Handheld Owners

adamg64

adamg64

adamg64

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Joined
24 Jul 2008
Posts
408
**Sorry i was looking to find a dedicated handheld thread but could find anything feel free to link or merge me please**

i am looking to purchase my first ever handheld system and looking for advice or recommendations for one.

Read a few reviews and hearing they are more of a mini portable PC in you pocket i have a need for this i go USA twice a year it would be great for the long flights, i have an older gaming laptop but its rally not very compact and i get to the point i have just stopped using it and taking it on trips now.

I was set on getting a steam deck oled but looking round considering other options, i missed the refurbished steam decks last week on steam and its made me look around elsewhere but im in the complete unknown.

I was taking a look a the Lenovo Legion Go with the 8.8 screen looks a great spec can pick up refurbished version for around the £400 mark looks a lot more powerful that the steam deck?

Anybody recommend anything or does and don'ts, what are you using?

Thank you
 
I'm not 100% sure if it's still the case, but I believe the greatest argument in favour of the Steam Deck is that it's just so much more easy to use than the others in terms of the OS etc.
 
Steam Deck is easy to use, it's like a PC console, and I absolutely love mine. Other handhelds can be more powerful, but the Steam Deck just has it nailed in my opinion
 
You'll find more of the relevant threads are in the PC Games section as collectively it seems people view them more as a PC than a console.
 
Hello people.

I finally took the plunge and bought a Legion Go yesterday a certified refurbished one from currys ebay for £399 thought the price was ok and others reporting it was pristine when it arrived and im hoping for the same.

i knows its two years since launch but does anybody have any advice on what i should and shouldn't change about it, software or apps that are a must?

Watched a fair few reviews after i purchased and looked to have a few issues at launch also, track pad issues and right clicking were these ever fixed?

Does it run its own software or is it just really a laptop in handheld format? runs regular windows? or a tone down version?


Hope to get some help :)
 
adamg64 said:
Hello people.

I finally took the plunge and bought a Legion Go yesterday a certified refurbished one from currys ebay for £399 thought the price was ok and others reporting it was pristine when it arrived and im hoping for the same.

i knows its two years since launch but does anybody have any advice on what i should and shouldn't change about it, software or apps that are a must?

Watched a fair few reviews after i purchased and looked to have a few issues at launch also, track pad issues and right clicking were these ever fixed?

Does it run its own software or is it just really a laptop in handheld format? runs regular windows? or a tone down version?


Hope to get some help :)
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Install Steam OS on it. Better performance and closer to a console experience
 
XeNoN89 said:
Install Steam OS on it. Better performance and closer to a console experience
Click to expand...
Does this wipe windows and run just as steam os or does it run in tandem?

I am not too fussed about windows per say but just for ease of use, web browsing and playing videos
 
adamg64 said:
Does this wipe windows and run just as steam os or does it run in tandem?

I am not too fussed about windows per say but just for ease of use, web browsing and playing videos
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You can dual boot or just install Steam OS instead of Windows (which is what I did on my Legion Go S)

You can still do web browsing etc from desktop mode with Steam OS. It's basically just a Linux PC
 
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XeNoN89 said:
You can dual boot or just install Steam OS instead of Windows (which is what I did on my Legion Go S)

You can still do web browsing etc from desktop mode with Steam OS. It's basically just a Linux PC
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If i leave it as windows , you can still run steam as normal? like a desktop version?
 
Vandle said:
How's the battery life on the Legion?
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So-so, I get about 2 hours of gaming on battery (800p), though I rarely game without it plugged in, and up to 8 hours (does take a little tweaking) of watching things like YouTube. Unfortunately while the Ryzen mobile CPUs are relatively power efficient under load the SoC still chugs like 4-5 watt at all times which hits the battery under lower load conditions like using it to browse the web compared to how long it could last.

If it is a low demanding game you can get like 5-6 hours if you set one of the lower TDP limits.

Personally I'm pretty much always using it plugged in when gaming either wall power or an additional power bank, the only time I use it on battery is when I'm using it as a tablet. But my usage is maybe not quite typical of a handheld.
 
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Rroff said:
So-so, I get about 2 hours of gaming on battery (800p), though I rarely game without it plugged in, and up to 8 hours (does take a little tweaking) of watching things like YouTube. Unfortunately while the Ryzen mobile CPUs are relatively power efficient under load the SoC still chugs like 4-5 watt at all times which hits the battery under lower load conditions like using it to browse the web compared to how long it could last.

If it is a low demanding game you can get like 5-6 hours if you set one of the lower TDP limits.

Personally I'm pretty much always using it plugged in when gaming either wall power or an additional power bank, the only time I use it on battery is when I'm using it as a tablet. But my usage is maybe not quite typical of a handheld.
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Cool, thanks. Thinking of getting one for travel, currently cart around my ipad and PS Vita. I find the Vita to be fiddly though as I'm getting older! Plus it doesnt have blutooth headphone option.
 
Vandle said:
How's the battery life on the Legion?
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On my Go S playing AAA games that require running in full power, not great. I've been getting about 1.5hours while playing RDR2 for example. If you are running something lighter with balanced or low power mode it's much better though
 
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Are you using Steam OS and Lossless Scaling? It’s not something I have tried but you could probably reduce to one of the lower tdp settings and reduce resolution and still have a nice 60fps experience and reduce battery usage.

It’s not something I have tried as I like to play mine at 1200p at as much fps as possible but in theory it should be able to do it.
 
Would running Steam OS improve battery life?

I'm really unimpressed with the battery life, i feel like i wouldn't get much longer than an hour playing games.

Its really poor, to the point im thinking of returning it back to currys.

Maybe switching to the steam Deck Oled , but now i have had this bigger screen and extra power it might feel like a down grade for better battery life.
 
adamg64 said:
Would running Steam OS improve battery life?
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In theory, yes. Steam OS is more efficient and has a lower overhead cost, but the real issue is battery tech hasn't advanced at the same rate as other components and this means short battery life plagues most ( arguably all ) handhelds. If you want a more performant handheld be prepared to be in range of a power socket at all times.
 
xaldub said:
In theory, yes. Steam OS is more efficient and has a lower overhead cost, but the real issue is battery tech hasn't advanced at the same rate as other components and this means short battery life plagues most ( arguably all ) handhelds. If you want a more performant handheld be prepared to be in range of a power socket at all times.
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If i play at home having it plugged in really doesn't bother me when im away again being in a hotel room etc again i can play plugged in, but its on a long flight in particular where i would struggle and would be where i need it most.

i have a 27,000mAh capacity powerbank that outputs 22.5w not sure thats enough to play while plugged in or get a full charge at least.
 
I started the return process this morning but im still in two minds.

Thinking of picking up a better 65w 26800mah power bank that could allow me to get a charge or two or allow me to play whilst plugged in on the long flight.

I mean i have three year old twins so maybe its wishful thinking im gonna get all this free time on the long flight to play games but a man can dream :D
 
adamg64 said:
I mean i have three year old twins so maybe its wishful thinking im gonna get all this free time on the long flight to play games but a man can dream :D
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I just flew with Virgin to Orlando with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Steam Deck fully charged lasted all flight.....but I got to play on it for about 45 minutes :D
 
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