The world of handheld gaming PCs has seen a significant surge in popularity, largely fueled by the success of Valve's Steam Deck. Now, Lenovo has entered the fray with the Lenovo Legion Go S, a device that aims to carve its niche closer to the Steam Deck than its predecessor, the original Legion Go. Unlike the original, the Legion Go S features a unibody design, ditching the Switch-like removable controllers and the plethora of extra dials and buttons. A notable upcoming version of the Legion Go S will run on SteamOS, the same operating system as the Steam Deck, making it the first non-Valve handheld to do so. However, the model reviewed here operates on Windows 11, and at $729, it faces stiff competition among other Windows 11 handhelds.
Lenovo Legion Go S – Photos
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Lenovo Legion Go S – Design
The Lenovo Legion Go S adopts a design more akin to the Asus ROG Ally than its original counterpart, featuring a singular unit without detachable controllers. This streamlined design not only simplifies usage but also enhances comfort during extended gaming sessions, thanks to its rounded edges. Despite its ergonomic improvements, the Legion Go S weighs 1.61 pounds, making it slightly lighter than the original Legion Go but heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X.
The device boasts an impressive 8-inch, 1200p IPS display with a brightness of 500 nits, delivering vibrant visuals that enhance the gaming experience. Whether it's the vivid colors of Dragon Age: The Veilguard or the detailed landscapes of Horizon Forbidden West, the display stands out as one of the best in its class, only surpassed by the Steam Deck OLED.
Available in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (the latter exclusive to the upcoming SteamOS version), the Legion Go S offers a visually appealing design. Each joystick is encircled by customizable RGB lighting, which can be easily adjusted to suit personal preferences.
The button layout has been simplified and made more intuitive compared to the original Legion Go. The 'Start' and 'Select' buttons are now positioned on either side of the display, though the placement of Lenovo's menu buttons above them might take some getting used to. These menu buttons provide quick access to system settings and shortcuts, enhancing user control.
The touchpad, while smaller than the original's, facilitates mouse input, albeit with some challenges due to its size. The programmable 'paddle' buttons on the back are clickier and offer more resistance, reducing accidental presses. Trigger travel distance can be adjusted, though only between two settings, which might limit customization for some users.
The device features two USB 4 ports on the top for charging and peripherals, and a MicroSD card slot on the bottom, which could be inconveniently placed for docked use.
Purchasing Guide
The reviewed Lenovo Legion Go S, equipped with a Z2 Go APU, 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, is available starting February 14 for $729.99. A more budget-friendly option with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD will be released in May for $599.99.
Lenovo Legion Go S – Performance
Powered by the AMD Z2 Go APU, the Lenovo Legion Go S features a Zen 3 processor with 4 cores and 8 threads, alongside a RDNA 2 GPU with 12 graphics cores. While not groundbreaking, this setup allows for decent performance in less demanding games. In benchmarks like 3DMark, it falls behind the original Legion Go and the Asus ROG Ally X, but it holds its own in games like Hitman: World of Assassination and Persona 5.
However, the Legion Go S struggles with more demanding titles like Horizon Forbidden West, particularly at higher settings. Its battery life, at 4 hours and 29 minutes, is slightly less than the original Legion Go, despite a larger battery, likely due to the less efficient Zen 3 architecture.
While the Legion Go S might not be the top choice for those seeking high-end gaming performance, it offers a solid experience for gamers willing to adjust settings to medium and lower resolutions. The device's strength lies in its display and comfort, making it a compelling option for casual and less demanding gaming scenarios.
Wait, It’s More Expensive?
Surprisingly, the Lenovo Legion Go S, despite using a weaker APU and having a lower resolution display, is priced higher at $729 compared to the original Legion Go's $699. This pricing seems counterintuitive, especially with its configuration of 32GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 1TB SSD, which seems excessive for its performance capabilities.
While the extra memory could be beneficial for more powerful systems, in the Legion Go S, it feels underutilized. Users can manually allocate more memory to the frame buffer in the BIOS, but this process is cumbersome and not well-documented. A more user-friendly approach would have been for Lenovo to optimize this setting out of the box.
For those looking for a more balanced and cost-effective option, the upcoming $599 version with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD in May might be the better choice, offering a more competitive value in the handheld gaming market.
