Handheld gaming PCs like the Lenovo Legion Go S have steadily gained popularity in recent years, largely thanks to the success of the Steam Deck. Following Valve's lead, major PC manufacturers are entering the market, and the Legion Go S represents Lenovo's refined approach, moving closer to the Steam Deck's design philosophy than its predecessor. Unlike the original Legion Go's detachable controllers and numerous buttons, the Legion Go S boasts a streamlined unibody design. A key differentiator is the upcoming SteamOS version, slated for release later this year, making it the first non-Valve handheld to ship with this OS. However, this review focuses on the Windows 11 model, which, at $729, faces stiff competition in its price range.

Lenovo Legion Go S – Photos

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Lenovo Legion Go S – Design

The Lenovo Legion Go S bears a closer resemblance to the Asus ROG Ally than its predecessor. Its unibody design, replacing the original's detachable controllers, enhances usability. The rounded chassis edges contribute to comfortable extended gaming sessions, partially offsetting the device's considerable weight of 1.61 pounds. While lighter than the original Legion Go (1.88 pounds), it's heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X (1.49 pounds). This weight difference becomes noticeable during prolonged use.

The larger 8-inch, 1200p IPS display, rated at 500 nits, is a standout feature. Games look stunning, showcasing vibrant colors and detailed visuals. It rivals the best displays in handheld gaming PCs, second only to the Steam Deck's OLED screen.

The Legion Go S's design, while clearly influenced by other handhelds, is visually appealing. Available in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (purple), the latter is exclusive to the SteamOS version. Customizable RGB lighting rings around the joysticks add a touch of personalization.

The button layout is more intuitive than the original Legion Go. The standard placement of 'Start' and 'Select' buttons contrasts with the original's unconventional design. However, the placement of Lenovo's menu buttons above them can lead to accidental activation initially. These buttons, however, prove useful, providing quick access to system settings and shortcuts.

The touchpad, though significantly smaller than the original's, retains its functionality for mouse input. Its size, given the surrounding space, feels unnecessarily small, impacting Windows navigation. This will be less of a concern with the SteamOS version.

The left-side button accesses LegionSpace software, a comprehensive system management tool. The rear features clickable paddle buttons with increased resistance to accidental presses, and adjustable trigger travel distance. The top houses dual USB 4 ports (one ideally positioned at the bottom would have improved cable management), and the bottom features a centrally located microSD card slot.

Purchasing Guide

The reviewed Lenovo Legion Go S (available February 14th) costs $729.99, featuring a Z2 Go APU, 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. A more affordable 16GB RAM/512GB SSD configuration will be released in May for $599.99.

Lenovo Legion Go S – Performance

The Lenovo Legion Go S is the first to utilize AMD's Z2 Go APU. While a direct comparison is difficult, its specifications reveal that it's not a performance powerhouse. The Z2 Go, a Zen 3 processor with 4 cores/8 threads and an RDNA 2 GPU with 12 cores, uses older technologies, resulting in performance lagging behind the Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally X.

The 55Whr battery, slightly larger than the original Legion Go's, yielded only 4 hours and 29 minutes in PCMark10 testing, less than the original's 4 hours and 53 minutes. This reduced battery life is likely due to the less efficient Zen 3 architecture.

3DMark benchmarks further highlight the performance gap. Time Spy scores were 2,179 (Legion Go S), 2,775 (Legion Go), and 3,346 (ROG Ally X), indicating the Go S is up to 35% slower than the Ally X. Fire Strike results show a similar 14% deficit compared to the original Legion Go.

Gaming performance is more nuanced. Hitman: World of Assassination showed slightly better performance on the Go S (41 fps vs. 39 fps). Total War: Warhammer 3 achieved 22 fps at 1080p/Ultra, slightly lower than the Legion Go's 24 fps. Cyberpunk 2077 managed 21 fps at 1080p/Ultra (FSR Balanced), but reached a playable 41 fps at Medium settings with FSR Performance.

Horizon Forbidden West proved challenging, exhibiting significant stuttering even at low settings. The Go S excels in less demanding titles; Persona 5 ran smoothly with excellent visuals.

Wait, It’s More Expensive?

The Lenovo Legion Go S's pricing is counterintuitive. Given its weaker APU and smaller size, a lower price point would have been expected. However, the $729 price tag surpasses the Legion Go's starting price of $699. This is explained by the higher-end configuration: 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. While this is more RAM than the ROG Ally X, it's less beneficial with the Z2 Go's limited power. The 6400MHz memory is also slower than the Legion Go's 7500MHz.

Allocating more system memory to the frame buffer improves performance (e.g., 21 fps to 28 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 with an 8GB frame buffer), but requires BIOS adjustments, not clearly documented in the user guide. The 32GB RAM is excessive for most handheld gaming scenarios.

The current 32GB RAM configuration is overpriced. The $599 16GB version, however, offers significantly better value, making it a competitive option in the market.