CES 2025 is in full swing, and Lenovo has taken the opportunity to debut the Legion Go S, a successor to the fantastic (if overly expensive) Legion Go, with some fundamental tweaks that’ll either make or break Lenovo’s gaming ambitions. The most important of these is the introduction of SteamOS, making Lenovo’s effort the first non-Steam Deck device to (officially) feature Valve’s reputable OS.
Another is the complete lack of Lenovo’s superb Switch-like TrueStrike controllers, which ultimately helped the company’s first stab at the handheld market stand out above all the rest. Instead, it’s opted for a wholly duller approach, mimicking the Steam Deck’s fixed controllers. It’s also smaller, coming in at 8in rather than upping the ante over the original’s 8.8in display. It all makes for a cheaper device, however. Now that we can get behind.
Lenovo Steam Go
You’ll have a choice of two Legion Go S devices to choose from. If SteamOS isn’t your thing, you’ll need to pony up for the privilege of using Windows – starting at R13,700 ($730) when it launches later this month, though cheaper variants rocking inferior specs are set to turn up in May with a starting price of R11,250 ($600).
It’ll feature a gorgeous 8in WUXGA 120Hz “PureSight” display, a choice of either Lenovo’s custom AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor or Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 1 TB of SSD storage, and a three-cell 55.5Wh battery. The cheaper model will rock the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, which is currently embedded into the first Legion Go (and is more than capable of providing a decent experience).
Or, you could pay less money to pick up the Legion Go S “powered by SteamOS” model when it launches in May 2025 for R9,300 ($500) with the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. If you want the best of the best, however, a model rockin’ the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go (made for the Legion Go S) will set you back R11,250 ($600).
Stick with the $500 model and you’ll get a 1,920 x 1,200 LCD display that can go as high as 120Hz, according to Polygon.
These prices are, of course, specific to the US – and will look vastly different by the time they hit local shelves. The first Legion Go, which launched with a $600 starting price, turned up on our shores bearing a R16,000 price tag. Expect something similar to happen again, with tariffs and export fees setting you back a couple of grand more.
Lenovo Legion Go… 2?
Lenovo, apparently (and correctly) predicting our griping, also decided to unveil the Lenovo Legion Go 2, featuring those beloved TrueStrike controllers and a massive screen. Kinda. See, Lenovo’s announcement lists the “2” as a prototype, which visitors to the company’s booth at CES got to give a go. Not only does it retain the Switch-like controllers and big display, but it also ramps things up with the next-level AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
That’s on top of the 32GB LPDDR5X, 144Hz OLED PureSight display (which supports VRR), 2TB storage, and a glorious 74Wh battery. That’s where the news stopped, whoever, with Lenovo teasing more news to drop later this year. We can’t wait, Lenovo.