r/Handhelds

Hi guys!

I’m trying to decide between the Acer Predator Atlas 8 G3 Extreme and Lenovo Legion Go 2 Z2 Extreme.

Let’s say money isn’t an issue and you’re choosing purely based on which is the better handheld overall.

The Atlas 8 interests me because of the G3 Extreme and much stronger performance, especially for newer AAA games. On the other hand, I really like the Legion Go 2 because of the 8.8” OLED, detachable controllers and kickstand.

My main use would be single-player/AAA games and Soulslikes. I already have a Switch 2 as my main handheld, so this would mostly be for games that aren’t available on Switch 2 or games that perform significantly better on PC.
If you could only keep one for the next few years, which would you choose?

Atlas 8 for the performance/future-proofing?
or
Legion Go 2 for the OLED, bigger screen and versatility?

Would especially love to hear from anyone who has used G3 Extreme and Z2 Extreme handhelds.

Thanks!

I own a switch 1 and have a lot of games I really enjoy playing on it, but it’s been getting old and I recently sent it to get the wifi chip fixed. I was looking at switch 2 prices and saw it was gonna get more expensive this September. I find myself playing my switch docked 60% of the time but I really want to play my switch. I’m really interested in playing Bananza, The ocarina of time remake, BotW, the duskbloods when it comes out and fortnite STW. Do you think it’s worth getting. I’m stuck between it and a ps5 slim.

With this components crisis, I was wondering what the future of the handhelds will be.
I mean, they could remain as a very niche market, but there is also a big probability that asus, lenovo or valve stop manufacturing their respective handhelds since the average user can't afford 1.5k+ devices.

Hello, i have a question i bought a friend a legion go s that came to me completely destroyed, when and if amazon replaces it with a refund or gift card replacement for the 16 gig legion go s model shall i get another or would you recommend the the asus xbox rog ally or the msi claw 24 gig Z2E? those are what i am considering to get as a late birthday present for a friend who is sick and ill and always games in bed, or shall i wait for christmas and try to pick up something from bestbuy or costco in person?

Has anyone here been using the ROG Ally X (not the Xbox version) with SteamOS? Where I live, a used Ally X is currently only about $50 more expensive than a used Steam Deck OLED, so I’m seriously considering making the switch.

What I’m mainly looking for is a handheld with reliable sleep/resume, good performance, and decent battery life. My current/most-played games include:

- Marvel’s Spider-Man

- Red Dead Redemption 2

- Palworld

- Star Wars Battlefront II

- Stardew Valley

- Helldivers 1

If it can also run Space Marine 2 and Helldivers 2 reasonably well, that would be a huge bonus.

For the AAA games, I’d be happy with around 45 FPS at 720p/800p, Medium settings, without LSFG/frame generation. I’m not looking to max everything out — I’d rather have consistent performance and at least ~2.5 hours of actual gaming battery life.

I know the Steam Deck OLED is still better in terms of ergonomics and display quality, so those aren't really the reasons I’m considering the Ally X.

Given these priorities, would switching to an Ally X running SteamOS be a meaningful upgrade, or would I end up disappointed because of the compromises?

For anyone who has used both, I’d especially appreciate your thoughts on:

1. Sleep/resume reliability

2. Real-world battery life

3. Fan noise at different TDPs

4. D-pad quality (on SD it’s terrible when I tried diagonally)

5. Performance in the games I mentioned

6. Whether the extra performance is actually noticeable compared to the Steam Deck OLED

Would you make the switch in my situation?

I've been using Android handhelds for the last few years, and I've started to understand why people who haven't used them tend to dismiss them.

The usual comparisons are "just get a Steam Deck" or "just use your phone," but I think Android handhelds occupy a different space.

I put together a video explaining why I think the category is misunderstood. Curious where you guys land on this.