Verdict
The Lenovo Legion Go is both gratifying and thwarting to habituate in adequate measure . The operation is largely corresponding with the Asus ROG Ally , but it fails to truly take advantage of its QHD panel . The big exhibit is invite and the detachable controllers declare oneself a fun flexibility , but the latter ’s implementation is clumsy , as is utilising Lenovo ’s package .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
PC gaming handhelds only became prevalent in 2023 , and it evidence no foretoken of slowing down this year . Most of them offer a more distinctive gaming handheld design , in the mineral vein of a PSP or Game Boy Advance . Not the Lenovo Legion Go though , with its brainchild being the Nintendo Switch .
Last year saw the launch of theAsus ROG Allyas well as the new Steam Deck OLED , along with a bunch of other handhelds from lesser - know brands . We also make love the MSI Claw is on the way , as well as handhelds powered by Qualcomm ’s new Snapdragon play chips later in the year . play handhelds are everywhere .
Lenovo has now joined in the merriment too , releasing the Legion Go . It ’s one of the more intriguing options , hear a couple of unlike things compare to key rivals . The big divergence is that it ’s … well , bigger . Here ’s my full review .
Design
When it come to recent microcomputer gaming handheld releases , the Lenovo Legion Go is one of the declamatory you ’ll find . It get along in at 854 guanine and measuring almost 30 cm wide and 4.1 atomic number 96 deep . As such , it ’s also one of the least portable . This is n’t a handheld you’re able to channelize without intent , both due to its size of it and weight – peculiarly if you want to protect it with the include carry case that greatly tote up to the bulk .
However , the prominent size of it does come with a sturdy and more premium feel than the more plasticky - to - the - touch Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck . It makes the Legion Go experience like the handheld most worth the several hundred pounds / dollars you have to fork out for one of these handhelds .
Another slap-up touch , and one that harkens to theNintendo Switchinspiration that feeds the Legion Go , is the large kickstand on the rear . It traverse the full breadth of the tablet part of this gadget and it ’s ideal for helping you to utilize this simple machine at a bit of a distance with the control detached . The stand is n’t perfect though , with it lacking any variety of gumshoe at its al-Qaida to make some friction .
For ports , it ’s a simple-minded amour , with twoUSB - C4.0 and a MicroSD card reader . The former is split into one on the top and one at the bottom , meaning you may comfortably shoot down the twist from the top when sitting on its stand . USB-4also means you could easily plug into this twist with compatible monitors to take advantage of a larger presentation .
Controls
The showpiece of the Lenovo Legion Go is its detachable Legion TrueStrike controllers , put it aside from the crowd . The experience of using the controllers in detached mode is remarkably discharge , especially with the larger display allow you to sit back comfortably . However , it ’s yell out for an accessory like the Joy - Con clutch that let you blend the two component part into one controller .
I may have praise the design of the chassis for its agiotage vibration , but that ca n’t be extend to the controllers . The detaching mechanism is something I found positively unsettling . A button sits on the back of each controller towards the bottom , which you ’re ask to press and then get out the controller off . confiscate it feels slightly less ungainly , but not up to the simple-minded coast - and - tick standard of the Joy - Con , where you have to line the TrueStrike Controller up just right and then slither it in .
The position of the detach button is something I also found troublesome as , for my rather small hands , it was where my lilliputian fingerbreadth naturally rested . This led to an incident where I was behave the Legion Go by the controller and by my side . It detach . There was no damage to the master console tab , but the attaching mechanics on the other side was damaged as it crashed off the lozenge . I ’m not convert this care will be an issue for all , given deviate hired hand size , but I did get some friends to give it a go and most had their little fingers sitting in the same risky divet where the detach release is locate .
I also found the buttons themselves to palpate rather meretricious , in demarcation to the design , with a less comforting press on the D - Pad and the triggers feeling rather flimsy compared to the the likes of of the ROG Ally and Steam Deck . A redeeming quality is the range of buttons on offer , along with your typically two-fold - thumbstick , face button , D - Pad , shoulder button and induction combination , you get a handy trackpad – even if its feedback fall down short of the Steam Deck ’s – some volume controls and seven extra buttons situated largely on the back of the controller .
These are extremely prosperous to program in Lenovo ’s Legion Space app and a great coup d’etat for player of game where rapid button stimulation are required .
There ’s one more legerdemain up the sleeve of the Legion Go and its detachable controllers – that ’s FPS Mode . FPS Mode , touch off by a switch on the bottom , turns the right controller into a joystick / mouse loan-blend . It comes with a charismatic viewpoint to place it in and away you go . The buttons feel in a surprisingly natural position , despite the completely different mitt status you are now using it in compare to its standard mode . It fill its destination of letting you chop-chop move the pointer in a black eye - alike fashion . This unique feature will doubtless invoke to the Legion Go for first - mortal shooter fans .
Display
The Lenovo Legion Go largely fails to take advantage of its impressive display specifications , with most games likely to fall well short of the QHD+ resolution if you require solid headway for good performance . As such , the 120Hz panel is for the most part devastate too , out of doors of very low - requirement titles .
Despite this , the large 8.8 - inch IPS display is my favourite aspect of the Legion Go , no matter if it conk out to wanton the entire panel with pictorial pixels . The sheer size just puts this handheld on another level in term of sense like a dead on target play experience , compared with the 7 - inch display of the Asus ROG Ally that fails to fulfil with games with telling visuals .
The imposing Legion Go showing lead to me consume some of the most immersive sitting I ’ve had across any of the handhelds I ’ve tested . It bewilder plenty bright too , with Lenovo touting a maximum of 500 nits of luminousness .
Let ’s be honest , you ’re in all probability equip this handheld with pumped or Bluetooth headphones for most of your gaming sessions but , for those occasions where you are n’t , the speaker are perfectly passable if you ’re in a placid environment . If you value a more immersive strait to play off the immersive display , they just wo n’t do as they lack significant deepness to the auditory sensation , with little bass to speak of .
Performance
The Lenovo Legion Go is a chip of a mixed bag when it comes to execution , and the crux of it is that it does just diminish short of its likewise specced Asus ROG Ally rival .
This was the typeface across our synthetical and in - plot benchmark examination . It ’s worth remark that our examination does require a turn more of the Legion Go , with its showing pop the question a broad 1920×1200 resolution than the 1920×1080 of the ROG Ally . However , I also ran tests at the narrow aspect proportion and the difference was negligible .
outdoors of that key comparing though , the skinny is that , for the good performance , you ’ll notice the Legion Go is most well-fixed below 1080p , specially if you do n’t want to flush up into Performance modality which leads to a reduction in the already curt stamp battery life . If you crave FHD+ though , be prepared to opt for Medium to scurvy mount for a unseamed experience . The QHD+ resolution is largely out of the question but I care to get some use out of it in Rocket League .
Refreshingly , no matter the mode , the chassis of this handheld never gets uncomfortably warm , but the fans can get rather loud in Performance and “ Full Fan ” fashion .
With the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme inside this machine , you’re able to both enable Radeon Super Resolution ( RSR ) to mould natively and FidelityFX Super Resolution ( FSR ) in games that support it . Having both these preferences turned on in Cyberpunk 2077 led to a solid 10fps upheaval .
The suitably sized 512 GB SSD offers a read speed of 4929MB / s. It ’s a satisfying musical score that tops the 4310MB / s of the Asus ROG Ally and signify that load is pleasingly fast . If you require more storage , the MicroSD card slot is there so you’re able to give it an added hike .
Battery Life
When you ’re running the latest and greatest game natively on such a modest gadget , long battery life-time is never go to be expect . Heck , gaming laptops that are several time the size of it still offer up very little in terms of battery life when gaming .
The Lenovo Legion Go land about where I ’d have a bun in the oven , nothing touch and nothing special . The 49.Wh battery lasts around 2 60 minutes on mediocre , with it quickly fall below that as you force the gimmick harder . If you plunge into the public presentation modal value , you could bear closer to an hour and a half , and sometimes less . Alternatively , the more effective Quiet Mode gets you up to a half 60 minutes extra .
There ’s fast recharging too , with what Lenovo call Super Rapid Charge . The included 65W charger deal to get the handheld up from 0 - 100 % in around an hour .
Games and Software
I did n’t enjoy my time with this Windows 11handheld . Even with the extra help of a trackpad on the Lenovo , I find navigate Windows 11 to be a Brobdingnagian hassle . It just is n’t made for seamless speck fundamental interaction . functioning was inconsistent across the board too . I had numerous clank , odd windowpane - size across various games or case where the restrainer were n’t being recognised .
Lenovo has included Legion Space software to prove and off a walled garden inside of Windows 11 , to make it feel more console table / Steam Deck - like , but I found travel around it to be a slog . The sheathing offer by Lenovo ’s software would also be very slow to seem as well . And , overall , I find the Asus ROG Armoury Crate SE on its handheld to be a much placid and easier - to - navigate experience .
The benefit you do get from window are well-fixed access to various game launchers , like Xbox , Nvidia GeForce Now , Epic Games Launcher and many more . And , if you fancy it , the Legion Go can be used as a handy portable computer , which gets raze up when simply plugged into a monitoring equipment using its USB-4 connection .
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Should you buy it?
There are few rival devices which tender the form of with child - screen PC gaming handheld experience that the Lenovo Legion Go does . The detachable controller are another unparalleled selling point that might just grab you .
The Lenovo Legion Go is n’t a equipment to just slink in your cup of tea whenever you go out . It ’s big enough that you require to have a plan , peculiarly if you want to keep it innocent from scratches and are think about impart the big carry case .
Final Thoughts
To its course credit , the Lenovo Legion Go tries something different . But , this leads to both its biggest selling period as well as what might put many off – its size . The show is marvelously immersive and burnished , but it leads to a console that requires real thought to use in a portable fashion . You wo n’t just transport this around with you on the daily to whip out on a caprice .
The gaming performance and battery life handle to keep pace with its keyAsus ROG Allyrival , but its software package implementation is often cumbersome .
The controller of the Legion Go also represent a plot of two half . Their detachable nature adds a new attribute to this portable , let you sit back and bask in the glow of the big presentation . The extra buttons and the FPS mode are smart cellular inclusion too . But , how they attach and detach is sticky , while the buttons themselves are n’t as satisfying to interact with as the ROG Ally ’s or the Steam Deck OLED ’s .
deferred payment to Lenovo for standing out from the crew , but it has quite a few basics to nail before it beats the key rivalry .
Trusted Score
How we test
We tested the Lenovo Legion Go by playing a variety of different games at unlike graphic options while chink the intermediate skeleton pace via in - game benchmark .
We also conducted various battery tests by playing games for long period and trying out a motley of graphics place setting to learn whether they made an wallop .
FAQs
The Legion Go be £ 700/$649.99/€799 .
With Windows 11 , you may utilise the Legion Go as a “ PC ” directly on the handheld , using touching controls . you could also utilize its USB - C 4.0 ports to plug it straight into a compatible monitor for a larger screen experience .
Test Data
Full Specs
