It's a pretty bleak time to be looking for a new handheld. In the last few months, we've seen the Steam Deck OLED jump up in price by over 40%, while next month the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting its own $50 price hike. However, it's not all bad news. The Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS is currently on sale for just shy of half of its original price, down from $1,137.41 to just $635.54. That's a saving of well over $400.
As a top pick from our guide to the best handheld consoles, the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS is a great option for anyone who had their heart set on a Steam Deck OLED before it got more expensive. It uses the same operating system as Valve's handheld, which is much more user-friendly than the Windows alternative, while packing an AMD Ryzen Z2 GO processor that is more than capable of running triple-A games.
In our Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS review, we gave the handheld an 8/10 score, highlighting the "comfortable design" and "gorgeous display." That latter point is worth touching on more because the Legion Go S's 8-inch screen really is pretty impressive for an IPS. It's also no slouch in the battery life department, offering a good couple of hours when playing some of the more demanding picks from our guide to the best Steam Deck games or even longer if you're playing an indie.
The deal is available via the official Lenovo site for those reading in the US. The discount means that, for the first time, the Legion Go S is officially cheaper than the Steam Deck OLED. It's still a bit pricier than the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, but that's a Windows handheld, and honestly, I think the extra roughly $140 is worth it to use Valve's superior operating system.
It's worth noting that the Lenovo Legion Go with SteamOS listing doesn't detail how long the discount is applicable for, so we'd recommend acting fast to avoid disappointment. Given that the crisis surrounding component costs doesn't show any signs of letting up, this could be your best opportunity to pick up one of the best Steam Deck alternatives without breaking the bank for the foreseeable future.