It turns out the rumours were true – following several reports and leaks of a new and upcoming Windows-based gaming handheld, Lenovo has finally announced its very own portable gaming system, which was unveiled during IFA 2023 in Berlin. First spotted in a leak from tech site Windows Report, the Lenovo Legion Go comes with some impressive specs, and combines hardware elements as seen on competing gaming portables.
The Legion Go was also launched alongside a handful of other Lenovo-branded accessories, which even includes a pair of micro-OLED glasses, which are specially designed to work alongside the Legion Go. So what do we get with this new entry from Lenovo? Let’s take a look!
External Design
As seen on initial reports, the Lenovo Legion Go does come with an overall build that doesn’t stray too far from what we’ve seen on devices like the ASUS ROG Ally, Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. Given the amount of hardware and components that’s inside the device though, it’s not exactly surprising especially since the Legion Go features a large 8.8-inch display, which outsizes the OLED panel on the Nintendo Switch, for example.
Lenovo refers to the screen as a Puresight display, which also comes with a QHD+ resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a 144Hz refresh rate, which is rather impressive to say the least. Of course, it comes with support for touch input as well, which is a very welcome feature. It’s not too bright however, as it maxes out at 500 nits of peak brightness.
With that being said, gamers can opt to use the Lenovo Legion Glasses, which are compatible with the handheld in addition to other Windows, Android, and even macOS devices with USB-C connectivity. The glasses are essentially a wearable virtual monitor with micro-OLED display technology with FHD resolution for each eye, alongside a 60Hz refresh rate.
As we mentioned before, the Legion Go has adopted a certain hardware feature from the Nintendo Switch – similar to the Switch, Lenovo’s handheld also features removable controller grips on the left and right, allowing users to play with the device on a desktop or tabletop. Additionally, the Legion Go also comes with a kickstand on the rear panel, which adopts a similar width to the Switch’s kickstand design (as well as some Microsoft Surface devices).
Other hardware details on the Legion Go include expandable storage via a micro SD card slot, and even a 3.5mm audio jack for use with headphones and audio output peripherals. There’s also an exhaust port for thermal cooling, placed on the rear panel of the handheld.
Internals and Control Setup
Inside, the Legion Go runs on an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, alongside AMD’s RNDA Graphics, aided by up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. As mentioned earlier, the device does support expandable storage, should 1TB not be enough for your needs. Powering the Legion Go is a 49.2Wh battery, with support for Lenovo’s Super Rapid Charge. Lenovo says that this allows users to replenish up to 70% of battery power in just half an hour.
Similar to other modern handheld devices, the Legion Go comes with a wide variety of controls. There’s the the usual setup that includes your directional buttons, action buttons, shoulder triggers, power and volume buttons, as well as start and select (or home and menu) buttons. Lenovo says that the device also comes with hall effect joysticks, meaning that there’s less chance of the analogue controls drifting over time, as well as reduced dead zones for better accuracy.
In addition to these controls, the device also comes with additional trigger buttons on the sides and bottom of the device, as well as an angled mouse wheel, a trackpad, and even a mouse sensor. Users can also customize the RGB lighting on the power button, which does make for a pleasing look overall.
How much does it Cost?
In terms of price, the Lenovo Legion Go will be sold starting at £699, and will be on sale in October 2023. As far as Windows-based portables are concerned, the Legion Go is an impressive-looking piece of tech, and continues the current wave of modern handheld gaming consoles, which we must say is interesting to see unfold.
