Summary
Those looking to buy a handheld gaming PC powered by theAMD Ryzen Z1 Extremechipset can now take advantage of sizable discounts on the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. These price cuts are likely in the wake ofAMD’s latest Strix Point and Hawk Point APU platforms, which offer much better performance than the Ryzen Z1’s Phoenix architecture.
Launched in May 2023, the AMD Ryzen Z1 APU lineup consists of the standard Z1 chip and the stronger Z1 Extreme. The Asus ROG Ally was the first handheld PC to utilize these chipsets when it was released in June 2023, and the Lenovo Legion Go sported the same hardware when it launched a few months later. Since the Ryzen Z1 series is built on AMD’s newer Zen 4 and RDNA 3 architectures, it’s stronger than theSteam Deck’s custom AMD Van Gogh APU, which used Zen 2 and RDNA 2. This power advantage helped the ROG Ally and Legion Go find favor with a lot of buyers who weren’t quite satisfied with the Steam Deck’s performance.
The Z1 Extreme in particular has been a favorite for many, with evenAsus' refreshed ROG Ally Xretaining the chipset. However, even though the Steam Deck is down on power compared to the Z1 devices, its established standing in the market and competitive pricing have still kept it relevant. Now, though, it seems that the price gaps have closed significantly, as Amazon US is providing compelling discounts for the Z1 Extreme versions of the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. The aforementioned 512GB version of the ROG Ally is now available for$589.99(10% discount over MSRP), whereas the 512GB Legion Go’s price has been slashed by 18% to$573.
Amazon Offering Substantial Discounts on Ryzen Z1 Extreme Handheld PCs
As both of these handhelds utilize the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, Windows 11 operating system, and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM (slightly higher frequency on Legion Go), users can expect very similar performance across the board no matter which one they pick. However, it’s worth noting that the Legion Go has an 8.8-inch 2560x1600 144Hz display, whereas the ROG Ally sports a smaller 7-inch 1920x1080 120Hz screen with variable refresh rate (VRR) support, which is absent on the Lenovo handheld. TheLegion Go also has detachable controllerslike the Nintendo Switch and a bigger battery than the ROG Ally.
Thehandheld gaming PC space has seen several new entrantsin recent years thanks to the Steam Deck’s success, and it looks to be poised for further growth as more manufacturers introduce new devices over time. For now, the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go are the top choices for many as far as Windows handhelds go, so the recent discounts are definitely worth checking out for prospective buyers.
Asus ROG Ally
The Asus ROG Ally is the ultimate handheld system for PC gamers. Relying on the new AMD Ryzen Z1 series of processors, the ROG Ally can handle any game thrown at it. The 7-inch 1080p Full HD display with FreeSync Premium on the system provides gamers with a crystal clear and smooth gaming experience. The advantage of the ROG Ally is that it can run most Windows-compatible games and is compatible with Xbox Game Pass titles. It also comes with 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate. The ROG Ally also features an ergonomic design that makes gaming for long periods enjoyable.
