Review of the Lenovo Legion Go S: Is Substance Lacking?

Over the past few years, we’ve seen quite a bit of buzz in the handheld gaming PC scene, especially since the Valve Steam Deck hit the shelves. Competing options, such as the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, soon followed. Capitalizing on AMD’s fresh Z2 Go processor built on Zen 3+ architecture, Lenovo has rolled out the Legion Go S, marking a distinct shift from its predecessor with a reimagined design.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice the Legion Go S veers away from mimicking the Nintendo Switch’s detachable controllers. Instead, it opts for a cohesive, all-in-one setup, drawing inspiration from models like the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck. The screen size has shrunk to 8 inches from the previous 8.8 inches.

Despite shedding the detachable controller feature, the Legion Go S remains hefty and somewhat bulky. Before deciding to make this your go-to device for handheld PC gaming, it’s worth weighing a few step-backs compared to the original version.

When it comes to design and user comfort, the Legion Go S takes some new directions. Although both devices share the same core mission, their make is distinct. The older Legion Go boasted a combination of matte grey aluminum and plastic, whereas the new version is completely encased in plastic. The chassis wears a molded white plastic look, with contrasting black buttons and triggers. The plastic-forward approach may feel less high-end, but the device is still sturdy and well-constructed.

The newer, curvier design certainly enhances comfort over its sharper-edged forerunner. Spending hours gaming on the Legion Go S feels less tiring on your hands and fingers compared to the original.

Notably absent in the Legion Go S is the built-in kickstand, which was once handy for propping up the device while using the detachable controllers of the older model. Given the integrated controllers, Lenovo perhaps deemed the kickstand unnecessary.

There’s another significant change: the display. The once 8.8-inch, 2560 x 1600 resolution display is now down to 8 inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. I personally don’t mind this downsizing, as gaming at 2560 x 1600 with the Z1 Extreme and the new Z2 Go was pushing the usability limits.

Size-wise, the Legion Go S measures in at 11.77 x 5.02 x 0.89 inches and weighs 1.61 pounds. This is slightly more compact than the earlier Legion Go, which stood at 11.76 x 5.16 x 1.60 inches and weighed 1.88 pounds. Comparatively, the Asus ROG Ally is shorter and lighter, while the classic Steam Deck strikes a happy medium in size.

The Legion Go S features Xbox-inspired controls with its ABXY button layout on the right and offset joysticks. A D-pad sits below the left joystick, complemented by a small touchpad under the right one. Four programmable buttons flank the top of the display, providing quick access to settings and various in-game features.

On the top edge, you’ll find the usual shoulder buttons and new programmable buttons at the back, labeled Y1 and Y2. Adjustable dials on the back allow for individual trigger adjustments. Essentials like two USB 4 ports, a headphone jack, volume controls, and a power button are conveniently located along the top, with the bottom housing a microSD slot.

Under the hood, the Legion Go S is powered by AMD’s newer Z2 Go processor. However, this latest version doesn’t exactly elevate performance over the Z1 Extreme found in the original model. The Z2 Go processor, built on Zen 3+ architecture, has four cores running at a base clock of 3 GHz and topping out at 4.3 GHz with Turbo. Meanwhile, the Z1 Extreme, used by both the ROG Ally and the Legion Go, boasts eight cores and 16 threads, offering superior multi-threaded performance. On the graphics side, the Z2 Go hosts an integrated 12-core Radeon 680M GPU compared to the 12-core Radeon 780M in the Z1 Extreme.

For performance tuning, four profiles are available: Performance, Efficiency, Custom 1, and Custom 2, easily accessible through the options button. Using the default Performance profile on battery and the Custom 1 on AC while setting TDP to 40 watts, the Legion Go S notably outpaces the original Legion Go by around 10 percent on battery but lags by 10 to 20 percent when plugged in.

Benchmarking showed the Legion Go S typically running about 10 percent faster than its predecessor on battery power, but it fell 25 percent behind when drawing full energy. When unplugged, its performance was similar to the Steam Deck.

In titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Cyberpunk 2077, and Forza Horizon 5, the Legion Go S delivered solid frame rates, though sometimes falling short of its competition when plugged in. For instance, Cyberpunk 2077 saw the device struggling to keep up with its predecessors, managing only 35 fps at 800p and 18 fps at 1200p.

The Legion Go S runs Windows 11, preinstalled out of the box, where I immediately faced some quirks. Navigating menus and using on-screen keyboards proved troublesome in apps like Steam and the Epic Games Store, with the keyboard often disappearing when least expected. While the touchscreen works well for navigation, the small touchpad seemed less practical—and at times tricky—during gameplay due to inaccurate click registration.

One design choice that might frustrate users is the absence of a kickstand. This exclusion could limit use as a conventional Windows PC when connecting a keyboard and mouse.

The new Legion Go S comes preloaded with Legion Space, an app that offers access to system settings, allows you to launch games directly, and customize the controllers. Navigating through tabs, you can manage your Lenovo account, purchase games, and view your game’s library pulled from various platforms. Also, settings for fan speeds, thermal profiles, and display customizations like resolution and brightness are efficiently managed here.

Despite the smaller screen dimensions compared to the old Legion Go, the 8-inch display at 1920 x 1080 didn’t pose much of an issue. A downgrade in refresh rate, from 144Hz to 120Hz, was slightly noticeable, though not a dealbreaker. Visuals retained clarity, especially for gaming at lower resolutions of 1280 x 800, where objects appeared crisp and bright enough for immersive gameplay.

Battery life varies significantly based on resolution, refresh rate, and power profiles. In our tests, the battery lasted just under two hours during intensive gaming. Switching to power-saving settings extended playtime somewhat, suggesting that battery efficiency could significantly impact user satisfaction.

Sound quality delivered by the Legion Go S’s speakers was nothing extraordinary but adequate for a handheld gaming system. It was reasonably decent for engine roars in racing games and additional in-game sounds, though headphones provided a fuller experience.

When it comes to tinkering, opening the Legion Go S is straightforward. Once inside, you can upgrade the M.2 SSD slot, which supports both 2242 and 2280 sizes, providing flexible storage upgrade options for those who want more than the out-of-the-box 1TB.

Heat management hasn’t been overlooked, with the device designed to manage airflow efficiently. Even during intense sessions with Forza Horizon 5, the fans, though audible, didn’t significantly disrupt the gaming experience.

Currently priced at $729.99, the Lenovo Legion Go S packs a 120Hz screen, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. However, Lenovo is reportedly releasing a cheaper alternative at $499, with the upcoming model running SteamOS, featuring 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.

At its current pricing, it’s challenging to wholeheartedly recommend the Lenovo Legion Go S. The performance shortcomings, compared to its predecessor, notably when using the highest power profiles, coupled with the lack of detachable controllers and a built-in kickstand, are hard to overlook. For just $20 more, the previous model offers more bang for your buck. It might be wise to hold out for the less expensive SteamOS version expected in the spring.