The Best Black Friday Gaming Handheld PC Deals Include Steam Deck, Legion Go S, and Xbox Ally
As the gaming landscape evolves, handheld gaming PCs have emerged as a game-changer, allowing players to access their entire library of PC games on portable devices. This Black Friday, several high-performance models are being offered at significant discounts, making it an ideal time for gamers to invest in these innovative devices. Among the standout options is the Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme SteamOS Edition, which boasts an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 32GB of RAM, and a generous 512GB of storage. With an impressive 8-inch 1200p display and a 120Hz refresh rate, this handheld offers superior graphics and fluid gameplay compared to its competitors, including the Steam Deck. Priced competitively, this model has been lauded as one of the best handheld gaming PCs on the market, providing an intuitive and user-friendly experience with its SteamOS interface.
In addition to the Z1 Extreme, the Lenovo Legion Go S Z2 Go Edition is also on sale, now available for $449.99 after a $200 discount. While it features a less powerful AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor, it still surpasses the performance of the Steam Deck, particularly at lower resolutions. This model presents a fantastic value, especially considering that a comparable Steam Deck would retail for $549. Another noteworthy mention is the Xbox Ally Z2 A Windows Edition, which has recently seen a price drop to $499.99. This device, developed in collaboration with Microsoft, offers performance on par with the Steam Deck but comes with the added versatility of a Windows operating system. Lastly, for budget-conscious gamers, the Steam Deck 256GB LCD Edition is now discounted to $319.99, making it the most affordable gaming handheld PC option without sacrificing performance.
With these compelling options available at discounted prices, Black Friday presents a prime opportunity for gamers to upgrade their portable gaming experience. Whether seeking the cutting-edge power of the Lenovo Legion Go S models or the affordability of the Steam Deck, players can find a handheld that suits their gaming needs and budget. For those looking for a seamless, plug-and-play experience, the SteamOS models are particularly appealing, ensuring that gamers can dive into their favorite titles without the hassle often associated with Windows-based devices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeapceEyz6I
With the advent of gaming PC handhelds, your entire library of PC games is at your fingertips. Now you can play Clair Obscur, Hades, Silksong, or Baldur’s Gate on a device that’s not much bigger than a Switch console. Some of these handhelds are pretty expensive, and the highest end models can cost upwards of $1,000. Fortunately, a couple of SteamOS models happen to have major discounts for Black Friday, including one of our favorites. SteamOS is more intuitive to use on a handheld than Windows and anyone who wants an easy, bug-free plug and play experience that “just works” should stick with this over a Windows-based handheld.
Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme SteamOS Edition
This particular Lenovo Legion Go S is equipped with the more powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 32GB of RAM, 512GB storage capacity, and it runs off SteamOS instead of Windows. The Z1 Extreme is much more powerful than the APU found in the Steam Deck and as such, it will outperform the Steam Deck in pretty much any situation. Graphics also look sharper with more fluid movement, thanks to a bigger 8″ 1200p display with a higher 120Hz refresh rate. The Legion Go S also supports a much higher maximum charging rate (up to 100W vs 40W for the Steam Deck). This deal prices the Legion Go S on par with the highest end Steam Deck, but it’s superior in almost every way.
Check out
Jacqueline’s 9/10 review of the Legion Go S
(Z1 Extreme, SteamOS model), in which she concludes that it is one of the “best handheld gaming PCs on the market, and a legitimate Steam Deck alternative.”
Lenovo Legion Go S Z2 Go SteamOS Edition
Also on sale is the Legion Go S Z2 Go Edition, which is currently $449.99 after a $200 discount. Despite the fact that the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go is a 2nd gen chip, it’s actually less powerful than the Z1 Extreme. Fortunately, it’s
still
more powerful than the Steam Deck’s APU and you should expect slightly better performance out of it, especially if you knock the resolution down to 1280×800. Since a Steam Deck with equivalent specs will still cost you $549, this is a much better value: you get more features and pay less money.
Xbox Ally Z2 A Windows Edition
The Xbox Ally was released last month, with the AMD Ryzen Z2 A model retailing for $599.99. For Black Friday, both Amazon and Best Buy have docked $100 off the price. The Xbox Ally is based on the ROG Ally X platform but with Microsoft’s collaboration. You can read our
Xbox Ally X review
to see what the differences are from the original, however keep in mind that Jackie reviewed the $1,000 higher-end “Xbox Ally
X
” model with the Z2 Extreme processor. Th non-X model is equipped with a Ryzen Z2 A processor, which is comparable in performance to the Steam Deck’s APU.
Steam Deck 256GB LCD Edition
For Black Friday, Steam has discounted its base model with a 7″ 1280×800 LCD display and 256GB of storage to $319.99, a 20% discount from its $400 list price. If you’re pinching pennies, you won’t find a less expensive gaming handheld PC. Every
Steam Deck
is equipped with the same processor, so the base model will still run games just as smoothly as the highest end $650 system. You can also upgrade the storage yourself with some technical know-how.
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Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
