I have just played with the Lenovo Legion Go which is a brand new Windows based PC gaming handheld that is to be revealed by Lenovo, and the chances are that this is set to be a hot product for retailers, and gamers, especially for those who want to game and have a decent screen for watching movies on especially on an aircraft bus or train or when away from your mainstream gaming machine.
A Nintendo Switch competitor, it’s following in the footsteps of the Steam Deck and the Asus ROG Ally, however the real unlock key is in the design and hardware configuration which is where Lenovo the owners of the Legion brand have always excelled with their hardware offering.
Here’s a breakdown of the Lenovo Legion Go specifications:
Dimensions & Weight: 299mm x 131mm x 41mm, 854g (Controllers Attached)
Display: 8.8-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 16:10 10-point Touch (144Hz | 97% DCI-P3 | 500nits | 83%AAR)
Processor: Up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme with AMD RDNA Graphics
Memory: 16GB 7500Mhz LPDDR5X on board
Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2242
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Battery: 2-cell 49.2WHr w/ Super Raid Charge (900mah2 controller battery capacity)
Power Adaptor: USB Type-C, 65W AC adapter
Ports: 3.5mm audio combo jack, 2x USB Type-C (top and bottom), 1x microSD card reader.
This device allows you to you to play your entire library of PC games on the go, with Windows 11 support essentially making this device a handy, pocket-sized PC.
Unlike the Nintendo Switch it has detachable controllers and a full-length prop stand, as well as top-and-bottom USB-C ports for easy play and charging.
You can also set it up to use an Xbox or Playstation controller.
What makes this product different is it’s Nintendo Switch-like setup, with removable controllers, allowing for the flexibility of wireless play.
At IFA 2023 and I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the Lenovo Legion Go and the first thing you notice is that it’s easy to handle and the controls are responsive.
You can also access different modes with a palette of games clearly displayed. I
There are six assignable grip buttons, with two on the back of each controller and a further two on the side of the right controller. Also, bult in is a mouse wheel on the rear of the right controller.
What impressed me most was the 8.8-inch QHD+ IPS display, it was sharp, very clear and with it’s 144Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits’ brightness deliver an excellent portable gaming experience.
The QHD+ panel was dam close to having an OLED display and I think that Lenovo have done the right thing going with this display configuration as OLED would have pushed the price of the portable gaming machine up with very little difference in gaming experience.
In Australia, the Legion Go is tipped to sell for around $1,000-$1,100. ChannelNews understands that only one model of the Legion Go is going to be launched in Australia and that could come with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 16GB RAM, up to 1TB SSD and up to 2TB of expandable storage.
While this is a Windows gaming handheld which for some people is going to be a problem, I would not let this cloud your judgement as this device has a bright future.
