Latest news with #LenovoLegionGo2
Tom's Guide
03-08-2025
- Tom's Guide
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X vs Lenovo Legion Go 2 vs MSI Claw A8: Which next-gen gaming handheld should you buy?
When it comes to the best handheld gaming consoles for 2025, you're going to choose between three: the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and the MSI Claw A8. All three run AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset (Asus getting the AI-injected version), a bucket full of RAM, a giant battery and gaming ergonomics at their core. Out of all the handhelds announced this year (there's a lot of them), these are the three atop the next-gen mountain, and that begs a question — which one should you buy? There are key differences that make this a very closely-fought bout between the three. The Legion Go 2 aces the others in the display department with an OLED screen, whereas the MSI Claw packs a bigger battery, and thanks to the power pairing between Asus and Microsoft, the ROG Xbox Ally X could beat both in terms of performance. So let's try to get an understanding of these three, look at all the specs and leaks, take our hands-on time into context and help you pick the right one for you. Spec ROG Xbox Ally X Lenovo Legion Go 2 MSI Claw A8 Processor AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme GPU AMD Radeon 890M AMD Radeon 890M AMD Radeon 890M RAM 24GB LPDDR5X 32GB LPDDR5X 24GB LPDDR5X Display 7-inch LCD, 1080p, 120Hz 8.8-inch OLED, 1080p, 144Hz 8-inch LCD, 1080p, 120Hz Storage 1TB PCIe SSD 1TB PCIe SSD 1TB PCIe SSD Battery 80Wh 74Wh 80Wh Dimensions 11.45 × 4.78 × 2.00 inches 11.64 x 5.38 x 1.66 inches 11.79 x 4.97 x 0.94 inches Weight 1.6 pounds 2.1 pounds 1.7 pounds Out of all the categories, this is probably going to be the one that's most divisive, because each company has a different approach to design and display. Let's start with the ROG Xbox Ally X. It focuses on portability and ergonomics. It's the smallest of the bunch, and that's reflected in a 7-inch LCD panel. But it's also the thickest on account of improved ergonomics, with side grips that do have that cylindrical shape of a traditional game pad. We've yet to go fully hands-on with this system ourselves (trust me, it's coming soon), but we like the design, even if it's the smallest of the bunch. If you want the best screen, that's where the Legion Go 2 comes in — alongside that choice to make the controllers detachable, which is going to be great for local multiplayer or just setting down that gorgeous 8.8-inch OLED display. However, with a bigger screen and more mechanical parts to detach the controllers, it's slightly bigger and a lot heavier, at over 2 pounds. Finally, there's the middle ground in the MSI Claw A8. Ergonomically, its more sound than the previous Claw with blockier controller grips to get your hands around. It's only 1.6 ounces heavier than the Xbox handheld and in return, you get an 8-inch display (LCD though, not OLED). So really, this is a bit of a three-way tie and comes down to what you're looking for. If you want the best display and don't mind the heft, the Legion Go 2 is your go-to. Want the most portable? ROG Xbox Ally X is the one to choose, and the MSI Claw sits nicely in between for those looking for balance. Just because both these handhelds sport identical internals doesn't mean there isn't a clear winner in the performance department. All of them run a version of AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, which in turn shares a lot in common with the Z1 Extreme before it (8 cores/16 threads). In testing the MSI Claw A8, I was able to get some impressive frame rates of 60+ FPS across some key AAA titles like Spider-Man 2. Of course, this was just a quick test and not a full lab benchmarking. But the superpower comes in moving up to a Zen 5 architecture that unlocks RDNA 3.5. This is what that upgrade does to the performance from leaked testing. Of course, this is ignoring the elephant in the room — AI. The ROG Xbox Ally X packs a Ryzen AI X2 Extreme, which is essentially the same chip but with an NPU bolted on. What this does for game performance, I'm not sure. But developers could accommodate this for smoother machine-learned frame generation or fidelity in the future. As for battery, this is one area where MSI and Microsoft might have a bigger edge. The Claw A8 and ROG Xbox Ally both sport an 80Wh cell, while the Legion Go 2 has a 74Wh battery. That's a small difference, but given the bigger power draw of a bigger screen, that could mean a drop in stamina. But there is one key advantage that the ROG Xbox Ally X will have over these other two — the software. Not just in the UI of opening directly into the Xbox experience rather than to Windows 11, but also in efficiency too. On this Xbox handheld, Microsoft will stop all the background processes of Windows running, which have often been the key reason behind bad battery life on handhelds when compared to those rocking SteamOS. How much of an impact this has, we're not sure, but at the very least, I'm seeing performance improvements in other hands-on tests from my friends. So it's definitely reason to be a little optimistic! And so far, that's where we stand with these — look out for comprehensive hands-on reviews on these three soon enough! But whichever way you go, you're sure to get a powerhouse of a handheld. Early vibes are pointing me towards the ROG Xbox Ally X in terms of the tailor-made software that should improve efficiency and performance over the other two. That being said, Microsoft has confirmed that this gaming handheld-centric version of Windows 11 is coming to other handhelds soon, as has been leaked in a recent beta build. That means those who seek the best display will get the benefits of this in the Legion Go 2, or if you want a slightly bigger screen, the MSI Claw A8 would be a strong contender too. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
22-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
Lenovo Legion Go 2 revealed in leaked prototype video featuring an OLED display
We've been waiting a while for the sequel to Lenovo's Legion Go handheld gaming PC, and a new video may have just given us our first look at the second generation console. The Legion Go 2 is one of our most anticipated gaming handheld releases this year, and leaks about the new console have been sprouting up since at least April of 2024. Originally, we spotted the latest leaked images of a purported Lenovo Legion Go 2 in the Legion Go subreddit which showed the screen, kickstand, and even a look at the inside of the console. A Redditor commented that the images were from their video on YouTube, which does appear to match the photos from Reddit. The video claims the device is a prototype, and may even be out of date. It's a bit of a sketchy leak as this is only the second video ever posted to that channel and the Reddit account, while two years old, has only ever commented on this post. They allege that they were able to get one of the devices "due to bankruptcy of the contract manufacturer" which apparently lead to a number of prototypes ending up in e-waste recycling. I don't speak Chinese, so some of what we're going off here is comments made under the video and what the claimed owner of the video said on Reddit. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. According to them, the machine in question features an 8.8-inch OLED display reportedly made by Samsung Display. This would be an improvement over its predecessor which features an IPS LCD screen. The prototype also features a Z2 processor and a 780M graphics card, which is most likely out of date as the Go 2 is expected to feature a more powerful AMD 890M card. In the video, they do show off the device in action playing a game and some of the system settings. It looks like it has 1TB of SSD storage and 32GB of RAM, double that of the original Legion Go. It appears like the battery will be better as well. The current Go console has a 49.2Whr battery which barely lasted two hours in our testing. The new battery is clocked at 74Whr, so maybe we'll get up to three hours with the Go 2, but hopefully Lenovo has worked on some power efficiency and optimization as well. All in all, it does look like an improvement internally. We are curious if Lenovo is working with Microsoft to make an Xbox-version ala the Asus ROG Xbox Ally or with Valve on a SteamOS version like the Legion Go S, which we considered excellent. Allegedly, the Legion Go 2 will launch in September and the leaker said it would cost $1,000. Lenovo has been fairly tight-lipped about the Go 2, so we don't have much more to go on, but we do expect the handheld to release later this year. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
