Review of the Lenovo Legion Go S: Missing the Key Ingredients?

In recent years, the handheld gaming PC landscape has seen a flurry of activity, largely ignited by the launch of Valve’s Steam Deck. It’s not surprising that tech giants like Asus and Lenovo have followed suit, offering their own alternatives such as the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go. With the debut of AMD’s Z2 Go processor, Lenovo is back in the spotlight, unveiling the Legion Go S, a device that departs from its predecessor’s design in some notable ways.

One of the first distinctions users will notice is the departure from the detachable controller design reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch. Instead, the Legion Go S embraces an all-in-one structure, akin to the ROG Ally and Steam Deck, boasting a sleeker form factor. The screen size has also shifted slightly, measuring 8 inches, down from the previous 8.8 inches.

Despite shedding the detachable controllers, the Legion Go S remains a heftier, bulkier companion. There are a few trade-offs compared to the previous model that potential buyers should consider before deciding on the Legion Go S as their handheld gaming PC of choice.

### Design and Comfort of the Lenovo Legion Go S

The differences between the Legion Go S and its predecessor go well beyond functionality. Last year’s Legion Go mixed aluminum and plastic elements, whereas this year’s model is exclusively plastic. The white chassis with black buttons and triggers might not feel as premium but maintains durability. The curvier shape of the Legion Go S adds a touch of ergonomics, and after hours of continuous gaming, it proves to be more comfortable, leaving less strain on your hands and fingers.

Another notable change is the absence of a built-in kickstand. This might not impact regular gameplay, given the integrated controllers, but it eliminates the option to prop the system up, a feature present in the older model.

The display has taken a hit in both size and resolution, now standing at 8 inches and offering a resolution of 1920 x 1200, a drop from 2560 x 1600. While this may seem disappointing, it’s worth noting that gaming at the higher resolution could be less viable on this device.

Comparatively, the Legion Go S is slightly more compact than before, sizing up at 11.77 x 5.02 x 0.89 inches and weighing 1.61 pounds. It sits between the smaller Asus ROG Ally and the original Steam Deck in dimensions.

When it comes to controls, the Legion Go S mirrors the Xbox controller layout with ABXY buttons, offset joysticks, and a D-pad. Practical buttons for quick settings and menu navigation accompany the upper segment of the display.

### Lenovo Legion Go S Specifications

The heart of the Legion Go S is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor, operating within the Zen 3 framework across four cores and eight threads. This chipset is a relative downgrade from the Z1 Extreme, offering fewer cores and slower clock speeds. The device’s integrated AMD Radeon 680M GPU handles graphics, while 32GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 1TB SSD take care of storage and multitasking.

Featuring a network stack of Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, the device doesn’t skimp on connectivity. Available ports include 2 USB Type-C 4.0, a microSD slot, and a headphone jack.

Its battery, 55.5 WHr, is accompanied by a 65W power adapter, and the device runs on Windows 11 Home by default, making it easy to integrate into daily use.

### Gaming and Graphics on the Lenovo Legion Go S

During my tests, the gaming performance with the Legion Go S revealed a slight edge over its predecessor when running on battery. Yet, when plugged in, cranking the TDP to 40 watts did not level the playing field, with the Legion Go S trailing the original in overall performance.

Games like “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” and “Cyberpunk 2077” showed a decrease in frame rates compared to competitors and its predecessor, particularly when using the higher resolution settings.

### Windows 11 on the Lenovo Legion Go S

Running Windows 11, the Legion Go S takes advantage of its touch features and multi-touch navigation. However, frequent hiccups concerning the on-screen keyboard’s reliability and the finicky touchpad made it less pleasant. While utilizing the built-in touchpad for gaming proved problematic, turning off its vibration settings significantly improved usability.

### Legion Space on the Lenovo Legion Go S

Legion Space is Lenovo’s centralized application for tweaking settings and launching games. Users can access installed games quickly and modify performance settings, controller configurations, and display options through an intuitive interface.

### Display, Battery Life, and Audio

The Legion Go S’s IPS display, while smaller and lower in resolution than before, shines bright enough for gaming in most lighting conditions and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. In terms of battery life, expect a bit under two hours of playtime on high settings, which is standard for devices of this caliber.

Audio quality is sufficient for gaming with clear enough sound to enjoy racing and action-packed games without overwhelming the experience. However, using headphones enhances gaming immersion significantly.

### Bottom Line

At its current pricing, the Lenovo Legion Go S competes closely with the older model. While it offers some improvements in comfort, these come at the cost of performance and versatility. The marginal savings might not justify a decision over its predecessor unless the price drops significantly. If budget constraints aren’t immediate, it might be wise to hold off until the lower-priced SteamOS variant becomes available or until further improvements are introduced.