Nice, more competition will only advance this sector of the gaming market.
Competition is healthy for business. It is what is needed to help people find alternatives. Not to say handhelds like the Nintendo Switch is bad, but it should not be the primary method to play games with.
The only people keeping this idea that there must be one primary source of gaming on the go, are rabid fanboys who're thick into tribalism that wants to see only one option available.
As the proverb says, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. It would seem Valve has truly defined a new category of device, given the rush by other OEMs to make clones!
Legion Go does not offer a cheap entry point for people who want to get started. Sure the hardware is strong and probably worth the price. But it does not change the fact that the cheapest Steam Deck model is still cheap to get, especially with the refurbished program with official support from Valve in mind as well. But for enthusiasts who want powerful hardware, the Legion Go is probably better.
My biggest problem with the Legion Go would be probably that its using Windows and not Linux, so this is a downside to me. The detachable controllers are nice to have and while I would not need them, having them easily replaceable is a big bonus to me. It's a little bit bigger than the Steam Deck and the Deck is already a chunky boi. When my research is correct, then the Legion Go is 200 grams heavier than the Deck? That is substantial.
and a slightly better battery life will probably be appealing to some
I want to see benchmarks or tests with real games for that. We had claims with previous handhelds too, where they promised longer battery life. But the reality was they did not last as long as promised or under very specific circumstances only. It has higher resolution and hertz, so it will need more power. And it's probably not optimized for low power settings like the Steam Deck with limited power settings does, but I am open to this.
there may be a bit of danger for Gabe Newell and his team
Not really. Valve (and Gaben) want this to happen. They want the handheld PC market to flourish, because they are pushing Steam and PC gaming forward and make it usable for non PC enthusiasts as well. Even if Valve stops selling Steam Decks, Gabe Newell and his team would not be in danger. Unless this was a sarcastic note; in which case ignore this paragraph.
My biggest problem with the Legion Go would be probably that its using Windows and not Linux, so this is a downside to me.
I tend to agree but for me specifically it's SteamOS that's the killer app, and not just any Linux distro. The way Valve did the SteamOS user experience is just fantastic. I cannot imagine running straight-up Windows on such portable devices.
This article was hard to read, based on zero facts they've determined experience factors like battery life and performance which all depends on more than just hardware.
Then setting the conversation again argumentatively like valve doesn't win no matter who makes a clone, is just ignorant. Valve wins by making a store that sells. They could even sell for a loss.
I went to that article to get information and read hype and antagonism. I came away frustrated.
What an immature and sensationalist of an article. Is the author 12?
I can't even call this an article. It reads like an advertisement written by a 12 year old.