Lenovo's Legion Go S: A Must-Have Companion for Mobile Gaming

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 extra buttons for a 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. However, at $729, the Legion Go S struggles to justify its price against the competition.

Lenovo Legion Go S – Image Gallery

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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 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 stunning, delivering exceptional visuals in games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Horizon Forbidden West. It rivals the best handheld displays, second only to the Steam Deck OLED.

Available in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (purple, exclusive to the SteamOS version), the Go S features RGB lighting around the joysticks. Button placement is more intuitive than the original, though the Lenovo menu buttons above the standard 'Start' and 'Select' buttons can cause accidental presses initially. These menu buttons, however, offer useful quick access to system settings and shortcuts.

The touchpad, significantly smaller than the original's, is less convenient for Windows navigation. The left button accesses LegionSpace software for system management, while the back features programmable paddle buttons with increased click resistance. Triggers offer two travel distance settings: full and minimal. Two USB 4 ports are located on top, while the MicroSD card slot is oddly placed on the bottom.

Purchasing Guide

The reviewed Lenovo Legion Go S ($729.99) includes 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 Benchmarks

The Legion Go S utilizes the AMD Z2 Go APU, a Zen 3 processor with 4 cores/8 threads and an RDNA 2 GPU with 12 cores. This older technology results in performance lagging behind the Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally X. Despite a larger 55Whr battery, PCMark10 battery life is only 4 hours and 29 minutes.

3DMark benchmarks reveal significant performance differences. Time Spy scores 2,179 points (compared to 2,775 for the Legion Go and 3,346 for the ROG Ally X), indicating a 12% deficit to the Legion Go and a 35% deficit to the Ally X. Fire Strike shows a similar 14% performance drop compared to the original Legion Go.

Gaming performance is mixed. Hitman: World of Assassination shows a slight improvement over the Legion Go, while Total War: Warhammer 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 show minor performance decreases at higher settings. Horizon Forbidden West proved particularly challenging, even at low settings. Less demanding games like Persona 5 run smoothly.

Value and Conclusion

The $729 price tag is perplexing, exceeding the original Legion Go's price despite inferior specifications. The 32GB RAM is excessive for the Z2 Go APU, especially considering the slower 6,400MHz speed. The May release of the $599 16GB RAM version significantly improves its value proposition. While capable of running most AAA titles at medium settings, the high-end configuration is overpriced. The $599 model, however, offers excellent value.

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