DIY brilliance — modder converts a Lenovo Legion Go handheld into a gaming laptop, and it’s surprisingly slick

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The Lenovo Legion Go came out in 2023 as a competitor to other handheld gaming devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally.

The Legion Go offers portable PC gaming like other devices, but it stands out with a completely new controller design for handheld gaming.

I noticed the Legion Go is really versatile. Like the Nintendo Switch, you can detach the controllers and prop it up with the built-in kickstand. Once you do that, it basically transforms into a tiny PC.

Taking advantage of the Legion Go’s detachable controllers, a modder has created a mini laptop using a 3D-printed frame and extra parts, as reported by PCWorld.

The outcome was a surprisingly small gaming PC, complete with a keyboard and extra batteries, plus a few handy additions. Even better, the creator redesigned it to make an even sleeker model, removing the need for the extra battery.

Meet the custom Legion Go gaming laptop

This modded Lenovo Legion Go comes courtesy of Reddit user MysteriousAlarm897.

Once the controllers were detached from the Legion Go, the creator 3D-printed a thick case to house the screen and internal components. They then connected hinges to a base, inside which they installed a large 190Wh battery.

This external battery has almost four times the capacity of the Legion Go’s internal 49Wh battery, which remains inside the device behind the screen. Alongside the battery, you’ll find a selection of ports: two USB-C and two USB-A.

A full-size wireless Lenovo keyboard covers the battery and USB circuit board and easily snaps into the device’s case. The Legion Go also features quick-release clasps, making it simple to attach and detach.

As an analyst, I’ve been looking at this 3D-printed shell, and it’s quite clever. The lid includes openings for the Go’s air vents and features the Legion logo. When closed, it all folds up into a surprisingly compact unit. The creator also added latches – they specifically modeled them after older Dell laptops – to securely keep it closed during transport.

As a researcher following the modding experiment, I’ve been tracking the response, and it’s generated over 230 comments in the past month. A common observation from those commenting is the noticeable thickness of the laptop being modified.

This inspired the modder to revise their design, creating a more streamlined version. They took out the battery and USB components, but kept the keyboard and case closures.

The Legion Go is now a much more appealing laptop, capable of handling both work tasks – it runs Windows 11 – and gaming.

The creator explained they didn’t purchase a device like the GPD Pocket 4 – an updated version of the original GPD Pocket we looked at in 2017 – primarily because of its cost.

I picked up a used Lenovo Legion for $250. I primarily use it for work and games that are best played with a keyboard and mouse. When I want to relax and play on the couch, I quickly disconnect it and use a gamepad. It charges at up to 65W without any compatibility issues, and the adapter I bought from AliExpress worked perfectly. I just need to install a charging indicator, which is why there’s an extra hole in the front.

MysteriousAlarm897

A lot of people responding to the original post have requested the files or instructions for building it. The creator says they’re considering whether to sell or share them.

Lenovo’s Legion Go received an official successor at IFA 2025

A Reddit user named MysteriousAlarm897 designed a case for the Legion Go about a month ago. However, Lenovo has since released the Legion Go 2, which is slightly bigger, meaning the original case isn’t compatible with the new version.

I had a chance to try out the device at IFA 2025, and even though it had detachable controllers, I was surprised by how comfortable it felt to hold.

The Legion Go 2 keeps the same 8.8-inch screen size as the original, but the picture quality has been slightly reduced. It now has a resolution of 1920×1200, down from the previous model’s 2560×1600.

The Go 2 features an upgraded OLED screen, offering noticeably improved colors and contrast. Plus, it now includes variable refresh rate technology alongside its already fast 144Hz refresh rate.

The Legion Go 2 features significant hardware upgrades for improved performance. It can be equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, up to 32GB of fast LPDDR5x-8000 RAM, and up to a 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for storage.

The Legion Go 2 will be a competitor to the ROG Xbox Ally X, which is anticipated to release on October 16, 2025. You can see a detailed comparison of the two devices in our ROG Xbox Ally X versus Lenovo Legion Go 2 article.

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2025-09-18 17:40