Lenovo Legion Go S: Ultimate Gaming On-the-Go

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 more streamlined design than its predecessor. Unlike the original Legion Go's detachable controllers and numerous buttons, the Go S boasts a unibody design, closer in aesthetic to the Asus ROG Ally. 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 faces stiff competition.

Lenovo Legion Go S – Image Gallery

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Lenovo Legion Go S – Design and Features

The Legion Go S's unibody design enhances usability. Its rounded edges provide comfortable grip despite its 1.61-pound weight (heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X but lighter than the original Legion Go). The 8-inch, 1200p IPS display, boasting 500 nits of brightness, is stunning, rivaling even the Steam Deck OLED. Available in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (the latter exclusive to the SteamOS version), it features RGB lighting around the joysticks.

Button placement is more intuitive than the original, though the Lenovo menu buttons above the Start/Select buttons require adjustment. The right-side menu button offers quick access to settings and shortcuts, while the left launches LegionSpace, a system management app. The touchpad is smaller than the original, impacting Windows navigation. Programmable back paddles offer improved tactile feedback. Trigger travel distance adjustment is limited to two settings. Dual USB 4 ports are located on top, while the microSD card slot is situated on the bottom—an unusual placement.

Purchasing Guide

The reviewed configuration ($729.99) includes an AMD Z2 Go APU, 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. A more affordable 16GB RAM/512GB SSD version will be released in May for $599.99.

Lenovo Legion Go S – Performance Analysis

The AMD Z2 Go APU (Zen 3 CPU with 4 cores/8 threads and RDNA 2 GPU with 12 cores) underperforms compared to the original Legion Go and the Asus ROG Ally X in benchmarks (3DMark Time Spy and Fire Strike). Battery life (4 hours 29 minutes in PCMark10) is shorter than the original Legion Go despite a larger battery.

Gaming performance is mixed. While slightly faster than the original in Hitman, it lags behind in Total War: Warhammer 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. Horizon Forbidden West proved particularly challenging, even at low settings. Less demanding titles like Persona 5 run smoothly.

The High Price Puzzle

The Legion Go S's higher price ($729) compared to the original Legion Go ($699) is perplexing, given its weaker APU and lower-resolution display. However, the 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD justify some of the cost, although the slower 6400MHz memory bandwidth negates some of the RAM benefit for the integrated GPU. Manually allocating more RAM to the frame buffer in the BIOS improves performance, but this is not user-friendly. The 16GB RAM version at $599 offers significantly better value.

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Conclusion

The Lenovo Legion Go S's 32GB RAM configuration is overpriced. The May release of the 16GB version at $599 will significantly improve its value proposition. While the display is excellent, and the design is a marked improvement, its performance struggles against competitors at its current price point. The device excels in less demanding games, but high-end gaming requires significant settings adjustments.