Lenovo Legion Go S Review
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 refined design compared to its predecessor. However, its performance and pricing present a mixed bag.
The Legion Go S boasts a unibody design, ditching the original's detachable controllers and numerous buttons. This iteration feels more akin to the Asus ROG Ally, resulting in a more user-friendly experience. Its rounded edges enhance comfort during extended gaming sessions, despite its considerable weight (1.61 pounds). While lighter than the original Legion Go, it's heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X.
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Design and Features:
The 8-inch, 1200p IPS display is stunning, delivering vibrant colors and exceptional clarity. It rivals the best displays in handheld gaming PCs, second only to the Steam Deck's OLED. Available in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (the latter exclusive to the SteamOS version, launching later in 2025), it features customizable RGB lighting around the joysticks.
The button layout is more intuitive than the original Legion Go, though the placement of Lenovo's menu buttons above the standard 'Start' and 'Select' buttons requires adjustment. These menu buttons offer quick access to system settings and shortcuts. The touchpad, though significantly smaller than its predecessor, remains functional, although navigating Windows is slightly less convenient.
Programmable paddle buttons on the rear offer improved tactile feedback. Adjustable triggers offer only two settings: full and minimal travel. Dual USB 4 ports (one ideally positioned on the bottom would have been preferable) and a centrally located microSD card slot complete the device's connectivity.
Performance and Battery Life:
Powered by the AMD Z2 Go APU (4 cores, 8 threads, 12 RDNA 2 graphics cores), the Legion Go S's performance falls short of competitors like the original Legion Go and the Asus ROG Ally X. Benchmark tests reveal a noticeable performance deficit. Battery life, despite a larger 55Whr battery, is shorter than the original Legion Go, lasting only 4 hours and 29 minutes in PCMark10 testing.
While gaming performance is acceptable at lower settings (800p, Medium), demanding titles like Horizon Forbidden West struggle even at low settings. Less demanding games perform well.
Pricing and Value:
The initial $729 configuration (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) is surprisingly expensive, exceeding the original Legion Go's starting price despite inferior specs. The higher RAM is largely unnecessary for the Z2 Go APU. A more affordable $599 option (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) launching in May offers better value.
Conclusion:
The Lenovo Legion Go S is a visually appealing handheld PC with a comfortable design and a great display. However, its performance doesn't justify its initial high price. The $599 configuration offers significantly better value. While capable of handling many games, demanding titles require lower settings. The inclusion of 32GB of RAM in the initial model feels excessive and unnecessary for the hardware.
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