Gaming Hardware

The Lenovo Legion Go Is Finally Here

Lenovo’s handheld PC has officially been released.

In some past stories, I’ve chatted about all kinds of stuff related to handheld gaming gadgets and computers. You can find those links at the end of this post.

But today, I wanna dish about the new Lenovo Legion Go, which is giving the Steam Deck a run for its money.

Lenovo made a big announcement back in September, and now, two months later, the gaming world is buzzing as the Lenovo Legion Go is finally hitting store shelves.

Depending on where you’re at, you’ve got two models to choose from, and both are packing some impressive specs — including a massive 8.8-inch screen, generous amounts of RAM and storage, and a pretty decent-sized battery to keep you in the game.

Now, if you’re wondering what powers this beast, it’s none other than AMD’s Z1 Extreme APU, which is essentially the same silicon as the Ryzen 7 7840U. This little chip is no slouch, boasting eight Zen 4 CPU cores and 12 RNDA 3 GPU compute units.

The Legion Go has a full-powered chip with clock speeds that go up to a blazing 5,100MHz. To give that chip the support it needs, Lenovo’s thrown in 16GB of LPDDR5X-7500 memory. Now, this memory isn’t upgradable, but it’s plenty for most gaming needs. And for storage, you’re looking at a base capacity of 512GB with a snappy PCIe 4.0 TLC SSD.

Now, the specs might sound all too familiar, as there’s some healthy competition out there from the likes of the Asus ROG Ally and the Ayaneo Air 1S, sporting similar configurations. The Legion Go’s ace up its sleeve is its screen.

Every model packs an 8.8-inch 2560 x 1600 144Hz IPS panel, and that’s the biggest one among its handheld peers. It pumps out a respectable 500 nits, and while OLEDs may have the edge in color and response times, you can’t complain about the amount of screen real estate you’re getting for your money.

Speaking of money, the price tags are pretty fair, though they do lean towards the higher end of the handheld gaming market. You’re looking at $699.99 for the 512GB model and just $50 more for the 1TB version.

Now, here’s where the rubber meets the road, or rather, where the battery drains away. The Legion Go’s extra processing power means it needs a beefier battery, and Lenovo’s gone with a twin-cell 49.2Wh lithium polymer battery.

It’s got about 23% more capacity than the battery in the ROG Ally, which is fantastic. However, it does make the Legion Go a bit of a chunky boy, weighing in at 650g (1.41 lbs) for the base model. That’s more than double the weight of a Switch.

One thing Lenovo borrowed from Nintendo’s beloved portable console is the detachable controllers, which is a pretty smart move given the device’s size. Playing the ROG Ally for extended periods can make your elbows scream, but that won’t be an issue with the Legion Go’s detachable controllers.

Final Words

However, like with any handheld PC, it’s the operating environment that will ultimately decide whether it’s a hit or miss.

Some find the ROG Ally’s software a bit clunky, especially when compared to the Steam Deck.

So it’ll be fascinating to see what Lenovo has cooked up for the Legion Go’s interface.

If you enjoy my posts and would like to stay updated on the latest gaming-related news, technology advancements, design trends, and social media insights, I invite you to follow my profile.

I will continue to share my thoughts and insights on a wide range of topics in the world of entertainment and technology.

With that being said, thank you for reading my post, and have a good one.

Here are my previous collections.

Here’s What I Wrote in July 2023.

Here’s What I Wrote in June 2023

Here’s What I Wrote in May 2023

Here’s What I Wrote in April 2023

Here’s What I Wrote in March 2023

I provided an update on my last month.

Here are a few of my previous stories relating to handheld consoles and PCs I believe you will enjoy:

References

Lenovo Legion Go: Where to buy, price & more.

Lenovo launches the Legion Go and aims straight for the handheld PC crown.

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About Me

I write articles in my field covering gaming, film-making, social media, and design. I am also a YouTuber. Thank you for subscribing to my account to get notifications when I post on Medium. I also created a new website to share my content for free and promote stories of writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I also have a Substack newsletter. Let’s connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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