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 superfluous buttons for a more streamlined experience. A SteamOS version is slated for later this year, making it the first non-Valve handheld to ship with this OS. However, this review focuses on the Windows 11 model. At $729, the Lenovo Legion Go S faces stiff competition among similarly priced handhelds.

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 despite its 1.61-pound weight (slightly lighter than the original Legion Go, but heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X). This added weight contributes to its impressive 8-inch, 1200p IPS display with 500 nits of brightness, arguably one of the best in a handheld gaming PC.

Available in Glacier White and Nebula Nocturne (the latter exclusive to the SteamOS version), the Go S features RGB lighting around the joysticks. Button placement is more intuitive than the original, 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, while smaller than the original, remains functional, though navigating Windows is slightly less convenient. The left-side button accesses the LegionSpace software for system management. Rear programmable paddle buttons offer improved tactile feedback. Triggers feature adjustable travel distance, but only offer two settings. Dual USB 4 ports are located on top, while the microSD card slot is unusually positioned 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

The AMD Z2 Go APU (Zen 3 processor with 4 cores/8 threads and RDNA 2 GPU with 12 cores) is the Go S's defining feature. Benchmark tests reveal performance lags behind the Legion Go and ROG Ally X. Battery life (4 hours 29 minutes in PCMark10) is surprisingly shorter than the original Legion Go, despite a weaker chipset and lower resolution display.

3DMark benchmarks show significant performance differences: Time Spy scores 2,179 (compared to 2,775 for the Legion Go and 3,346 for the ROG Ally X); Fire Strike shows a 14% deficit compared to the original Legion Go.

Gaming performance is mixed. Hitman: World of Assassination shows a slight improvement over the original Legion Go. Total War: Warhammer 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 require lower settings for optimal frame rates. Horizon Forbidden West proved particularly challenging, even at low settings.

While demanding games require lower settings, less demanding titles like Persona 5 run smoothly.

Value Proposition

The $729 price tag for the 32GB RAM/1TB SSD configuration is higher than the original Legion Go, despite the weaker APU and lower resolution display. The excessive RAM is largely unnecessary for the Go S's capabilities. The May release of the 16GB RAM version for $599 significantly improves its value proposition.

Conclusion

The Lenovo Legion Go S's initial configuration is overpriced. The excessive RAM doesn't justify the premium. However, the lower-specced model offers better value and makes it a more competitive contender in the handheld gaming PC market.