit heavier at 648 grams,the weight distribution and grips make it really comfortable for long gaming sessions.
But where ASUS really flexed their engineering muscle is the cooling solution on the Ally. This crazydetachable vapor chamber system essentially extends part of the rear chassis to create massive venting surface area.It’s an ingenious way to avoid throttling on such a compact device under heavy load.
The control layouts are also super well-designed on both handhelds, just with slightly different philosophies. Lenovo went for that classic dual analog stick gamepad style that’ll feel instantly familiar to most gamers. ASUS opted for thisasymmetrical offset stick positioningthat some folks argue is a bit more ergonomic and accommodating for different hand sizes.
Little toucheslike the quad rear buttons on the Ally or the swappable stick caps show these companies really sweating the details when it comes to customization and addressing different grip styles and preferences.
So in the design and build quality department, you’re getting two very different aesthetic vibes from Lenovo and ASUS. But both handhelds ooze craftsmanship and demonstrate some seriously impressive hardware packaging to enable that premium, high-performance experience.
Audio and Visuals
Visuals and audio are absolutely crucial for that full immersive gaming experience, and both Lenovo and ASUS brought their A-game with the screens and speaker setups on these handheld beasts.
Let’s start with the displays because, hot damn, are these things gorgeous! The Legion Go is rocking a7-inch IPS panel with a crispy 1920 x 1200 resolution.But the real showstopper is that insane 800 nits of peak brightness, which makes outdoor gaming an absolute delight.
Not to be outdone, ASUS slapped a slightly bigger7.1-inch IPS screen on the ROG Ally with a stupidly high 2560 x 1600 resolution.That higher pixel density translates to absolutely razor-sharp visuals that’ll have you questioning reality itself. The tradeoff isslightly lower 600 nit peak brightness, but that’s still more than enough punch for most scenarios.
Both displays nail it with the color accuracy, viewing angles, and that luscious HDR eye candy. So whether you’re a resolution buff or a brightness junkie, these handhelds have your visual vices covered. Let’s talk about those audio chops, though. On the Legion Go, you’re getting a solid dualstereo speaker setup that supports spatial audio and virtual surround sound to really amplify that immersion.
ASUS decided to go a bit harder with their audio solution on the Ally. Dual front-firing speakers combined with smart amplifier tech for extra oomph and clarity? Yeah, this thing can seriously bump when you need it to.
Performance
At their core, both the Legion Go and ROG Ally are packing some seriously potent silicon - AMD’s latestZen 4 processors and RDNA 3 graphics chips. For the Legion Go, Lenovo is giving you multiple config options to fit your needs. But the real headliner is the top dog with an8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7 7840U processor coupled with an RDNA 3 GPU packing 12 compute units.For context, that GPU muscle is comparable to last gen’s dedicated RX 7600M mobile GPUs. Absolutely bonkers for a handheld.
But then, ASUS went even harder with the ROG Ally specs. This one sports a slightly beefierRyzen 9 7940HS chip and an RDNA 3 GPU with 16 compute units,which is roughly equivalent to the RX 7700S. Again, we’re venturing into serious laptop-grade performance territory here. So how does all this cutting-edge AMD silicon translate to actual real-world gaming? In a word - diabolical. Game benchmarks show the ROG Ally just edging ahead, delivering superbly smooth frame rates and fluid performance even in the latest AAA games-on-the-go.
But don’t sleep on the Legion Go either. This one still delivers one hell of an excellent gaming experience across a wide variety of titles, especially at its native 1920 x 1200 resolution sweet spot.
And we haven’t even gotten to the cool advanced graphics features both support - ray tracing, variable rate shading, AMD’s awesome FidelityFX upscaling tech…all the bells and whistles to maximize performance without tanking visual fidelity.
But the ROG Ally has one ace up its sleeve (yes, we know, it’s getting pretty cutthroat here) - it runsWindows 11 on ARM out of the box.That means it can natively run x86 apps and games without emulation layers or compatibility headaches. For certain titles, it could translate to better performance and fewer issues.
Battery Life
Portability is the whole damn point of these consoles, so you best believe battery life was a top priority. And we gotta say, both Lenovo and ASUS brought the goods when it comes to this department. In the Legion Go’s corner, we’re working with a38.5Wh battery pack.Lenovo claims you’re able to squeeze up to eight hours out of this puppy for light gaming sessions or video watching. Not too shabby at all for such a compact form factor packing high-end hardware.
But ASUS went ahead and crammed amassive 59.2Wh battery into the ROG Ally.The claimed numbers on this beast? Also a staggering eight hours of hardcore gaming (or up to 12 hours of video playback) before it needs a power boost.
Now in the real world, with graphics settings maxed and frame rates pushing limits, you’re probably looking at more like four to six hours of intense, uncompromised gaming on both devices. But the ROG Ally’s larger battery capacity gives it a slight staying power advantage.
Of course, we do get that battery life is always a fickle beast depending on brightness levels, performance profiles, and the specific game’s load. But these estimates should give you a decent idea of the potential here. And when you do need to top up the tanks, both contenders have you covered with fast charging support. The Legion Go handles up to 65W charging over USB-C, while the ROG Ally can take in up to 100W of juice from its proprietary ROG charger.
As for the overall portability factor, the slightly smaller and lighter Legion Go gets the edge here. That trimmed down 598g weight and slimmer chassis make it a bit more comfortable for extended carrying in a bag or jacket pocket.
Software And Ecosystem
With the Legion Go, you’re getting the familiar and expansive world of Windows 11 out of the box. That means instant access to that vast library of PC games and apps that have been optimized for decades. Again, Lenovo didn’t stop there, they’ve included their own proprietary Legion AI Engine software to really optimize performance.
This nifty utility automatically analyzes your hardware config and game load, then tinkers with settings behind-the-scenes to ensure you’re getting buttery smooth frame rates and gorgeous visuals. It’s like having a mini gaming genie constantly massaging your settings for peak performance.
ASUS, on the other hand, took a bit of a different route by shipping the ROG Ally with Windows 11 on ARM. Now this opens up some cool capabilities - namely the ability to run x86 apps and games natively without any emulation layers or compatibility compromises in most cases. For certain titles, it could translate to better optimized performance right out of the gate.
They also loaded up the Ally with a full suite of their signature ROG software utilities. We’re talking Armoury Crate for granular system monitoring, game library management, GPU tweaking, the whole nine yards of customization goodness.
You also get all those slickROG utility extras like Aura Sync RGB lighting control, display profile presets, and even AI noise-canceling for superior audio clarity during intense gaming sessions.
Now on the connectivity front, both of these devices are locked and loaded with the latest standards - Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, USB ports for hooking up controllers, docks, you name it. But the ROG Ally pulls ahead with the option to beef up its graphics muscle even further via ASUS’s ROG XG Mobile external GPU dock.
Customization Options
The Lenovo Legion Go lets you tweak things to your heart’s content. For starters, it’s got removable TrueStrike controllers so you can mix and match depending on whether you feel like getting comfy on the couch or setting up at a desk. The textured joystick caps also give you a nice grip, so you can blast baddies without your thumbs slipping off mid-battle.
And that’s just the built-in stuff. Lenovo’s got a whole suite of accessories like a charging dock to juice up the controllers between rounds, a USB-C hub to connect all your extra gaming gear, and a carrying case so you don’t drop your sweet new handheld during the morning commute. Oh, and external monitors? No problem - hook this baby up to a high-refresh display forbuttery smooth 180Hz gaming.
The ASUS ROG Ally keeps things software-based through Armoury Crate SE. It’s your one-stop shop for managing your game library, tweaking profiles, and really personalizing how each title looks and feels. Set up custom button mappings, haptic feedback, stick sensitivity - even sort your games in grid view, list view, or by genre if you want to get organized.
There’s also a Command Center where you can toggle settings like performance modes or GPU options without ever leaving your game. And if you still want more graphical horsepower, there’ssupport for external GPU docks like the ROG XG Mobile. So, while Lenovo goes for physical customization and ASUS focuses on software, they both let you trick out your device.
Conclusion
On the raw performance front, the ROG Ally does pull ahead with its slightly beefier Ryzen 9 processor and more powerful RDNA 3 GPU configuration. It also gets a leg up with native Windows 11 on ARM support and optional external GPU expandability when docked. If you absolutely must have maximum graphics horsepower in a portable package, the Ally is the one.
However, the Legion Go is no slouch either, delivering excellent real-world gaming experiences across modern AAA titles at a lower price point. Its brighter display gives it an edge for outdoor play sessions too. Not to mention that trimmer form factor for improved ergonomics.
At the end of the day, there’s no wrong choice - both these options are just different handheld gaming philosophies. The ROG Ally more of a performance-based option, while the sleeker Legion Go nails that elevated-essentials experience for a greater value. All you need to do is evaluate your budget and gameplay priorities, then let your personal preference be your guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use external GPUs with these?
Officially, the ROG Ally straight-up supports ASUS’s external GPU dock for desktop-level graphics amplification when docked. With the Legion Go, you’d likely need to get creative with unofficial third-party eGPU enclosures and see what drivers cooperate. But the option’s there for both!
What kind of external display options are available here?
Both these consoles have a video output game to fuel bigger screen gaming sessions. The Legion Go is loaded with three USB-C ports, including Thunderbolt 4 support for connecting to high-res external displays. Meanwhile, the ROG Ally gives you similar flexible USB-C/DisplayPort connectivity skills, plus some signature ASUS sauce like dynamic HDR tone mapping when hooked up to a compatible display.
How do the onboard storage options compare?
ASUS definitely loaded the ROG Ally with configurations including up to a spacious 512GB SSD right out of the gate. Plus, you’ve got that expandable microSD storage as well for easy expansion down the line. Lenovo keeps things simple but sufficient with the Legion Go by letting you spec it with up to a 1TB SSD from the factory.
