Review of the Lenovo Legion Go S: Missing the Power Punch?

In recent years, the handheld gaming PC scene has seen quite the buzz, especially after the Valve Steam Deck hit the shelves. It’s opened the door for some intriguing competitors like the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo’s own Legion Go. Now, spurred by AMD’s latest Z2 Go processor featuring Zen 3+ architecture, Lenovo is making waves again with the release of the Legion Go S, a model that’s shaken off the design cues of the Switch in favor of a more unified look.

Right off the bat, you’ll see that the Legion Go S has ditched detachable controllers, opting instead for an all-in-one approach similar to that of the ROG Ally and Valve Steam Deck. It sports a modestly sized 8-inch screen, down from the previous version’s 8.8 inches, yet remains on the heavier side without the detachable mechanics.

Despite being less cumbersome without detachable controllers, the Legion Go S still holds a bit of bulk, and its design changes come with some trade-offs that potential buyers should weigh carefully.

Design and Comfort of the Lenovo Legion Go S

The Legion Go S takes a different route from its predecessor in terms of materials and aesthetics. The new model favors an all-plastic build, ditching the mixed use of aluminum and plastic seen in the older model. Sporting a sleek white plastic body accented by black buttons and triggers, it may feel a tad less premium but still holds up in terms of build quality.

Its design favors a curvier shape, which turns out to be more comfortable for extended play sessions compared to the angular design of the old Legion Go. After several hours of gaming, my hand fatigue noticeably diminished with the Go S in hand.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

One key difference is the omission of a built-in kickstand, which could previously prop up the system for detached controller use. Now, with integrated controls, Lenovo seems to believe a kickstand is no longer necessary.

Another area of regression is the display. The predecessor’s 8.8-inch, 2560 x 1600 screen has been replaced by a smaller, 8-inch, 1920 x 1200 panel in the Go S. Personally, I find the trade-off acceptable. Gaming at the former resolution posed usability constraints with the new processors.

In terms of dimensions, the Legion Go S measures 11.77 x 5.02 x 0.89 inches and weighs in at 1.61 pounds. Compared to its peers, like the Asus ROG Ally and the original Steam Deck, it’s still on the heftier side but strikes a balance between size and usability.

The Go S’s main controls, taking inspiration from an Xbox controller layout, include offset joysticks, ABXY buttons, and a D-pad. The unit also features programmable buttons, with the left side dedicated to quick settings and menu toggles, while the right side focuses on specific app and view controls. The usual LB/LT and RB/RT triggers are in place, augmented by extra buttons on the back.

Equipped with the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go, with its Zen 3+ core and Radeon 680M GPU, the Legion Go S offers a notable step down in power compared to the Legion Go’s older model. It lacks the muscle of the Zen 4 architecture and finds itself lagging behind the competition when operating under full power mode.

Navigating games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Cyberpunk 2077, and Forza Horizon 5 on this device revealed some noteworthy performance dips, especially when plugged in and utilizing the highest power settings.

On the productivity front, Windows 11 comes pre-installed, with a peculiar taskbar design that sometimes complicates touch navigation. Unfortunately, issues like the disappearing on-screen keyboard add frustration rather than joy to the user experience. Still, the touchpad found under the right joystick—though meant to mimic a mouse—doesn’t provide the most seamless interaction during gaming.

Lenovo Legion Go S Specifications

Here’s a quick glance at the specs:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen Z2 Go (Zen 3, 4 cores, up to 4.3 GHz)
• Graphics: AMD Radeon 680M
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X
• Storage: 1TB SSD M.2
• Display: 8-inch IPS touchscreen, 120 Hz
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Ports: 2x USB Type-C 4.0, microSD slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack
• Battery: 55.5 WHr
• Power Adapter: 65W
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Weight: 1.61 pounds
• Price: $729.99

Gaming and Graphics on the Lenovo Legion Go S

The new AMD processor, the Z2 Go, promises to deliver smooth performance but falls short against its predecessor. Tasked to handle demanding benchmarks, the Legion Go S appeared 10% quicker off the battery but significantly slower when connected to power, reflecting a curious balancing act between portability and performance.

In a diverse selection of gaming benchmarks, which gauged its capacity to handle graphically intensive titles at varying settings, the Go S struggled, particularly when leaning on external power support. However, battery play yielded results in line with moderate competition, echoing the Steam Deck’s outputs.

Battery Life on the Lenovo Legion Go S

Like most handhelds, the Go S offers varied battery life. In practice, it ran for an hour and 45 minutes playing Burnout Paradise Remastered at default power settings but did extend beyond two hours under low-power conditions.

Audio and Heat Performance

Audio quality from the speakers is acceptable for the device class, though I preferred headphones for full immersion. Thankfully, despite the absent kickstand, the device remained comfortable to hold even as temperatures rose slightly during intensive workloads.

Final Thoughts

Although intriguing from a design standpoint, the Lenovo Legion Go S battles an uphill struggle. It’s priced competitively with its previous iteration but falters where raw power and features are concerned. For those looking at this segment, patience might be rewarded with a cheaper SteamOS version due soon—the current model simply fails to stand out in an ever-competitive field.