Did you decide on you gaming PC? That’s my other option but I don’t think I want to stretch to 2k.
Actually have been looking at two. Daughter#2 & partner are thinking about a new custom job from Novatech at £2.6k, and I’ve been looking at upgrades for mine at £2.3k. A good chunk of each would be the graphics card.
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Sorry to raise another gaming query, but has anyone used a Meta Quest VR headset.
I’d honestly not realised these work standalone without a gaming PC.
Another item on the tech wishlist…
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The Steam deck has the ADVANTAGE of ‘not running Windows’.
the cut down OS it does run allows it meagre specs to do ‘very well’.
The AMD Z1 (extreme) chips are amazing, and of huge importance to AMD to get right.
presently the way they are configured is an issue,… but firmware updates WILL improve the usability of such chips. (turning off some CPU cores will allow the GPU to take more of the power and ‘be more practical’ for intense gaming)
The screens being higher resolution (/OLED) on some devices is a double edges sword.
Might allow greater (text) clarity on some ‘non demanding games’, but generally will cripple 3D rendering performance… ie an extra 20% pixels means a serious amount more ‘grunt’ needed to render complex 3D games.
Screen res on small devices=“less is more”
With exception of ability to run an external ‘eGPU’ in an enclosure- at which point having a more capable CPU might give any one of these devices longer running chops to be used as a desktop (albeit with an expensive external GPU enclosure)…
None of them will touch a PS5,… mostly due to optimisation for one platform (big advantage Sonys’ gaming platform has over microsoft)…
The Sony silicon was a highly customised affair that does a clever ‘early Zcull’ and drops much of what will not get rendered to the screen from the pipeline prior to doing the work (this actually makes the PS5 hardware self optimise in a way that actually makes it around 20% more powerful than the Xbox (series) X in real world scenarios…)
The highly customised RDNA2 architecture in the PS5 is the planets best ‘most powerful’ platform that actually gets optimised for; and hence is one of the best gaming platforms out there.
Myself?
I like the Legion for the detachable controllers (/kickstand etc)
(if they wear out replacing a part is cheap/easy vs ‘servicing’)
Steam Deck due to having a non microsoft OS (microsoft want pc gaming gone to force xbox sales and windows 11 is the WORST operating system I have ever seen… (I used OS/2 warp and Windows 3 (on top of DOS))…
The flexibility of the Asus and Lenovo handhelds is excellent for config gurus like myself… but hosing battery life for a horrible operating system and ‘specs’ that may not matter… and paying a premium to do so is a mugs game.
I’d certainly encourage ‘try the inbuilt controllers’… as the comfort and ‘precision’ are paramount for a gaming system.
(steam deck has advantages for certain genres; but ‘fighting buffs’ might prefer any given d-pad position and precision, as an example)
OLED is hard to go past, not just for ‘sipping power’ but for ‘low blue light’… chances are these things will be used in the bed…
I’d put the OLED screen high on the list of features to consider…
I subscribe to the AMD Vanguard program and can confirm that AMD are serious about tweaking performance for their new portable GPUs.
As a huge advantage- most games on the planet are made for AMD GPUs and programmers generally will utilise the chipset features.
(sure every man and their dog buys Nvidia, but they can only shoehorn their dodgy market tactics so much (there goes any possible likes for my post!!))
power efficiency in a portable part is worth EVERYTHING (unless you like being tethered),… so running Windows (with its’ Jekyl and Hyde interface) is a horrible burden to bear.
OLED steamdeck becomes pretty attractive at this point!
the notion of totally portable untethered VR is cool.
If you have the legs for it and are happy for a very limited games catalogue - is a great way to play.
Pistol Whip gets my love daily, and that game isn’t highly complex.
the exercise aspect alone to such a platform is awesome…
but 3D stereoscopic isn’t for ‘everyones’ eyeballs.
untethered VR is awesome,… and Table Tennis and many ‘short gaming experiences’ is enough.
Baldurs Gate on the other hand…?
(might want text clarity from higher capability rigs (ie ‘more resolution’); I feel if I was playing with some of those windows handhelds I would be streaming my desktop PC (24 teraflops of GPU) to them… )
It really is a hard choice to make…
I’d encourage consider battery life
controller comfort
and OLED for ‘the eyes’.
more power to you!
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Thanks for that comprehensive overview.
With the gaming decks there seem to be pros and cons to all of them. I’ve seen the ROG Ally in a store and it seems very ergonomic with a decent screen but there were no game demos on it that I could see to test.
The Lenovo’s larger higher res screen appeals which might be good for screen real estate when in Windows but as the device is unlikely to manage that resolution adequately for games, I have to wonder if scaling could lead to a more blurry visual experience as you can get with monitors not displaying at native resolution?
The variable refresh rate feature on the Lenovo sounds desirable to avoid tearing but in practice I wonder?
I think whichever device will be used mostly in the house so it could potentially be powered most of the time so less of a current concern.
Steamdeck out of the running currently as I can’t just nip out and buy one in a store.
Finally opted for the Lenovo Legion Go and the Meta Quest 3.
The Lenovo may be a bit of a gamble as it’s new and not as polished software wise as the Asus which has had a head start release wise.
The Asus feels pretty good ergonomically in store but I couldn’t compare the Lenovo unboxed.
The larger display, proper kickstand vs a piece of textured cardboard, 2 USB C/Thunderbolt 4 ports vs 1 and the documented issues with Asus’ microSD card slot frying cards were the reasons. The Asus may be better ergonomically and smaller with better sound, but the Lenovo just seems better in terms of connectivity and has potential for using more eGPUs if used docked.
Hopefully the Lenovo will mature from the software niggle viewpoints as the Asus did, but ultimately they’re both quite similar running on Windows 11 Home.
I’ve never used an XBOX subscription but all the available games seems appealing for a nominal monthly fee vs £40-£50 per game for new Switch and PS5 games.
Not sure if the premium for the 512GB Meta Quest 3 will be worth it, but almost didn’t get it as just as I was about to pay the store manager said it needed the Elite ‘headband’ at £70 as it didn’t include a headband as standard which seems to be incorrect, and they didn’t have that Elite accessory in stock. I think he was trying to fob me off with accessories I didn’t initially need or want and almost lost the sale after I’d specifically gone back to a very genuine salesperson with whom I wanted to complete the transaction as they’d been so helpful on an earlier visit.
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Fantastic shopping (done!)
I had been keen to buy the ASUS ROG, and then heard whispers on the grapevine regarding Lenovo getting into the space… (right after buying a Lenovo phone, no less).
Asus has always been my number one hardware manufacturer in the PC space, mostly based on them doing awesome environmental decisions going back more than twenty years ago, and the fact that they build their kit to last.
One of the few manufacturers that can hold a reliability candle to them ARE LENOVO.
When they bought up IBM, they actually improved the reliability over the next few successive years, which was a shock to just about everyone! (IBM being pretty top tier themseleves)
The Lenovo (Legion) looked like a ‘pretty perfect’ device,… and based on what they have done with their Android phones- I see a manufacturer that is capable of innovation.
Cooling solutions matter with regards these tiny devices as it is a power(/heat) envelope that limits their ultimate performance.
The notion of dropping a few CPU cores to have more (power) headroom for GPU functionality is where the real ‘optimisation’ love will really happen.
Very right about extra screen res being helpful for handling windows desktop usage on such a small device… and scaling isn’t really an issue as the pixel per inch is so high that it shouldn’t lead to weird font scaling issues (but weirdly with win11 the screen calibration stuff that windows SHOULD HAVE built in is all ‘on the store and needs be downloaded’)- small ‘once off’ setup stuff, so, not too much of an issue.
Untethered VR should prove ‘very fun’, and the ability to tether IS an advantage.
The fact that a year from now, you can stumble across an eGPU enclosure and throw in a nice ‘desktop class’ GPU does mean that both new purchases can be taken further! (nice not buying redundant parts based on seasonal releases!).
Win11 is truly horrible… but once you have your game going, hopefully it doesn’t get in the way ‘too much’.
Irrelevant as - I feel you have an incredible entertainment platform here…
“Spells and Secrets” is one my missus n I have been really enjoying over the last day or so… (perfect silly season entertainment)…
two player co-op and with a nice mix of puzzles that keep both of us with eyes peeled and minds trying to think ‘outside the box’.
My partner is mid fifties and not really a hardcore gamer.
game has been out around a month and is being patched and ‘loved’ by the studio.
Feels like a Hogwarts game, but done with ‘fun’ in mind.
Having each of us specialise in spells that suits our capabilities with the controller, and the game having a curve that feels rewarding (and not just a piece of cake for me!) is a great software title in my eyes.
The studio created hours of music, and the polish seems pretty decent.
the fact that the game is on sale on Switch /PS5 and PC makes it a ‘budget’ score!
highly recommended…
You could probably detach the controllers and, maybe combined with an xbox or playstation controller (or Switch PRO controller), using bluetooth (or cable if you prefer) be able to get a two player match going…
I’d recommend.
It isn’t Baldurs Gate 3 (or divinity OS2 etc), but it is fun couch co-op in a world where that seems to have gone AWOL.
Again; kudos for the well selected components- happy hobbying!!
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It may not have been obvious earlier but this is mostly for my son who’s wanted a gaming PC for over a year. I intend to build a beast of a machine at some stage, but think the Lenovo will give access to so much which doesn’t work well on his Mac Book Pro, as well as access to existing Steam purchases and the opportunity for the XBOX pass stuff.
He has PS4/PS5, several Nintendo devices which have been brilliant, but I’ve boxed him in with restricted accounts due to privacy concerns for ages, now is the time to let him fly as he’s sensible enough to be cautious and intelligent enough to learn from any genuine mistakes online.
the consoles have held back the ‘cpu’ bar for so long (and set the requisite ‘for the masses’ requirement for studios to use) that CPU requirements (physics and in game ‘AI’) hasn’t been pushed.
Companies making entertainment products do not wish to miss out on potential sales, so ‘raising’ CPU requirements hasn’t really happened.
It is why even now a six core CPU generally doesn’t hold back a games ‘minimum’ framerate much at all.
The multicore CPU in the portable ‘rig’ you have just bought shouldn’t really cap your gaming much at all- even if you go the EXTERNAL GPU route as an upgrade cycle (down the track)
Sure an eGPU enclosure might limit the GPUs effectiveness by ~10%; but I’d certainly keep an eye out for a ‘second hand’ eGPU enclosure (to save the cash), and, when it suits you, simply add the ‘best’ GPU you can (as ‘next years upgrade’).
For tethered VR use, and ‘enhanced graphics’ (not aiming for super high framerate ie 140hz+), you should find that just such an upgrade allows you to continue to use your existing parts well, and also teach about the platform well enough to make use of the investment in a diverse way.
For now- exactly as you have bought it all for- you have ‘the whole world’ at your fingertips.
Just know that ‘Ultra’ settings are superfluous and used simply by those who are looking for ways to use their several thousand dollar graphics card to 'yield; SOME SORT OF IMPROVEMENT over what the PS5 offers.
Basically for graphically intensive games, presently, probably a lot of value in buying the PS5 title.
A lot of indies will not push the graphics bar at all, and the multitude of ways to use that Lenovo (including Playstation ‘remote play’) will make it a do EVERYTHING box that certainly satisfies.
kudos (you did the due diligence and landed ‘the perfect part’)
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also humblebundle(.com) have a vr bundle presently…
(moght be a great way to nab a few titles in one go/for ‘cheap’)
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Thanks for that, will be keeping an eye on some of the online sales, I get humble bundle emails but often don’t read them as there’s a lot of noise/spam in that particular email account.
The one thing I’m not looking forward to today will be prolonged setup processes (Windows/driver/BIOS updates etc), and creating new registrations for all the game services - we have a Steam account already, but some of the others may require accounts I’ve long avoided (Facebook for example).
Suspect I’ll mess up applying the screen protector, often wonder why I bother with them.
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for nt forget Epic store.
tokyo ghostwire is free game presently 
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A few ‘unknowns’ during setup of the Lenovo, but what a fantastic device for the money so far and that’s without any recently released patches or updates.
The screen looks great and the screen protector I got on Amazon (non-OEM) went on like a dream and virtually applied itself once aligned.
I think my son is a bit gobsmacked by a fairly powerful gaming PC in a small form factor, he really wasn’t expecting it, but he can already see the expansion possibilities available and how it could serve as a small form factor PC for coding/gaming/schoolwork with the addition of a few peripheral via a USB C dock.
Shame perhaps Currys didn’t have the 1TB SSD version I think is available (neither do Lenovo UK) but again with Steam at least I see no reason we can’t just add a large capacity SSD to store games. One we were just about to download from Steam was around 230GB, which really surprised me, but possibly par for the course these days.
The gorgeous screen really makes me glad I got this rather than the polished but smaller screen Asus.
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So how’s the Gaming PC going down.
And has he got the “right” ( i.e. approved on Yootoob) keyboard and mouse?
And the “right” switches in his keyboard!
I kid you not… options are:
(Sorry Pixie, you were a handy platform )
Yes, every colour is a different spec. Smooth action, tactile, clicky, etc…….
What do you mean, you didn’t know about the different types of switches……no, neither did I till the millennials put me straight 
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Really well as far as I can tell.
A few updates improved performance early on, it’s just a bit confusing at the moment knowing which components have been updated automatically and which are simply marked new on the website but may already have been installed - hoping they’ll automate this in their main app, at least i think that was planned.
Microsoft Game Pass is a real hit.
I’ve not seen the device for a couple of weeks tbh!
He’s made do with bog standard wired keyboard and mouse at the moment, an area to explore again.
Thanks for asking.
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I take it the mouse is in the cat!
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