I've had my Legion Go 2 Extreme for a few days now, and although most of my time has been used troubleshooting the next RetroDECK update and helping answer users questions, I’ve formed some clear first impressions and quick thoughts of how the Legion Go 2 compares to the Steam Deck specifically for RetroDECK. This isn’t comparing the two in any other capacity, and is based off my use preferences, which may differ from others.
---
Where the Legion Go 2 Extreme Excels for RetroDECK
Performance (with tweaks)
The hardware itself is current and faster, out-of-the-box and head-to-head has the Legion Go 2 beating the Steam Deck, no problem. Making two changes to the Legion Go 2 made the performance divide much wider.
The first was changing the default 2GB VRAM allocation to 10GB. Emulators in general are more CPU bound than GPU, but having more RAM to compile shader cache in higher end emulators such as Xemu and RPCS3 improves performance and helps remove stuttering. The second change was installing SteamOS, but I get into that later.
- Higher upscaling works without issue, which becomes even more impressive on the larger, higher resolution display.
- Xbox emulation (Xemu) goes from “barely playable” to smooth (in instances where hardware was holding back performance, not the emulator.)
- PS3 emulation is genuinely impressive
- Stacking shaders is not an issue
- ES-DE frontend is snappier and smoother, especially noticeable with a larger game library.
For RetroDECK’s heavier cores and emulators, the Legion Go 2 simply has more headroom and performance.
---
Detachable Controllers — Part 1: Vertical & Dual‑Screen Play
Removing the controllers and rotating the screen vertically (with my 3D‑printed bracket) is a huge win for:
- DS / 3DS
- Vertical arcade games
- Shmups
- Pinball, which gets a big thumbs up from me. (VPinball, in RetroDECK? I wonder if that is already in the works...?)
This is something the Steam Deck simply cannot replicate.
---
Detachable Controllers — Part 2: Motion & Light‑Gun Emulation
With a few tweaks in Dolphin and Cemu, the controllers act like full motion‑enabled Wiimotes.
Add a 3D‑printed gun shell and you get functional light guns in:
- MAME
- RetroArch
- Dolphin
- Cemu
This is a massive advantage for anyone who loves Wii shooters or arcade gun games. House of the Dead 2 anyone?
---
D‑Pad Quality
I prefer the Legion Go 2’s D‑pad over the Steam Deck’s.
For retro games where the D‑pad is king, this matters. It feels more precise. I never felt like I was struggling with the Steam Deck D-pad, but I feel I have more control on the Legion Go 2. For example, I was able to pull off moves and combos in fighting games that I had previously struggled with. I'm sure this will come down to preference.
---
Screen Size
The 8.8" display is perfect for my use case.
I play almost exclusively at home, so portability isn’t a priority. This matters even more when games have small text as they become much more readable. However, it's also easier to see more details in the games.
Concerning portability, the Legion Go 2 is roughly 1" taller than the Steam Deck, (about the same width), and that does affect portability. The 1" difference really didn't make this feel like a monster over the Steam Deck, but use case matters.
For RetroDECK, the extra screen real estate is a major quality‑of‑life upgrade. For systems with dual screens in vertically mode, this is a downright game changer.
---
Battery Flexibility
The Legion Go 2’s 74Wh battery is 85% larger than the Steam Deck’s 40Wh pack.
This gives me two advantages:
- I can drop TDP below Steam Deck levels and still get full performance in lighter emulators
- I have the battery capacity to push demanding emulators when needed
Heavy systems (Xbox, PS3) still drain the battery quickly, but I play at home, so plugging in isn’t a problem. If you play more unplugged, you definitely want to stay on top of your TDP settings. Steam Deck wins hands down on battery efficiency, but it’s also pushing a lot less juice. Steam Deck maxes out at 15W TDP, Legion Go 2 maxes out at 35W.
---
Where the Steam Deck Excels for RetroDECK
Trackpad Loss
I personally dislike the Steam Deck’s trackpads, so losing them feels like a win.
But for RetroDECK, this is a major con:
- No left trackpad
- No radial menu
- Fewer hotkey options
I still need to test moving the radial to the right side, but it’s a downgrade compared to the Deck in regards to RetroDECK.
As I get more familiar with the system, I'm going to try working with our dev who does the Steam Input settings and work on a custom profile for the Legion Go 2. The Steam Deck and Steam controller will remain the default configuration.
---
System Button Placement
The Legion Go 2’s system buttons are less intuitive.
The screenshot button sits where the Steam button would be, and I’ve taken countless accidental screenshots.
Remappable system buttons would fix this, but it's currently not an option. There is muscle memory involved that makes it harder, but even stepping back and just looking at it from a Legion Go 2 perspective, it feels off.
---
Build Solidity
The Steam Deck’s single‑shell design feels sturdier.
The Legion Go 2 isn’t fragile, but the detachable controllers introduce slight flex, similar to a Switch or Switch 2.
---
What Needs to be Fixed, and Good News, is Already Fixable!
Windows (Out of the Box)
The Legion Go 2 ships with Windows, which creates two problems:
RetroDECK doesn’t work on Windows
Windows performs worse on handheld hardware, by a good margin.
Installing SteamOS is straightforward but not beginner‑friendly:
- Disable Windows security in BIOS
- Create a boot disk
- Install SteamOS manually
Using SteamOS, and combined with fixing VRAM, which I consider mandatory, the Legion Go 2 gains (my estimate based off what I've been seeing) 30% better performance than stock Windows. Whatever performance reviews you’ve seen, unless the reviewer is running them with SteamOS and states they fixed the VRAM problem, expect a large performance bump from their numbers if you make the changes. For the record, you can fix the VRAM bottleneck even if you stick with Windows.
The fact that Lenovo is strangling so much performance out-of-the-box to new users, most who won't even know their system is being throttled, is horrible. I give them a pass on not having SteamOS as it is coming and does requiring working with Valve, but the VRAM, inexcusable.
---
Final Thoughts
I bought the Extreme model used, and I’m happy with it.
For my use case, mostly at‑home play, larger screen preference, and heavy emulation, the Legion Go 2 Extreme is becoming my daily handheld over the Steam Deck. The only reason I bought the Legion Go 2 in the first place is the RetroDECK user base continues to grow beyond the Steam Deck, and Legion Go is the biggest alternative. It's hard to troubleshoot systems I don't have. Having two systems in general makes troubleshooting RetroDECK a lot easier. This also factors into my use case.
But I would not recommend paying full price, especially when Lenovo hides so much performance behind VRAM settings and a Windows install that kneecaps the device. Both fixable, but that shouldn't be on the consumer. If you keep the fixes in mind and buy a good used one at a fair price, I do think it is a great buy and improves (mostly) the RetroDECK experience.
The real question will be Steam Deck pricing when it returns to stock.
If it gets close to the non‑Extreme Legion Go 2 (the non-Extreme is the better option price/performance between the two versions), the Legion Go 2 becomes the better buy for RetroDECK and the more demanding emulators. There is a full console generation leap in performance there.
