Lenovo Unveils Gaming Powerhouse: Legion Go S

The Lenovo Legion Go S: A Handheld PC Review

Handheld gaming PCs have surged in popularity, largely thanks to the Steam Deck. Lenovo's Legion Go S aims to compete, offering a design closer to the Steam Deck than its predecessor. Unlike the original Legion Go, the Go S boasts a unibody design, ditching removable controllers and superfluous buttons for a cleaner, more streamlined experience. A SteamOS version is slated for later this year, a first for a non-Valve handheld, but this review focuses on the Windows 11 model. At $729, however, the Legion Go S struggles to justify its price against competitors.

Lenovo Legion Go S – Image Gallery

7 Images

Lenovo Legion Go S – Design and Features

The Legion Go S resembles the Asus ROG Ally more than its predecessor. Its unibody design enhances usability. Rounded edges provide comfortable grip, mitigating the device's considerable 1.61-pound weight (slightly lighter than the original Legion Go, but heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X).

The 8-inch, 1200p IPS display, boasting 500 nits of brightness, is a standout feature, delivering stunning visuals in games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Horizon Forbidden West. Only the Steam Deck's OLED display surpasses it.

Available in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (purple, exclusive to the SteamOS version), the Go S features RGB lighting rings around the joysticks. These are easily customizable.

Button placement is more intuitive than the original Legion Go, though the placement of Lenovo's menu buttons above the standard 'Start' and 'Select' buttons initially causes some confusion. However, these Lenovo menu buttons offer quick access to system settings and shortcuts.

The touchpad, significantly smaller than the original, is less convenient for Windows navigation. This will be less of an issue with the SteamOS version. A dedicated button activates the LegionSpace software for system management.

Programmable paddle buttons on the back offer improved tactile feedback. Adjustable triggers offer only two settings: full and minimal travel. Two USB 4 ports (one ideally should be on the bottom) and a centrally located microSD card slot complete the connectivity options.

Purchasing Guide

The reviewed Lenovo Legion Go S ($729.99) features a Z2 Go APU, 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. A more affordable 16GB RAM/512GB SSD version will launch in May for $599.99.

Lenovo Legion Go S – Performance and Benchmark Results

The AMD Z2 Go APU (Zen 3 processor with 4 cores/8 threads and RDNA 2 GPU with 12 cores) is a less powerful chip compared to its competitors, resulting in lower performance scores. The 55Whr battery provides a disappointing 4 hours and 29 minutes of runtime in PCMark10, less than the original Legion Go.

3DMark benchmarks reveal a significant performance gap compared to the original Legion Go and the Asus ROG Ally X. Gaming performance is mixed; while it slightly outperforms the original Legion Go in some titles, it generally lags behind, particularly at higher settings. Games like Horizon Forbidden West struggle even at low settings. Less demanding games, like Persona 5, perform well.

The Price-Performance Paradox

The $729 price tag is higher than the original Legion Go, despite the weaker APU and lower resolution display. The 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD are over-specced for the hardware, and the slower memory speed further hinders performance. Manually allocating more memory to the frame buffer in the BIOS can improve performance, but this is a cumbersome workaround. The May release of a $599 version with 16GB RAM offers much better value.

Conclusion

The Lenovo Legion Go S, in its current 32GB configuration, is overpriced and underperforms relative to its cost. The higher RAM is largely unnecessary for the given hardware. However, the May release of the 16GB version at $599 significantly improves its value proposition, making it a more competitive option in the handheld gaming PC market.

Poll: Which Gaming Handheld Are You Most Excited For in 2025?