Lenovo Legion Go review

The Lenovo Legion Go has made waves within the moveable PC gaming market, introducing an attention-grabbing mix of innovation and efficiency. Launched as a competitor in a market that’s more and more crowded with handheld gaming units, this providing from Lenovo goals to carve out its area of interest by combining the facility of PC gaming with the comfort of portability. With options like removable controllers, a high-resolution show, and full Home windows 11 functionality, the Legion Go guarantees a flexible gaming expertise that bridges the hole between desktop energy and handheld flexibility.

Nevertheless, with such energy comes the query of compromise. The Legion Go faces the challenges of managing battery life, optimizing software program for a handheld format, and making certain ergonomic consolation with out sacrificing efficiency. As the hand held gaming market turns into extra refined, with units just like the Steam Deck setting excessive requirements, the Legion Go’s capacity to satisfy and exceed these expectations is essential. This overview delves into the strengths and weaknesses of the Lenovo Legion Go, exploring the way it stands up towards its guarantees and competitors and whether or not it’s worthy of a spot on our checklist of the very best moveable gaming consoles.

Worth and availability

The Lenovo Legion Go positions itself firmly throughout the premium sector of the gaming handheld market, reflecting its high-end aspirations in its pricing construction. The bottom mannequin, outfitted with a 512GB SSD, retails at $699, which aligns with the higher echelons of moveable gaming units. For these requiring extra inner storage, the 1TB model calls for a slight premium, priced at $749. This pricing technique locations the Legion Go in direct competitors with different flagship handhelds. It highlights its ambition to carve out a distinct segment inside this aggressive panorama.

The distinctive promoting factors of the Lenovo Legion Go, notably its removable controllers and modern FPS mode, contribute to its premium positioning. These options provide a particular gameplay expertise, probably justifying the funding for fanatics in search of versatility and a novel strategy to handheld gaming. Nevertheless, the value level additionally necessitates a essential analysis of the machine’s total worth, particularly when put next towards rivals providing comparable or superior {hardware} specs. Potential patrons should weigh the advantages of Legion Go’s distinctive options towards its price, contemplating the fast monetary outlay and the long-term worth proposition.

Specs

The Lenovo Legion Go positions itself within the handheld gaming market with notable {hardware} specs. The machine powers efficiency by using an AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive processor. This selection goals to steadiness efficiency and energy effectivity for cellular gaming. The 512GB and 1TB fashions have 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM. This specification suggests the machine can deal with multitasking and fashionable gaming calls for with out vital compromise.

One of many Legion Go’s most defining options is its 2560 x 1600 8.8-inch IPS show. This huge, high-resolution display screen is considerably uncommon for handheld gaming units, probably providing an enhanced visible expertise for detailed sport environments. The show’s functionality to succeed in a refresh charge of as much as 144Hz can be notable, suggesting smoother gameplay, which is especially helpful for fast-paced titles.

Right here’s a extra easy specification comparability for each fashions of the Lenovo Legion Go:

Options

The Lenovo Legion Go is a wonderful gaming machine with removable controllers. These controllers cost wirelessly when linked to the central unit and allow you to play FPS video games uniquely. One of many controllers can remodel right into a vertical mouse, providing PC avid gamers a extra exact and acquainted management scheme for first-person shooters. The Legion Go is ideal for avid gamers who need greater than contact controls or commonplace thumbsticks, mixing conventional PC gaming experiences with the flexibleness of handheld gaming.

The Legion Go’s kickstand can be fairly superior. In contrast to rivals, it could actually help the machine at varied angles, making it excellent for tabletop gaming. You’ll be able to alter it to search out your optimum viewing angle, making it a extra comfy gaming expertise, particularly throughout lengthy gaming periods.

The Legion Go runs on Home windows 11, providing entry to an enormous library of video games and functions. It’s not only for gaming – you too can use it for productiveness apps! We choose gaming, however you do you. With twin USB-C ports, you possibly can cost it shortly and join it to varied equipment, together with exterior shows and storage options, increasing its performance.

In relation to the Lenovo Legion Go’s proprietary software program, it falls behind the competitors. It’s gradual, doesn’t choose up some video games on the hand held, and is poorly optimized. There are methods round this and loads of different digital storefronts, comparable to Steam and GoG, however you must nonetheless use Legion software program only for software program and safety updates.

Design

The Lenovo Legion Go is a savage-looking gaming machine. It’s visually tremendous cool with its metallic-like end on the again panel, and the construct consists of high-quality supplies that make it really feel sturdy and durable. Nevertheless, it’s one of many heavier and bulkier choices within the gaming handheld market.

The Legion Go comes with an 8.8-inch display screen and removable controllers. This design selection offers a extra vital show space and a snug grip for lengthy gaming periods. However, it may be difficult for these with smaller arms or who worth compactness in a handheld gaming machine.

The machine options two USB-C ports, one on the prime and one on the backside. These ports join extra peripherals and cost the machine shortly with out affecting the person expertise. Though it has many benefits, the Legion Go is a distinct segment providing throughout the handheld gaming sector. It suits these prioritizing a premium construct and a bigger display screen over portability however nonetheless has drawbacks.

Show

The Lenovo Legion Go is a transportable gaming machine with an 8.8-inch IPS show that blows your thoughts with its spectacular 2560×1600 decision. It’s not simply in regards to the seems, although, as a result of it additionally helps a refresh charge of as much as 144Hz, which makes the motion smoother and extra gratifying. This function is useful for aggressive gaming, making certain the visuals sync with the gameplay.

However, the high-resolution and high-refresh-rate show can drain your battery quicker and make your machine slower. The processor and GPU must work tougher to help these options, which may end up in shorter play periods on a single cost. So, it’s essential steadiness visible high quality and battery life by adjusting settings based mostly in your preferences. A very good tip for brand spanking new customers could be to show auto rotate off, which is overly delicate on Lenovo Legion Go.

The IPS panel ensures correct coloration replica and a large viewing angle, enhancing the gaming expertise. This function additionally makes the Legion Go a superb possibility for watching motion pictures and different content material that require high-quality visible output. Nevertheless, the display screen’s glossiness and reflectiveness can pose visibility points beneath direct daylight, a typical trade-off with shows prioritizing coloration depth and distinction.

Efficiency

The Lenovo Legion Go is a wonderful handheld gaming machine that runs on the AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive processor and has 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It’s a flexible participant that works nice with video games that don’t require quite a lot of graphics energy, and it could actually deal with extra demanding video games (though you would possibly have to mess with the settings to get it good).

The 144Hz show’s super-smooth gameplay has limits, particularly with newer or extra graphically intense video games. You may need to decide on between trying nice and taking part in easily. This drawback isn’t distinctive to the Legion Go, however it’s nonetheless one to level out for those who plan on operating demanding video games utilizing the console.

The Legion Go’s cooling system is important for operating the machine easily throughout lengthy gaming periods. It’s tremendous environment friendly and retains the efficiency constant over time with out overheating. However it may be loud when working arduous to maintain the system cool, so that you would possibly wish to play utilizing a Bluetooth headset for those who don’t wish to miss a line of dialogue.

Battery

The Lenovo Legion Go has a battery that helps its high-performance {hardware} and enormous, high-resolution show, which is fairly cool. However the battery life could be painful for those who plan an extended gaming session. All of it depends upon the kinds of video games you’re taking part in and the settings you’ve chosen. You’ll burn by means of the battery shortly for those who run demanding titles at most settings. You may need to maintain it plugged in after only a few hours.

The excellent news is that the Legion Go affords versatile charging choices, so you possibly can cost it whereas taking part in. It has twin USB-C ports positioned on the prime and backside, making it straightforward to cost it in a vertical stand mode. However, for those who’re utilizing the machine closely, you’ll have to cost it incessantly, which is a ache.

The Legion Go’s battery capability struggles to maintain up with the machine’s highly effective elements and the power calls for of recent gaming. It’s strong sufficient for brief to reasonable play periods, however if you wish to play for a very long time, search for a much less highly effective handheld gaming console. It’s a trade-off between enhanced efficiency and superior show high quality on one hand and battery endurance on the opposite.

Ought to You Purchase The Lenovo Legion Go?

Are you considering of shopping for the Lenovo Legion Go? Properly, all of it comes right down to what you’re on the lookout for. The Legion Go has some incredible options, like removable controllers that you should use as a vertical mouse in FPS mode and a giant high-refresh-rate show. Plus, it runs on Home windows 11, which supplies you quite a lot of flexibility, and you’ll cost it up utilizing the twin USB-C ports whereas connecting to different units simply.

However there are some downsides, too. It’s cumbersome and heavy, so it won’t be as moveable as different handheld gaming units. And whereas it has spectacular {hardware}, you’ll have to sacrifice some efficiency to play graphically intensive video games at its native decision. Plus, utilizing Home windows on a handheld machine could be difficult.

One other factor to contemplate is battery life. Though the Legion Go has a robust battery, it could solely final for a short while for those who play extra demanding video games at greater settings. So, you should definitely hold that in thoughts once you’re planning your gaming periods.

Finally, the Lenovo Legion Go is a distinct segment product splendid for avid gamers who need a moveable machine with versatility and display screen high quality. You need to look into different choices for those who prioritize portability and ease of use over sheer energy and display screen measurement. When deciding, contemplate the professionals and cons fastidiously and the way the Legion Go’s particular benefits and downsides align together with your gaming preferences and desires.

Alternate options

If our Lenovo Legion Go overview hasn’t offered you, take a look at our recommendations for options beneath.

Steam Deck OLED

The Steam Deck OLED is the plain different to the Lenovo Legion Go. It’s extra streamlined by way of software program whereas requiring much less setup and has a large library of accessible video games, lots of which are sometimes on sale. Till the arrival of the Steam Deck 2, we’re assured saying that the Valve handheld continues to be the very best moveable gaming PC on the market. For extra particulars on this one, take a look at our Steam Deck OLED overview.

Nintendo Swap OLED

Okay, hear us out on this one. A transportable PC is all effectively and good, but when the Lenovo Legion Go sounds a bit difficult, you continue to can’t go fallacious with the Nintendo Swap OLED. What it lacks in efficiency energy, it makes up for with easy-to-use UI and a large library of video games. Certain, we’re anticipating the Nintendo Swap 2 imminently, however for now, Nintendo’s celebrity console continues to be value trying out for excellent gaming on the go. If you wish to know extra, see our Nintendo Swap OLED overview.