Legion Go S Z1e vs. SW2 vs. SD Oled

[Charrion]

Looking to buy my first handheld—would love some advice.

I’ve been out of the gaming loop since COVID. Back then, I borrowed a Switch Lite and sunk hundreds of hours into Animal Crossing, but I haven’t played much since.

Now I’m looking to jump back in, and I’m torn between three options:

Steam Deck OLED – 579€

Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme running SteamOS) – 660€

Nintendo Switch 2 – ~500€

I’ve watched countless videos on all three and like them all for different reasons, but each comes with some hesitation:

Switch 2: Nintendo games are great, but the game prices are steep and rarely go on sale.

Steam Deck: Love the price and access to a massive, affordable indie library on Steam, but the hardware is starting to show its age.

Legion Go S: Specs are awesome, and it runs SteamOS, which I prefer—but I worry about long-term support and optimization compared to Valve.

For context, I tend to enjoy indie titles—recent phone favorites include Balatro, Slay the Spire, and Stardew Valley. I’m very open-minded when it comes to genres, and I’m mostly looking for a handheld with a solid game library and low friction.

Also worth noting: I really can’t stand Windows outside of my work laptop, so Windows handhelds are a hard no for me.

What would you pick between these three? Would love to hear thoughts from folks who’ve used them.

[Harley90]

If you're all about playing the latest Nintendo exclusives, then the Switch 2 is your go-to. But if you can live without them, shift your focus to the Steam Deck and Legion Go S.

Between those two, I'd lean toward the Legion Go S. Aside from the Steam Deck’s OLED screen, the Go S is a step up in nearly every other area.

[polarbearguy]

Out of these, I only own the Switch 2. If you're into or curious about Nintendo exclusives, it's probably the best choice. The Switch 2 doesn't have a huge lineup just yet, but it’s only a matter of time before we see new entries in big franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Splatoon. Plus, it’s fully backward compatible with the Switch 1, which means you get access to an incredible library of games—including plenty of third-party titles and indies that often go on sale.

That said, the Steam Deck definitely has my attention. I plan to pick one up eventually, but for now, Nintendo’s still got me hooked.

[Rebecca1990]

Definitely skip the Steam Deck OLED—its hardware is pretty outdated at this point. I'd suggest going with either the Switch 2 or the Legion Go S. Alternatively, you could hold out a bit longer for the upcoming Z2E handhelds expected later this year—they might be worth the wait.

[Ron78]

It really comes down to which platform has the games that excite you the most. If you already have a solid Steam library, the Steam Deck is kind of a no-brainer—I absolutely love mine. But if you don’t, then ask yourself: would you rather spend $80 on a handful of high-quality but limited Nintendo titles, or tap into the massive and diverse world of PC games on Steam, often at way better prices? Personally, I lean toward the latter. And for what it’s worth, I think the Steam Deck has a big edge over the Legion when it comes to controls—those touchpads and other features are seriously underrated.