The Lenovo Legion Go S: A Handheld PC Review
Handheld gaming PCs have exploded in popularity, largely thanks to the Steam Deck. Lenovo's Legion Go S aims to compete, but its $729 starting price and performance leave it struggling against rivals. Unlike its predecessor, the Go S boasts a unibody design, ditching the removable controllers and extra buttons. 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.
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 improves usability, and the rounded edges enhance comfort despite its 1.61-pound weight (heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X). However, this weight is slightly less than the original, bulkier Legion Go (1.88 pounds).
The 8-inch, 1200p IPS display is stunning, boasting 500 nits of brightness and delivering vibrant visuals in games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Horizon Forbidden West. It's arguably one of the best handheld PC displays, rivaled only by the Steam Deck OLED.
The device comes in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (purple, exclusive to the SteamOS version). RGB lighting rings around the joysticks are customizable. Button placement is more intuitive than the original Legion Go, though the Lenovo menu buttons above the standard 'Start' and 'Select' buttons initially caused accidental activations. These menu buttons, however, offer quick access to system controls and shortcuts.
The touchpad is significantly smaller than the original, hindering Windows navigation, unlike the original's superior navigation thanks to its mouse wheel. A left-side button accesses LegionSpace software for system management. Rear programmable paddle buttons are improved, offering more resistance. Adjustable triggers offer only two settings: full and minimal travel. Two USB 4 ports are located on top, while the microSD card slot is oddly placed on the bottom.
Lenovo Legion Go S – Performance and Battery Life
The Legion Go S utilizes the AMD Z2 Go APU (4 cores, 8 threads, 12 RDNA 2 GPU cores). While this is new, it's based on older technologies, resulting in performance lagging behind the Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally X.
Battery life, despite a larger 55Whr battery, is only 4 hours and 29 minutes in PCMark10 testing, shorter than the original Legion Go. 3DMark benchmarks show significant performance deficits compared to competitors.
Gaming performance is mixed. Hitman: World of Assassination performs slightly better than on the original Legion Go, but Total War: Warhammer 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 show noticeable performance drops at higher settings. Horizon Forbidden West proved particularly challenging, even at low settings. Less demanding games like Persona 5 run smoothly.
Pricing and Value
The reviewed $729 configuration includes 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, exceeding even the Asus ROG Ally X. However, this is overkill for the AMD Z2 Go APU and the slower 6,400MHz memory. A $599 version with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD will launch in May, offering much better value. The higher-end model’s excessive RAM is unnecessary unless using demanding applications beyond gaming. Manually adjusting the frame buffer in the BIOS (not detailed in the user manual) can improve performance, but this shouldn't be necessary.
Conclusion
The Lenovo Legion Go S, in its current high-end configuration, is overpriced and underperforms compared to the competition. The May release of the more affordable 16GB RAM model significantly improves its value proposition. The device's strengths lie in its comfortable design and beautiful display, but its performance limitations make it a less compelling option than its competitors at its current price point.
