Lenovo Legion Go S Review: A Sleek Upgrade or a Downgrade in Disguise?

Legion Go S Review: Worth the Trade-Offs?

The handheld gaming revolution is here to stay, and Lenovo is clearly trying to keep its seat at the table. Enter the Legion Go S—a half-generation refresh of 2023’s original Legion Go. With a sleeker design, better battery, and a vivid screen that now supports VRR (finally!), it sounds like a sweet upgrade on paper. But here’s the twist: it also downgrades the processor, ditches the detachable controllers, and struggles with heavy AAA games. So, is the Legion Go S a worthy successor—or a sidegrade best skipped?

Let’s dive in.

A Trimmed-Down Beast… with Missing Teeth

At first glance, the Legion Go S looks every bit like a solid upgrade. It’s lighter, more comfortable to hold, and packs a brighter, 8" screen with a 120Hz refresh rate (down from the original's 144Hz but now with VRR support, which is a win). It even comes with a larger battery—55.5Wh versus the original's 49.2Wh.

But here’s the kicker: it loses the signature feature that made the original special—detachable controllers. That change, while making the device more ergonomic, strips away some of the console’s uniqueness. Add to that a weaker processor—the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go versus the original’s Z1 Extreme—and the performance hit becomes very real, especially with modern AAA games.

Out of the Box Experience

Inside the box, you’ll find the console, a charger, and… a foldable cardboard stand. Yes, cardboard. It’s functional, sure, but feels cheap. I ended up using my own stand. When I picked up the console, though, I was surprised by how premium it felt—solid build quality, slick design, and a screen that instantly steals the spotlight.

Seriously, this screen? Gorgeous. Crisp, vivid, and way less reflective than the Steam Deck. Going back to the Deck after using this felt like stepping back in time.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Surprisingly Great

The Legion Go S is incredibly comfortable. As someone who’s used a Steam Deck extensively, I found this more ergonomic for longer sessions. The weight reduction (by nearly 100g) makes a big difference, and the shape just feels right in hand. This is easily one of its strongest selling points.

Windows 11: The Double-Edged Sword

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Windows 11. The Legion Go S runs it. That means flexibility—but also frustration. This isn’t a plug-and-play console. Expect to:

• Update drivers manually
• Download third-party launchers like Epic and Ubisoft Connect
• Troubleshoot weird Windows quirks

Initial driver installs failed for me. I had to reinstall, and the touchscreen UI wasn’t ideal for navigation due to tiny icons. Windows is also bloated with unnecessary software, which tanks performance in multitasking.

Want to browse while a game’s open? Good luck—expect lag, stutters, and occasional rage.

Legion Space: Almost Useful

Lenovo includes a custom launcher called Legion Space, accessible with a side button. It’s… okay. You can launch your games or third-party apps from it, and access settings like resolution, brightness, fan speed, and even an FPS counter.

But the FPS counter? Rarely works. Even in fullscreen mode, it often refused to display anything. And the buttons to launch Legion Space? Sometimes they just ignore you. Rebooting didn’t always fix the issues either.

It’s clunky and inconsistent, which is a shame, because when it does work, it’s actually helpful.

Game Performance: Mixed Magic

I tested several games at 1200p, low settings, with FSR on Performance and frame generation enabled when available.

• Lies of P: Locked 60 FPS – surprisingly smooth.
• Spider-Man 2: Averaged 79 FPS, dropped during intense scenes, but stayed playable.
• Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 & The Witcher 3: Struggled to hit 30 FPS – barely playable.
• Boltgun & Hi-Fi Rush: Ran like butter – no complaints here.

The takeaway? AAA titles are hit or miss. Some will run well, others will break your heart. The Legion Go S is much more suited to indie titles or older games unless you’re okay tinkering for the best settings.

Battery Life: Surprisingly Solid

Battery life is a win here. In performance mode:

• Spider-Man 2 & Lies of P: 1–1.5 hours
• In battery-saver mode: Almost 2 hours
• Boltgun: 3 hours 40 minutes in performance mode, 4+ in saver mode

For daily tasks like YouTube or writing (yes, I used it to write parts of this article!), it lasted even longer. That’s pretty solid for a handheld.

Fan Noise & Thermal Modes

The fans can get loud, especially on max settings. Think “PS4-in-its-final-breaths” levels. But you do have thermal control options:

• Performance: Max power, max noise
• Balance: Good middle ground
• Quiet: Whisper-silent—but cuts performance in half

During quiet mode, even basic web browsing became laggy. Balance mode gave me 45 FPS in Hi-Fi Rush with tolerable fan noise. Your mileage may vary.

Verdict: Worth It?

The Legion Go S is a curious little beast. It improves in some meaningful ways—lighter build, beautiful screen with VRR, better battery—but also makes some hard-to-ignore compromises.

✅ Pros:

• Stunning screen with vibrant colors and VRR
• Comfortable, ergonomic design
• Decent battery life

❌ Cons:

• Weaker processor = meh AAA performance
• Windows 11 setup is a hassle
• Interface buttons & FPS counter are glitchy
• Long load times in many games

Bottom Line:
If you mostly play indies, AA titles, or don’t mind some tweaking, the Legion Go S might be your jam. But if you’re hunting for a handheld AAA powerhouse, it’s not quite there. It’s a solid option in a growing space, but you might be better off waiting for Legion Go 2—or sticking with the original.

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