Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Asus ROG Xbox Ally X vs. Lenovo Legion Go S: Which Gaming Handheld Is Best?

Pricing: Which Bundle Suits Your Play Style?

The Nintendo Switch 2 comes in two different configurations: The $449 base version includes the console itself, both left and right Joy-Con 2 controllers, two Joy-Con 2 straps, a Joy-Con 2 Grip, a USB-C charging cable, an HDMI cable, an AC adapter, and the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock. The $500 model includes all of that plus a digital code for Mario Kart World.

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is a full upgrade to the 2023 Asus ROG Ally. With a redesigned body and an updated processor, the system is also a successor to the more recent (2024) Asus ROG Ally X, with a price to match: It costs $999. This includes the device itself, a 65-watt power adapter, and a stand. Asus also sells the ROG Xbox Ally (no “X”), a $599 entry-level option that has the new design but downgrades the processor. We’ll be discussing the $999 version in this story.

Finally, the Lenovo Legion Go S is an update to the Lenovo Legion Go. Smaller, lighter, and more compact, the handheld is the first to use AMD’s new mobile gaming processor, the Ryzen Z2 Go. It’s available in both Windows and SteamOS versions. We believe the SteamOS version is the one to get, in part because the lighter operating system allows for improved performance. Therefore, I’ll focus on that version in this story. It costs $649 and includes a power adapter. A SteamOS version with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor is also available for $899.

You could argue that the versatility of Windows 11 justifies the premium price of the Asus handheld. But it’s a no-brainer here. While Nintendo’s pricing is higher than some expected, the Switch 2 is the most affordable option.

Winner: Nintendo Switch 2

Design and Features: Mashing Buttons With Joy

Each device in this story can trace its DNA to the Nintendo Switch, but a lot has changed since Nintendo’s first-generation hybrid console launched. The concept of a handheld console has undergone a host of developments since then, transforming it significantly. Some of these changes are clear, much-needed improvements, while others are subjective, but they all help distinguish the handheld consoles from one another.

Let’s look at the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X design first. A revision of the original ROG Ally, the Xbox Ally X measures 1.9 by 11.4 by 4.7 inches (HWD), and it’s about as wide as a Steam Deck OLED. Regarding weight, we’re looking at about 1.5 pounds, which is far lighter than the Lenovo Legion Go 2 but not quite as light as the Steam Deck OLED’s 1.4 pounds. The Xbox Ally X’s handles are a huge improvement, meant to mimic those of the Xbox controller. It’s easily the most comfortable handheld device we’ve tried.

The ROG Xbox Ally X mimics an Xbox controller. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The face buttons and control sticks on the Xbox Ally X also mimic those on the Xbox controller, and are situated in natural places for your thumbs. The directional pad is fully revamped for more precise movement, while the face buttons feel substantial. The sticks have more tension, as well, offering more precision than the comparatively loose sticks of the original. The Xbox Ally X also includes dedicated impulse triggers, which provide precise, localized vibration that responds to your in-game actions, similar to the haptic feedback of the Sony PlayStation 5 controller.

The Legion Go S SteamOS version looks and feels exactly like the Windows version. It measures 5 by 11.7 by 0.8 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.61 pounds. That’s slimmer than the original Legion Go, but the heaviest of our trio. That said, the Go S still feels good in your hands, and it has an anti-slip texture around the console’s grips for extra support. The Legion Go’s detachable controllers are gone, as well as the kickstand.

The Legion Go S has an anti-slip texture around the console’s grips for extra support. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Switch 2 is a featherweight by comparison, weighing 0.88 pound (1.18 pounds with the controllers attached) and standing 4.5 inches tall, 10.7 inches wide, and 0.55 inch thick. The overall design of the Switch 2 is almost identical to the original Switch. It’s a hair taller than the Switch OLED, and the Joy-Cons (now dubbed Joy-Con 2) feature larger analog sticks. The A, B, X, and Y buttons are still flipped, mirroring the Super Nintendo button layout.

The Joy-Con 2 controllers feature larger analog sticks. (Credit: Will Greenwald)

The Joy-Con 2 controllers remain detachable, though now they connect to the system with magnets instead of a sliding rail. The new console also has a redesigned kickstand and a built-in microphone, and the controllers double as mice.

Like its two competitors, the Switch 2 can connect to a monitor for full-screen play. However, the Nintendo console needs the Switch 2 Dock to do so, while the Xbox Ally X and Legion Go S can connect to an external monitor via their USB-C ports with DisplayPort output. The Xbox Ally X can also connect to an ROG XG Mobile graphics dock and tap into the performance of a far more powerful GPU—up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090.

Ultimately, all three handhelds iterate on their predecessors’ designs, both positively and negatively. The Switch 2 keeps things light, a testament to its portability, but the Xbox Ally X and Legion Go S offer plenty of features for their heavier builds. The Switch 2 is the ideal size for a handheld, sacrificing very little of what makes the original Switch great while improving just about every issue we had with the original Switch. However, the Xbox Ally X’s redesigned handles, which offer some much-needed grip that makes playing action games on the go that much easier, tip the scales in its favor.

Winner: Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

Display Quality: Small Screens, Many Pixels

With these models, the tiny monochrome screens found on 1990s-era handhelds like the Nintendo Game Boy are a distant memory. The Xbox Ally X, like the previous machine, has a 7-inch full HD (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) 10-point IPS touch screen, capable of up to 500 nits of brightness. Its maximum refresh rate is 120Hz, and it supports AMD FreeSync Premium and VRR, though not HDR.

The Legion Go S (SteamOS) sports an 8-inch WUXGA (1,920-by-1,200-pixel) 10-point IPS touch screen, with support for variable refresh rates (VRR). It can reach a peak brightness of 500 nits, and like the ROG Ally X, it does not support HDR.

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The Legion Go S sports an 8-inch WUXGA (1,920-by-1,200-pixel) 10-point IPS touch screen. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Switch 2, meanwhile, uses a 7.9-inch full HD (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) LCD touch screen with VRR support courtesy of Nvidia G-Sync. Nintendo doesn’t share specific information like maximum brightness, but it does say that the system supports HDR10. However, the Switch 2’s screen HDR support and screen clarity have raised some eyebrows. While we think most casual users might not care, eagle-eyed gamers might.

Switching over to docked play, the ROG Xbox Ally X can get significantly improved performance when paired with the ROG XG Mobile. The Legion Go S, when paired with the Lenovo Legion Go USB-C Dock, also offers improved performance. These numbers vary from game to game, however, so don’t expect 4K at 60 frames per second from every game you try.

The ROG Ally X has a 7-inch full HD (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) 10-point IPS touch screen. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Nintendo caused a slight stir after the Switch 2 reveal. It was previously confirmed that the device would support VRR in both handheld and docked modes, but that has since been revised to VRR in handheld mode only. The system can output 4K resolution at 60Hz and 1080p at 120Hz.

All three systems’ screens perform admirably, and it’s extremely hard to choose the best option. The Switch 2’s HDR support does help give it an edge here. On the other hand, the Legion Go S offers the most real estate at the highest resolution (even if it’s just a handful of additional horizontal pixels), and the Switch 2’s inability to support VRR while docked is a problem. We hope that issue can get fixed in a future update, but until that happens, we’re giving the Legion Go S (SteamOS) an edge.

Winner: Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)

Tech Specs: Upscaling Is the Secret Sauce

Gaming handhelds have to do it all—support the latest and greatest games while maintaining a form factor that can be tossed into your bag. All three systems use a combination of custom processors and AI upscaling to make your games look as good as possible on the go, but which is the best one? Let’s take a look at the silicon inside each of the devices to find out.

Both the Xbox Ally X and the Legion Go S (SteamOS) use AMD’s Ryzen Z1 and Z2 series of accelerated processing units (APUs). APUs combine the GPU and CPU onto a single chip, using integrated graphics as budget and midrange laptops do. These Z chips are custom-made for handheld gaming and support upscaling technologies like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, also known as FSR.

(Credit: AMD)

In fact, AI upscaling technologies like FSR are the secret sauce in the handheld gaming market. Using AI upscaling, games can drop their internal resolution and rebuild the image using AI. This maintains and even improves performance while resulting in image quality that is nearly identical to the natively rendered image. On a larger screen, you may be able to spot the “ghosting” artifacts left behind in the rebuilt image, but it’s tough to see those types of blemishes on smaller 7- and 8-inch screens.

The Xbox Ally X uses AMD’s AI Z2 Extreme, while the Legion Go S (SteamOS) is available in either Z2 Go or Z1 Extreme versions. You’re safe to assume that “Extreme” is better when it comes to processors and that Z2 is newer and better than Z1, but the devil’s in the details. The Z2 Extreme is based on AMD’s “Strix Point” CPU, which combines “Zen 5” and “Zen 5c” CPU cores with the new RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture that’s optimized for LPDDR5X memory. The Z2 Extreme also includes an NPU rated for up to 50 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS). The NPU on board offloads AI tasks from the CPU and GPU, so you can utilize new onboard features like Gaming Copilot. Meanwhile, the Z2 Go is based on the older “Zen 3+” architecture, with four CPU cores and eight threads, and it uses RDNA 2 architecture for its graphics.

Nintendo has never been one to parade its devices’ technical specifications. In fact, it is known for utilizing older tech, abiding by the philosophy of longtime designer Gunpei Yokoi: “Lateral thinking with withered technology.” Nevertheless, the Switch 2 is a vast improvement over the Switch 1’s architecture.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Instead of laying out the Switch 2’s exact stats, Nintendo simply says the device uses a “custom processor made by Nvidia.” However, after years of speculation, leaks, and shipping manifests, Digital Foundry suggests that the Switch 2’s processor is an ARM Cortex A78C with CPU clocks that hit 998MHz (docked) and 1,101MHz (mobile), with a max clock speed of 1.7GHz. The same source suggests that the Switch 2 also uses an Nvidia T239 GPU, which is based on Nvidia “Ampere” architecture, as seen on the GeForce RTX 30 series. Nvidia claims that the custom processor will bring real-time ray tracing, lifelike lighting, reflections, and shadows to Nintendo’s hardware.

The Switch 2 utilizes 12GB of LPDDR5X, which is delivered via two 6GB modules. It also uses Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth (though Nintendo does not specify the Bluetooth version). You can view the full specs of all three handhelds in the chart at the beginning of this story.

The big game-changer here is likely to be the use of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), Nvidia’s version of FSR. In the early going, we have been impressed with the look of many of the graphically intensive games we’ve tried. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Hitman: World of Assassination look nearly identical to their current-gen counterparts, and sometimes, in fact, they even look nicer in handheld mode.

On paper, the AI Z2 Extreme is a heavy hitter, but in our testing, Windows 11 proves to be a performance hog, especially when utilizing the Xbox Full Screen Experience. (We’ll discuss this below; admittedly, there’s still plenty of performance headroom.) On the other hand, DLSS does produce a very clean image, so Switch 2 games deliver performance comparable to current-gen console systems like the Xbox Series S. Still, we’re giving the edge to the Xbox Ally X here.

Winner: Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

Game Libraries: So, What Can I Play?

Finally, let’s discuss what is probably the most important category: the games catalog. Both the Xbox Ally X and Legion Go S are backed by a wide selection of PC games across various game-hosting platforms, including Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and Xbox. That means that these handhelds have access to a wealth of classics and brand-new AAA releases, though that doesn’t mean every game will run on the handhelds. 

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

While plenty of impressive titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 run on the handhelds, countless games don’t play at all, or play in such a compromised state that they’re not worth the effort. Steam Deck Verification has helped gamers fine-tune their experiences, but it’s still not perfect. 

The Xbox Ally X attempts to enhance gameplay with the Xbox Full Screen Experience, designed to replicate the console experience on a handheld. It’s a valiant effort to make things easier to navigate and organize, while also reducing Windows 11 processes to improve game performance. It also takes a page out of the Steam Deck’s verified compatibility ratings, so players using Xbox Game Pass will know exactly how well certain games will play on the handheld.

The Switch 2, on the other hand, launched with exclusive Switch 2 software. Much of the Switch 2’s launch lineup consists of ports of games that are much cheaper elsewhere, but the Switch 2 has one thing that others do not have: Nintendo’s library of excellent games. The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Pokémon, Kirby, Metroid, Pikmin, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Xenoblade, Fire Emblem—the list goes on and on. These are games that literally can’t be played anywhere else. The Switch 2 is also backward-compatible with the Switch’s library of games, so even if you don’t bother with any of the new Switch 2 releases, you’ll still find a huge back catalog.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

However, the Switch 2 upgrade path has proven to be quite stingy. While other platforms like Xbox offer next-gen game upgrades for free, Nintendo charges $10 to $20 to upgrade titles to their Switch 2 editions. Some non-Nintendo titles also cost $10 for upgrades, though many publishers are not offering an upgrade path at all.

Ultimately, Nintendo games are console sellers, and they’re the reason why you buy into the ecosystem. While a wealth of games is available on Steam, you’re not always getting the best version of a game when you’re playing it on a Legion Go S or Xbox Ally X. But if I fire up my Switch 2, I know that I’m playing the best version of Tears of the Kingdom or Super Mario Odyssey. Call me a fanboy, but I have to give the Switch 2 a slight edge here. What can I say—quality over quantity.

Winner: Nintendo Switch 2