Dave Lee from the YouTube channel Dave2D tested the new Lenovo Legion Go S portable console running Valve’s SteamOS. His findings revealed that with identical hardware, the SteamOS version performs considerably better than the Windows modification.
In Cyberpunk 2077, running on low-medium settings, the Windows version achieved around 46 frames per second (fps), while the SteamOS version delivered 59 fps. Doom Eternal and The Witcher 3 showed a 10 fps increase on SteamOS, reaching 75-76 fps compared to 66 fps on Windows. The only tested game where SteamOS performed slightly worse was Spider-Man 2, with 63 fps compared to 64 fps on Windows.
The Lenovo Legion Go S on SteamOS also outperformed the Steam Deck in most games, although it required more power to achieve these higher frame rates. Specifically, the Legion Go S consumed up to 40W when plugged in, whereas the Steam Deck used only 15W.
The SteamOS version also demonstrated significantly better battery life than the Windows version, despite both consoles using the same chip and a 55Wh battery. For instance, in Dead Cells, the Windows version lasted only 2 hours and 47 minutes, while the SteamOS version ran for 6 hours and 12 minutes.
The blogger suggests that the improved battery life is due to the absence of background processes and telemetry on Linux, unlike Windows 11. Furthermore, Valve’s operating system boots up much faster and supports a true sleep mode with instant resume, whereas the Windows 11 version loses battery even when “off,” and the fan can be quite noisy even when idle.
