Review of the Lenovo Legion Go S: Searching for Substance

In recent years, the handheld gaming PC market has witnessed a surge of innovation, spurred by the release of the Valve Steam Deck. This renaissance has birthed exciting alternatives like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo’s own Legion Go. Now, riding on the wave of AMD’s new Z2 Go processor rooted in Zen 3+ architecture, Lenovo has unveiled the Legion Go S, stepping away from its predecessor in terms of design.

Right off the bat, the most notable change in the Legion Go S is its shift from detachable controllers — a nod to the Nintendo Switch — to a more cohesive, all-in-one design akin to the ROG Ally and Valve Steam Deck. This latest model boasts a smaller 8-inch display, down from the earlier 8.8 inches.

Despite ditching the detachable controllers, the Legion Go S retains a hefty and solid build. However, the differences don’t end there; potential buyers should weigh a few setbacks compared to the earlier model before making their choice.

### Design and Comfort of the Lenovo Legion Go S

Diving into design, the Legion Go S and its predecessor share their core mission but diverge significantly in construction. While the original blended matte grey aluminum with plastic, the new model embraces an all-plastic build. It sports a white plastic chassis complemented by black buttons and triggers. Though it lacks the premium feel of its predecessor, it remains robust and well-constructed.

The new, curvier design of the Legion Go S is a boon for comfort, especially during extended play, alleviating the strain on hands and fingers that the more angular original could cause.

Moreover, Lenovo has opted out of including a kickstand with the Legion Go S. Previously, this feature facilitated a setup similar to the Nintendo Switch, with its detachable controllers. Now, with controllers integrated into the chassis, Lenovo may have deemed a kickstand obsolete.

The display sees a downgrade as well. It has shrunk from an 8.8-inch 2560 x 1600 screen to an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 one. While the reduced size and resolution might raise eyebrows, gaming at 2560 x 1600 leveraged by the Z1 Extreme and Z2 Go did stretch the limits of practicality.

In terms of size, the Legion Go S slightly differs from its predecessor, measuring in at 11.77 x 5.02 x 0.89 inches and weighing 1.61 pounds. For context, the ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck, while having their own unique size and weight profiles, share a similar footprint with these measurements.

The transition to a more integrated design sees the Legion Go S mimic an Xbox controller layout, featuring ABXY buttons, offset joysticks, a D-pad, and a small touchpad. Add to that a suite of programmable buttons offering quick access to settings and menu functionalities, all strategically placed for easy reach.

### Lenovo Legion Go S Specifications

Here’s where the Legion Go S tries to establish its pedigree: under the hood. Encased within is an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor that navigates the delicate dance between performance and efficiency. But compared to the earlier Z1 Extreme processor, it falls short. With its Zen 3+ architecture, the Z2 Go sports four cores and eight threads as opposed to the Z1 Extreme’s eight cores and 16 threads. This manifests in a somewhat leaner performance suite with its 12-core Radeon 680M GPU.

Fortified with multiple performance profiles, users can tweak settings between Performance and Efficiency, among others, to optimize the device’s operation. While unplugged, opting for the standard Performance mode allows for on-the-go sessions, albeit with noted differences when it’s plugged in and the TDP maxed out at 40 watts.

Expectedly, gaming benchmarks echo the performance gaps — in some scenarios, the Legion Go S holds up well against its forebear on battery but slumps when juiced to the full 40-watt profile.

### Windows 11 on the Lenovo Legion Go S

Operating on Windows 11, the Legion Go S endeavors to marry the universality of PC gaming with the convenience of handhelds. While it excels in interface scaling, facilitating a touch-friendly experience, it doesn’t completely escape quirks. Namely, issues with the on-screen keyboard quite literally disappearing when accessed in certain apps can frustrate.

A diminutive touchpad steps in as an alternative navigation option; however, while adequate for basic use, it falters in precision during gaming. Adding feedback vibration to the mix only exacerbates the annoyance rather than ameliorates it, although users can fine-tune settings via the Lenovo Space app to reduce disturbances.

### Gaming and Graphics on the Lenovo Legion Go S

In hardcore gaming territory, the Legion Go S showcases its prowess and its limits. Titles like “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” and “Cyberpunk 2077” navigate the hardware’s delicate balance of power and efficiency, with varying degrees of success. Unplugged, it goes toe-to-toe with competitors at certain resolutions, yet plugged in, the performance delta widens, showing how much of a gap still exists between it and more robust counterparts.

Issues very much echo across the spectrum, be it “Forza Horizon 5” or “Borderlands 3”, as performance results consistently illustrate the power compromise necessary in accommodating this model’s feature set.

### Display on the Legion Go S

Though trimmed in size and resolution, the 8-inch IPS display retains respectable quality, outputting at up to 120 Hz refresh rate. While it can’t match the vibrancy and contrast of OLED panels seen in competing devices, it holds its own with vivid colors and sharp visuals when the settings are right.

### Battery Life on the Legion Go S

Expect the typical ebbs and flows of battery duration, contingent on a multitude of settings and power profiles. Real-world gaming trials report both satisfactory and less impressive lifespans, dictated by how demanding the use case is.

### Upgradeability of the Legion Go S

For those eyeing future-proofing, the Legion Go S offers some room for expansion. The storage via M.2 slots allows for flexibility, accommodating both 2242 and 2280 SSDs. Battery replacements and internal access demand a careful approach but follow a fairly straightforward teardown process.

### Conclusion

Ultimately, the Lenovo Legion Go S juggles innovation with compromise. It shines in certain areas — comfort and integrated design — but falters when directly compared to its predecessor’s performance metrics and price point. At nearly $730, its value proposition might skew more positively if its price tipped closer to $600. Until the more budget-friendly SteamOS variant becomes accessible, this version of the Legion Go S might be a tough sell for many handheld gaming enthusiasts.