I want to root for the ROG Xbox Ally, but the Lenovo Legion Go is making it look bad at Best Buy

Now that Asus ROG Xbox Ally pre-orders are live, I can feel the hype brewing within me for Microsoft's best gaming handheld contender. However, I am still struggling to digest its price, and the fact that the Lenovo Legion Go is currently the same price as the base model is giving me tummy issues.

Okay, here's the skinny: the base Asus ROG Xbox Ally is available to pre-order for $599.99 at Best Buy. Just like the Series S, it serves as the flagship "X" model's lower spec sibling, meaning it'll pack a lighter punch for less moolah. In theory, that helps ensure players have a jumping-on point regardless of budget, but the retailer also has the Lenovo Legion Go for $599.99, which is comparatively more impressive on paper.

The part that really gives me indigestion is that the Lenovo Legion Go isn't even at its lowest price right now. I managed to find the chonky handheld for under $500 last Black Friday, and its OG Asus ROG Ally rival also tends to drop to a similar record low during the sales. Therefore, it only takes a very 'meh' discount to make the upcoming Xbox Ally look bad, but I wouldn't write it off just yet.

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Here's the thing - I'm not a big fan of the Lenovo Legion Go. I said as much in my original review, as it felt far too much like a prototype by a laptop maker during testing. It wields pretty ambitious specs, and its QHD 144Hz screen was pretty much the first of its kind when it comes to Steam Deck OLED rivals. But, I ultimately think Lenovo invested in the wrong areas with its first attempt, trading comfort for unnecessary specs and features.

In 2025, though, the Legion Go does have an edge over many new sub-$600 handhelds. While you'd think the likes of the Lenovo Legion Go S, a portable that fixed a lot of my issues with the previous model, would boost fps much higher, its Ryzen Z2 GO chip is underwhelming. Despite its sequentially higher moniker, it actually can't keep up with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, resulting in performance levels that are anything but "next-gen".

Yes, I've had this rant before, but the base Xbox Ally is poised to suffer from the same issues as the Legion Go S. For $600, you're effectively getting a handheld that, at least in terms of raw specs, is more comparable to the Steam Deck than last-gen AMD Windows 11 portables. The twist, however, is that the Z2 series boasts AI cores that allow for new upscaling tricks, and that could be what ultimately saves Microsoft's contender.

Dubbed Auto Super Resolution (Auto SR), the Xbox Ally includes specific AI upscaling with its array of Windows 11 features. While the Legion Go and OG ROG Ally are set to get many of the same optimizations, the frame boosting abilities are exclusive to Z2 handhelds since they include an NPU.

I'll naturally need to test the new Auto SR feature to see if it provides a worthwhile uplift compared to AMD's FSR upscaling. I'm also keen to see if the new tech can provide seamless results, as even if the Xbox Ally gets a massive frame boost, even Nvidia's coveted DLSS can sometimes produce funky results.

That said, it's not the only reason to pick up the Xbox Ally over its contenders, as it offers up some nice physical perks. For starters, it takes a leaf out of the Sony's PlayStation Portal book by integrating traditional controller grips at the back, which should provide console-level comfort. It's also got impulse triggers that will serve up an extra layer of immersion in a similar fashion to the PS5 Dualsense.

Before you reach for your Xbox-branded pitchforks, let it be known that I am excited for Microsoft's first handheld. I've been waiting years for the gaming giant to step into the portable ring, and while I'm saving any solid opinions for after my review, I suspect the flagship Xbox Ally X could swiftly become the best premium option out there. If anything, I'm more just concerned that the base version isn't doing enough to take on its processors, but the proof will ultimately be in the price versus performance pudding.

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