Lenovo Legion Go Gaming

This was delivered on December 6th. I waited a while to review it after I'd have some time with it. That being said this handheld hasn't disappointed. I was a bit leary after seeing that it was a frequently returned item. After using this for almost tree months I can't figure out why someone would return this so often. This is a windows device I'm mostly playing my steam library but also have Gog, Epic and ubi soft game stores too. I have only one game out of dozens that wouldn't run, it won't recognize the on board graphics card. With just a little bit of adjustments my triple a games mostly run around above 90 frames per second. This is one of if not the biggest handheld gaming screen out there. Could it be better? Yes anything can be, could it have hdr? Yes could it be oled? Yes but knowing the size of the screen it would actually be over kill. My gaming computer I built runs on a 1080p monitor with 145hz. This runs at a higher pixel rate and at 144hz. The screen is plenty bright and colorful. The cpu is way more than adequate. The only downside is that it only had 512 gb ssd which i updated to 2tb. Plus it would also benefit from 32 gb of ram instead of 16 to allocate more ram dedicated to the gpu. I can't comment on the battery life as I have this on mt end table next to my chair on a dock so I barely use my desktop anymore. As it is I'm not at all disappointed with my purchase. I've been building my own gaming computers for over thirty years and this suits me just fine. Buy it do a bit of adjusting and you'll love it as much as I do.

I did a lot of research before deciding to get this, compared to the Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck competition. I'm personally very happy with the purchase. Deciding factors compared to the competitors were: 1) Larger and sharper screen 2) Detachable controllers and built-in kickstand 3) Dual USB-C 4) FPS mode on the controllers 5) Most powerful hardware (tie with ROG Ally) It's very versatile due to its powerful CPU/GPU, at high TDP (thermal throttling) levels it can run AAA games at 60fps and 1080p resolution. The large screen makes it usable as a work machine in a pinch (need an external keyboard though realistically). Downsides: the performance comes at a cost to battery life. On the go, you can play AAA games as above but you will only get maybe 45 mins of battery life. You can lower resolution and TDP, or play less demanding games, and get 2-3 hours of life. One other thing that personally doesn't bother me, but may make this a difficult proposition for less computer-literate people, is that this is effectively a Windows tablet/laptop. To get the best out of it requires a decent amount of fiddling with settings and customisation, removing bloatware, closing programs that don't need to be running etc. The ROG Ally has the same issue, and this along with battery life is where a Steam Deck really wins. I hope my brief review above can help someone in considering which gaming handheld fits their needs best.

This thing is incredible. I wasn't sure whether I should get the steamdeck, ROG Ally, or Legion Go. I am so glad I got this. I love how versatile this thing is. Works great for modern games as works amazingly as an emulator. This can be used a handheld console, or you can detach the controllers and have a more home console feel. With the controllers detached, it also works incredibly well as a tablet for getting work done or watching movies/shows. This may also be better for bring to certain workplaces over a steamdeck or ROG Ally because of the detachable controllers. You can bring it to work without bring any attention to yourself because it can look like a normal tablet instead of a giant game boy with the controllers attached. The screen was the biggest factor in me buying this though, and it does not disappoint. That giant screen makes it hard to go back to the competition. Not just the size, but the resolution, and color accuracy is just beautiful. You may not be able to play AAA modern titles on High settings with the max 1600p resolution, but you can scale it down to meet your needs and it still looks incredible. For me the resolution is not overkill, because I can still take advantage of the max resolution when emulating classic games, and movies and shows look incredible with the 1600 resolution on this device. The kickstand is AMAZING. It may seem trivial, and it did to me at first, I had no idea how useful this kickstand was going to be and to have it be built into the device without needing any kind of case or accessory is so convenient. I've had this device for about a month, and I guess they must have updated and patched the Legion Space software quite a bit since it's released because I haven't had any issues with it. I love that this runs on windows and has all the potential that comes with it, but I can also use things like Legion Space and Steam Big Picture to have a simplified console UI if I want as well. With a couple accessories like a keyboard and a USB hub, this Legion Go has essentially replaced my xbox, my laptop, my gaming pc, and all my handhelds. I can do everything I need on this one device. By far my favorite purchase this year so far, could not recommend it enough.

Short answer: PC Hybrid Master Race now that consoles have priced themselves out or making slow, derivative (it's-a Mario again), or overpriced physical releases. Long Answer: With some accessories, this thing is future proof for at least another console generation. There are different storefronts like Xbox game pass and Steam (more in Lenovo Space picture though you'll have to download for Amazon games program not on GOG) and you can detach the controllers like a Nintendo Switch. I am glad this lacks the flaws of all 3 major consoles (since we're in primarily a digital age for gaming) such as censorship of suggestive outfits/localization and taxes (pay a higher price, often without a demo, with PS Plus Premium making you pay subscriptions for demos) for console games. Since this includes 3 months of Xbox game pass and has a 512 gig SSD, it replaced my Xbox Series S (Xbox is liquidating their exclusives to competitors, so it has become obsolete). I'm also getting day 1 releases unlike Nintendo's game trials or most PS Plus releases. The Meta Quest 3 is out for VR Gaming/backwards compatibility, which with accessories, does much more with a library than the PSVR2 (the lack of a price drop, subscription games outside 8 demos, and PC VR is pending, with no idea if a hybrid can ever be used for it, made it age poorly) without needing to buy a PS5. I'm mentioning all of this due to the several years that passed since past reviews of those systems, and how much the future improved for hybrid PC's compared to how consoles stagnated. This Legion Go is a better idea than anything Nintendo/Sony has on the table for a console upgrade due to a larger library (even using itch.io or other websites to play games not on console) and owning your stuff. It takes time to get familiar with some things (using right controller on stand, or its lower track pad box as a mouse, or learning the best accessories besides screen protectors, though there is a touch screen, which I wouldn't use for an on-screen keyboard for a long time given Windows navigation through multiple programs can get confusing if a keyboard is there too). The right controller, which I'm showing in a couple of pics, has a Lenovo shortcut button for closing programs, checking battery life or adding that on-screen keyboard. The back also has a scroll wheel, so I feel the learning curve gets better over time. I haven't had crashes so far and I was able to use Windows 11 pretty easily, though Xbox game bar to record (without a capture card) seems to need keyboard entry (which Bluetooth is simpler, and some people have layouts for Steam games to fit the controllers if you don’t want to use a keyboard) and a dock may help those who want to have a bigger screen. I did notice the fans blowing heat out so I wouldn't trap it in the carrying case while using it; it is easier to detach the controllers and have the screen tilt upwards for the fans to run. The battery also lasts about 2 hours, so constant charging and banks/docks may help as well as dark mode and other performance style settings to lengthen that time. The extreme Ryzen Z1 processor is also stronger than a Steam Deck OLED (Legion Go doesn't use an OLED screen but QHD is great), and the $70 off sale ($630) helped a ton, especially as retailers are matching what Lenovo does unlike Steam, which some vendors overcharge $200+ past what Valve does. I also have been able to run unverified or unsupported Steam Deck games pretty well too. Overall, this is better than what I thought once I learned to set things up efficiently (you're going to have to update a ton of programs/drivers) and the amount of options I have is well worth anything additional in consoles (let alone you can play older PC games by Windows if it still has compatibility, and own games as opposed to always needing to pay for online multiplayer/subscriptions that may rotate things out, add games you already have, or increase in price).

I love this handheld! The value for the money is exceptional. Storage is exceptional. Gaming is incredible. The sound could be better. I love that it connects to ethernet when you have the accessory. It has been extremely reliable since I've bought it.

Review: I’m very satisfied with this purchase. I bought it as an open-box item because I couldn’t find a new one anywhere, but it arrived in absolutely perfect condition — like brand new, with no issues at all. I chose this version because it offers the best balance between price and performance. The next step up is around $2000, which didn’t make sense for me. This one hits the sweet spot. I already own a PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch 2, so I wasn’t trying to replace those. Instead, the Legion Go filled a gap I still had. I really enjoy playing older games like Dragon Age 1–2, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Fallout 2, and others, and this device gives me an easy way to access all of them in one place, especially in a portable format. The screen is great, performance is solid, and overall it’s a very versatile device. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a powerful handheld that complements your setup rather than replaces it.

At this point I'm just angry with it. I've spent days trying to work with this thing. I updated Windows and everything I could through the normal interfaces immediately. Installed the same game (Tales of Symphonia) I've tried on the ASUS ROG (with no issues). First, I installed Steam, but even that was a pain. The APP Lenovo uses kept just initiating a .png file instead of an .exe file to run Steam, so I had to find a way to bypass and use Windows 11 on the tablet without understanding the mouse functions (no two finger tapping or anything like that). Finally got Steam installed, ran the game, it immediately flips my screen. Wow! I think, "Well, I should exit the game." Nope, now my Windows is in a flipped screen state. I had to turn it off at this point. Too many problems in a row. Come back to it, still have the same problem. I sought resolutions online. I even adjusted the rotation lock, flipped the screen, etc., but to no avail. I'll try again another day. Come back to it today and I'm looking to expand my troubleshooting. I hook it up to a USB-C dock (thankfully I had one) so I can connect to an HDMI display. I suppose I could have remoted into my TV also (that's an option), but I chose to work with my second monitor instead. I get it on and now the monitor is in the correct position while my Legion GO is flipped, and the screen acts right for my monitor, but upside down for my GO (even though I'm touching the GO screen). It's very disorienting. I tried messing with display settings, changing the power modes. I even changed the refresh rate of the monitor DOWN because I was planning on playing and I just wanted to make it stable. As soon as I did that it flipped my actual monitor sideways and made it very ugly. No correction on that. Had to reboot. No reseating the dock or the HDMI cable or turning the Hz rate back corrected it. I finally decided to try another game. I load up Helldivers 2 (I realize Helldivers has more problems than any game this year) and it loads up to the accept terms and "help us improve page" and it immediately freezes. I had to hard boot and restart. I looked for more solutions. Apparently the Lenovo APP has a driver update area. I'm in it currently. I updated the chipset. Restart. No fix to my current issues. I update the display driver (was definitely looking for an AMD app before) and it says "must restart and stay connected to power." Acknowledged. I'll definitely do that right. It does that, blinks the screen, and now I'm starting at a white screen on both the AMD Legion GO and my monitor. Just a big, white screen. That's where I'm currently at now. Don't trust these videos about the GO being the best device. I've played a Steam Deck. I've played the ASUS ROG. I've not had anywhere near the issues I'm having with this device. Someone decided that quality control was not a concern and sent this thing to market.

Although this is not as good as a desktop computer, the overall performance is amazing. It can play most games with relatively good graphics and frames. You can go back and forth between graphic settings to adjust it depending on the game itself. For example, I am able to play Resident Evil remake 2 and 3 with steady 60-80 frames and great graphic settings. On the other hand, more demanding games such as Lords of the Fallen 2023 has to be in low settings so that I can play with around 50-60 frames. The battery itself lasts for around 2 to 4 hours depending on the game that you are playing such as metroidvania or AAA games. You do have to do some initial changes on the settings and bios for a better performance, but it is pretty simple since there are tons of guides for this. The screen quality and the controllers are amazing. You can use it as if it was a Nintendo Switch and detach the controllers and play in tabletop mode, however, you can't use them as 2 controllers like the switch can. Portability is great and comes with a hard travel case. Price is a little steep for some people, especially if you are trying to get into PC gaming. If so, I would suggest going for an actual desktop PC instead. However, having the portability and ease of use of wherever and whenever you want to its worth it. I play with my brother who lives in Mexico, whenever I go to visit him, I still take my Legion Go and can keep playing the same PC games with him in the same room. Overall, great experience and would 100% recommend this.

Full gaming pc in your hands. Very portable and great gaming performance

Surpassed my expectations. Even though it said it was used it was practically brand new. Somebody just took the protective plastic off of it and then put it back in the case works great. I love using it for games as a desktop and as a handheld. And I will say I was absolutely surprised once I got it in my hands the size of the screen, and the feel of the controllers were amazing. Haven’t felt like that for a long time.

aunque soy usuario de uso poco comun de laptop y computadoras, esta es mi primera experiencia con una pc gaming, soy usuario de consolas en especial Ps5 y Nintendo Switch, admito que la bateria es sumamente limitada pero la experiencia de juego es sublime, si bien no alcanza la nitidez que brinda un ps5 y una pantalla 4k es sumamente disfrutable lo que se puede lograr en cuanto a rendimiento, la mayoria de juegos AAA es necesario poner graficos en lo mas bajo y aun asi los juegos lucen excelentes pero los FPS que puede mover la maquina es el verdadero valor, en mi caso siempre he valorado mucho el hecho de la portabilidad, en cuanto a emuladores psp, ps2 (aun no he podido probar ps3) los mueve con resoluciones escaladas hasta 4x (1080p) sin problema alguno y con TDP de 10 o 15w, por lo que puedo decir que es la mejor forma en que he podido emular esas plataformas, la recomiendo bastante si vienes de consolas, en todo caso otra opcion seria la steam deck para adentrarse ahora que ha estado bajando de precio aunque windows creo que ofrece mas ventajas aunque con sus tipicos errores, el peso es otro factor del que se habla mucho pero es bastante comoda que a mi me llego a dar mas fatiga la nintendo switch por el mismo tema del confort, la lenovo tiene unos agarres sumamente comodos, en lo personal estoy sumamente satisfecho con mi compra

En lo personal es una gran consola un poco limitada pero con la última actualización del modo Xbox mejora mucho la experiencia

Had an issues but the customer support was amazing. Issues was resolved quickly :)