The Lenovo Legion Go S is here! This iteration isn’t meant to replace the Lenovo Legion Go; instead, it serves as a more compact option. Expect two models, one running on Windows 11 and the other on SteamOS — the same operating system driving the Steam Deck. Add AMD’s new Ryzen Z2 Go chip, and this could be the handheld many (myself included) have been waiting for.
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Lenovo’s latest handheld features an all-new streamlined design that’s reminiscent of the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X. It has an 8-inch (1,920 X 1,200) 16:10 120Hz touch display, which is smaller than the 8.8-inch screen of the original Legion Go.
Despite that, it’s still larger than the 7-inch display of most handhelds like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Given its smaller size and light 1.6-pound weight, Lenovo's handheld should be easier to travel with. If you’re at home, you can connect the Legion Go S to various devices thanks to its pair of USB4 ports and lone microSD card reader.
You can configure the Legion Go S with either an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme or AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The Z2 Go processor is built on Zen3+ and RDNA 2 technology, rather than the Zen4 and RDNA2 of the Ryzen Z1 Extreme. Models with the Ryzen Z2 Go chip will be more budget-friendly. Connectivity-wise, the Legion Go S supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
The SteamOS Legion Go S model is the most interesting of the two since it's the first non-Steam Deck handheld that utilizes Valve’s operating system. If you’ve read any of our handheld reviews, then you know Windows 11 has been a major sore spot for these systems since Microsoft’s OS doesn’t work well on these systems.
When we turned the Asus ROG Ally X into a Steam Deck by installing SteamOS, we proved Windows 11 kills performance and battery life. As such, the Legion Go S with SteamOS could be a major game-changer. And interestingly enough, the Legion Go S with Windows 11 costs $100 more than the one running SteamOS — which makes the latter all the more enticing.
Legion Go S outlook
The Legion Go S should be a worthy alternative to the original Legion Go, especially since the new handheld has a model powered by SteamOS. We’ll have a full assessment of what this device can do after we’ve tested it, but right now, it has the potential to be my favorite gaming handheld of 2025.
