A recent YouTube video has showcased the gaming capabilities of AMD’s upcoming Ryzen Z2 Go chipset, designed for budget gaming handhelds. As part of the new Ryzen Z2 lineup, the Z2 Go’s capabilities were tested on a Lenovo Legion Go S and compared to last year’s Z1 Extreme powering the Asus ROG Ally X.
According to gaming performance data shared by FPS VN, the Z2 Go shows some limitations compared to the Z1 Extreme. In Black Myth: Wukong, it achieved 36 fps versus 40 fps at 15W, 30 fps versus 32 fps at 20W, and 60 fps versus 64 fps at 30W. In Cyberpunk 2077, the Z2 Go delivered 50 fps compared to 54 fps at 15W, 45 fps versus 47 fps at 20W, and 61 fps compared to 66 fps at 30W. Similarly, in Ghost of Tsushima, the Z2 Go hits 62 fps versus 66 fps at 15W, 48 fps versus 52 fps at 20W, and 62 fps versus 66 fps at 30W. Although the performance gap is minor, it remains consistent at around 7–10% across all tested games.
Based on details shared by AMD at CES, the Ryzen Z2 Go will feature a 4-core/8-thread CPU design paired with a 12 CU RDNA 2 GPU. While official confirmation is pending, the chipset is believed to utilize the older Zen 3 architecture alongside RDNA 2 technology for the GPU.
This offers minimal innovation compared to the Z1 Extreme, which is built on the Zen 4 architecture and features 8 cores and 16 threads. Despite these limitations, the Z2 Go performs admirably and comes surprisingly close to the Z1 Extreme, making it a compelling choice for gamers seeking an affordable handheld solution.
The Z2 Go-powered Legion Go S is set to launch at $599 with Windows and $499 with SteamOS, offering a budget-friendly alternative to the ROG Ally X. Stay tuned for our full review to get a detailed analysis including battery performance.
