Black Friday Gaming PC Handheld Deals: Are Steam Deck, Legion Go Worth It?!

The world of portable PC gaming has exploded, and suddenly, your Steam library doesn't have to be chained to your desk anymore. We're talking about devices that let you play *Baldur's Gate 3*, *Hades*, even dream about *Silksong* on something roughly the size of a Switch. These handhelds can get pricey, sometimes pushing past the $1000 mark, but Black Friday's here to throw some serious discounts our way, particularly on those powered by the increasingly popular SteamOS.

Black Friday Gaming PC Handheld Deals: Are Steam D...

Why SteamOS, you ask? Well, compared to wrestling with Windows on a small screen, SteamOS is a breath of fresh air. It's designed for gaming, plain and simple. If you just want to pick up and play without a ton of tweaking, SteamOS is generally the way to go.

One deal that really caught my eye is on the Lenovo Legion Go S. This thing packs an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. And crucially, it runs SteamOS! The Z1 Extreme is a beast, significantly outperforming the Steam Deck's APU. You can expect noticeably better performance across the board, sharper visuals, and smoother frame rates on its larger, 8-inch, 1200p display, which also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate. Plus, the Legion Go S charges way faster, supporting up to 100W compared to the Steam Deck's 40W.

What’s really compelling is that Black Friday is putting the Legion Go S in the same ballpark price-wise as the top-tier Steam Deck... but it arguably *outperforms* it in nearly every key area. Our own reviewer, Jacqueline, gave the Legion Go S (the Z1 Extreme, SteamOS version) a stellar 9/10, calling it "one of the best handheld gaming PCs on the market, and a legitimate Steam Deck alternative." High praise, indeed!

But wait, there's more! The Legion Go S Z2 Go Edition is also getting some love, currently at $449.99 after a $200 discount. Now, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go is a 2nd-gen chip and not *quite* as powerful as the Z1 Extreme. However, it still edges out the Steam Deck's APU, particularly if you're playing at a slightly reduced 1280x800 resolution. Considering a comparable Steam Deck configuration will set you back $549, this is a serious value proposition, offering more bang for your buck.

Don't forget about the Xbox Ally X. Launched just last month at $599.99, Amazon and Best Buy are already knocking $100 off the price for Black Friday. The Xbox Ally X builds on the ROG Ally X platform with Microsoft's help. We’ve reviewed it, highlighting the key differences from the original, but keep in mind our review focused on the higher-end $1,000 model. This discounted model uses a Ryzen Z2 A processor which, performance-wise, puts it roughly on par with the Steam Deck’s APU.

Finally, for the budget-conscious among us, Steam is offering a straight 20% discount on its base model Steam Deck. That brings it down to $319.99, a significant drop from the usual $400. This entry-level option sports a 7-inch 1280x800 LCD display and 256GB of storage. It's the most affordable way to jump into PC gaming on the go. And since all Steam Deck models use the same processor, the base model will give you the same core gameplay experience as the $650 version. Plus you can always upgrade the storage yourself later down the line. So, happy hunting this Black Friday!