I've tested every PC gaming handheld, and my preferred option is currently STILL $100 off after Prime Day ended, but be quick

I have used every major handheld gaming PC on the market today, including everything from the GPD Win of yesteryear to the Steam Deck, to the ASUS ROG Ally, and now the Lenovo Legion Go. And for Amazon Prime Day, the Lenovo Legion Go is $100 cheaper than usual, making the deal far, far sweeter.

The Lenovo Legion Go and the ASUS ROG Ally both use the same Z1E processor, making game performance near identical. The ASUS ROG Ally does have a VRR display, giving it the appearance of smoother frame rate performance in some situations, but, I prefer the Lenovo Legion Go overall. Why? Much bigger display at 8.8" inches, complete with a higher max resolution. A kickstand, which makes the Legion Go almost as versatile as a laptop, giving you the option of doing a bit of work on the go (and yes, I have used it for this purpose!). It also has detachable joysticks, one of which can double up as a mouse. Unlike the ROG Ally, it also includes a track pad for the many PC games that occasionally expect a pointer to be present.

Lenovo Legion Go | was $699.99 now $598.99 at Amazon

The Lenovo Legion Go is a potent portable gaming PC that can also double as a mini work station owing to its kickstand, multiple USB-C ports, and huge 8.8" display. On this thing, you can run modern games plugged in (with some compromises) such as Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077, or go portable with lighter games like Hollow Knight with roughly 3-4 hours of battery life. 

Today's top Amazon Prime Day deals

• Xbox Series X console | was $500 now $450 with $50 gift card at Best Buy
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | was $49.99 now $33.29 at CDKeys
• Starfield for Xbox Series X|S | was $70 now $44
• Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse | was $100 now $86 at Best Buy
• EVGA X20 wireless gaming mouse | was $70 now $20 at Newegg
• GameSir G7 SE gamepad | was $60 now $42 at Newegg
• SK hynix Tube T31 1TB SSD | was $100 now $70 at Newegg
• SK hynix Beetle X31 1TB SSD | was $135 now $88 at Amazon

Why I prefer the Lenovo Legion Go over other PC gaming handhelds

I have used (almost) every PC gaming handheld on the market, having dabbled with offerings from Ayaneo, GPD, Lenovo, Valve, and ASUS over the last few years. I find this device category to be among the most exciting out there right now, as someone who travels frequently, and also frequently battles family over TV access. The fact you can hook up these devices to monitors and larger displays over USB-C is a welcome addition too, and makes couch co-op more viable too. I often take my portables to friends' places to play games like Diablo 4 with a few cans on the side. 

I prefer the Windows-based devices over the Steam offering primarily because of PC Game Pass. A lot of Xbox games sport cross-save and cross-buy these days, and since I do over half of my gaming on my Xbox, having access to my save files and progress across devices is a welcome boon. I also think the Steam Deck is limited a fair bit by its horsepower. The Z1E chips in the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally is significantly more powerful than what Steam is offering, leading to fewer gaming compromises in practice. 

The upsides of the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally is native Windows 11 support, but it's also a downside. Windows isn't exactly intuitive to use on these devices, but once you get used to it and remember that these are just laptops in a different shape, it's not so bad. They are monstrously powerful too, considering their size. 

• RELATED: Best gaming handheld accessories to upgrade Legion Go, Steam Deck, or ROG Ally this Prime Day

It's true that the ASUS ROG Ally is smaller, lighter, and has a VRR display giving a smoother frame performance. However, I do prefer the Legion Go overall, having used both extensively. The integrated kickstand in the Lenovo Legion Go seems like a small detail, but it makes it so much more versatile. You can essentially use it as a laptop and get some work done if necessary. The modularity of the sticks also gives it a Nintendo Switch-like usability rating. Being able to mount the screen and use sticks is far more comfortable in some situations, over staring into your lap for hours on end. The ASUS ROG Ally also has issues with its SD card slot potentially, if it gets too warm, it has reportedly warped some people's storage cards, although ASUS has tweaked the fan curves to prevent this. Lenovo's Legion Go hasn't had any such issues to my knowledge, and also sports two USB-C ports for additional docking capabilities too.

I feel like you get a lot more bang for your buck with the Lenovo offering, especially at this price point. If you want something more svelte, the ASUS ROG Ally is also $599 right now (not on sale), but the Lenovo Legion Go edges it out in my view, especially with $100 off.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a deal event that takes place at multiple times throughout the year. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can grab tons of deals on a huge variety of products, such as the ones listed here on Windows Central. 

Over the years, though, competitor retailers have begun lining up their own sales events with Amazon. If you're in the United States, it's worth considering checking out a My Best Buy membership, Walmart Plus membership, or a Target Circle membership too, to get in on the action.