Legion Go S

A Handheld That Feels Great in Your Hands

The Legion Go S is a genuinely comfortable gaming device. Reviewers consistently praised the redesigned body, which is slimmer and lighter than the original while keeping an ergonomic grip that doesn't fatigue your hands during long sessions. The anti-slip texture around the grips is a nice touch that makes it feel premium without the premium price tag.

The 8-inch display is bright and colorful at 500 nits, so you can actually see it outside or in bright rooms. The 120Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling smooth, and variable refresh rate support helps with battery life. It's not the sharpest screen out there, but it's absolutely good enough for gaming.

Where Performance Gets Tricky

Here's the honest part: this isn't a device for demanding AAA games. Reviewers found it handles casual games beautifully, but Indiana Jones won't even start, and Cyberpunk 2077 struggles to stay playable. Marvel Rivals barely hit 30fps on low settings. If you're playing indie games, older titles, or less demanding stuff, you're golden. But if you want to play the latest blockbusters at decent settings, this might frustrate you.

Battery life tells the story too. You'll get nearly 9 hours watching video, but only about 1.5 hours in demanding games. For casual gaming, that's probably fine. For marathon sessions, you'll want to stay near a charger.

SteamOS Makes All the Difference

What really sets this apart is SteamOS. Reviewers loved how much easier it is to navigate compared to Windows on other handhelds. Everything feels designed for gaming, the touch interface is responsive, and you don't have to fiddle with Windows settings. That matters way more than you'd think for daily usability.

The Price Question

At $599 for the base model, this is a solid handheld. But reviewers noted that the Asus ROG Ally X costs only $70 more and outperforms it in every benchmark. That's the real sticking point. The Legion Go S is comfortable and easy to use, but if performance matters to you, you might want to stretch for the Ally X instead.

Bottom line: this is perfect if you want a comfortable, easy-to-use handheld for casual gaming. Just know your performance limits going in.

The Processor Problem Nobody's Talking About

Lenovo's Legion Go S launch creates an awkward situation: you can buy the same device with either the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go or Z1 Extreme, depending on which review you read and which retailer you trust. The $599 base model ships with Z2 Go and 16GB RAM. The $729-$829 variants use Z1 Extreme with 32GB RAM. This matters because performance isn't just different, it's drastically different.

With the Z2 Go, you're looking at real compatibility issues. Indiana Jones won't launch. Marvel Rivals maxes out at 30fps on low presets. Cyberpunk 2077 delivers only 1.55 hours of gaming before the battery dies at full 1200p settings. That's not a handheld gaming device, that's a YouTube machine that occasionally runs indie games.

The Z1 Extreme variant shows 8-18fps advantages across major titles like Borderlands 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2, which sounds compelling until you realize you're still only getting 2.5 hours of gaming at 50 percent brightness with maximum details at 800p. That's the performance tier where you'd expect 4-5 hours minimum.

Where Lenovo Got It Right

The physical design is genuinely improved. At 1.61 pounds with anti-slip grips and better weight distribution, it's more comfortable than the original Legion Go. The removal of detachable controllers reduces mechanical failure points. The 8-inch IPS display with 500 nits brightness and variable refresh rate support is solid, even if the resolution dropped from 1600p to 1900x1200.

SteamOS is the right call here. The Linux-based interface is purpose-built for gaming and demonstrably better than Windows 11 for this form factor. Battery life for video playback hits 8.5 hours, which is legitimately impressive and shows what SteamOS can do for efficiency.

Thermal management works. The device peaks at 91 degrees Fahrenheit and never feels hot in hand, even though the fans are audible. That's competent engineering.

The Value Proposition Doesn't Work

At $599, the Z2 Go version is defensible as an entry handheld, but you're getting a device that struggles with modern AAA titles. At $729-$829, you're in ROG Ally X territory, and the Ally X wins on performance benchmarks across the board. You're paying flagship prices for inconsistent real-world gaming performance.

PCMag nailed it: this is a solid base hit, not a home run. Lenovo built a comfortable handheld with good software and adequate engineering. But adequate isn't enough when competitors offer better performance at similar or lower prices. The Legion Go S is a device that makes you compromise on performance to get comfort, and that's a tough sell in the handheld market where performance is the primary differentiator.