Instead of merely catching the eye due to its attractive exterior, the most recent iteration of the Lenovo Legion Go is uniquely positioned as the first officially released gaming handheld that offers a choice between Windows or SteamOS. The SteamOS option in particular has generated a lot of anticipation and has left us eagerly looking forward to trying out the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS).
Currently, there’s a $50 discount on the Legion Go S (SteamOS). This offer applies whether you opt for the high-end model priced at $779.99, featuring the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, or the more budget-friendly one with the Ryzen Z2 Go, priced at $549.99. While we suggest the former, it’s always beneficial to have choices.
Legion Go S (SteamOS): Review highlights
The Legion Go S is a conveniently comfortable device for gaming, powered by the widely-used Ryzen Z1 Extreme portable processor. It boasts a spacious touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology.
Our Rebecca Spear praised the design of the device in our Legion Go S (SteamOS) review:
I’ve owned and played around with multiple gaming handhelds, and one standout feature of the Legion Go S is its comfortable ergonomic design and stylish, subtly purple case that appears black or gray in different lighting conditions.
The performance of the Legion Go S (SteamOS) has garnered positive feedback. As stated by Spear, there are certain games that can be run on the Legion Go S which cannot run on the Steam Deck handheld device.
She ended her critique by expressing that she found pleasure in utilizing the Z1 Extreme Legion Go S (SteamOS) and advised anyone seeking a Steam-Deck-esque device with added power to consider it.
Windows vs SteamOS
The Legion Go S’s hardware isn’t groundbreaking for those well-versed in the gaming handheld market. However, it stands out due to its unique operating system.
In numerous aspects, SteamOS enhances the performance of the Legion Go S. This gaming device runs smoothly with SteamOS, and given that your preferred games reside in your Steam library, it seems quite clear which operating system to opt for.
The Lenovo Legion Go S stands out as one of the top-tier gaming handheld devices, offering us an exclusive chance to conduct a comparison between SteamOS and Windows.
I’ve noticed a significant buzz surrounding SteamOS, particularly among gaming enthusiasts who are intrigued by its popularity on handheld devices. It seems that many people are even expressing interest in a desktop version of this operating system. Interestingly, when tested on the same hardware, the Legion Go S running SteamOS outperformed its counterpart running Windows.
SteamOS is also better optimized for the gaming handheld form factor than Windows.
Absolutely, just as there are benefits to using Windows instead of SteamOS on the Lenovo Legion Go S, it’s because both operating systems have their strengths that Lenovo offers versions with either.
Users accustomed to a gaming PC running the same operating system will find Windows more intuitive. Additionally, Windows offers convenient access to major game launchers and marketplaces.
However, our Legion Go S review for the Windows edition titled it as “SteamOS may prevent feelings of letdown.” For many individuals, the SteamOS-equipped Legion Go S seems a more appealing option compared to its Windows-based counterpart.
Legion Go S (SteamOS): Before you buy
The Legion GO S gaming device operating on SteamOS is exceptionally well-regarded. In our latest evaluation, it received a near-perfect score of 4.5/5, primarily due to its impressive design, user-friendly ergonomics, robust performance, responsive triggers, precise joysticks, and high-quality display.
Before making a purchase of the Legion Go S with SteamOS, there are several factors you might want to take into account:
1. Compatibility of your current games: Ensure that your favorite titles are compatible with the system’s operating system.
2. System requirements: Make sure your computer specifications meet the minimum requirements for running the games smoothly.
3. Performance expectations: Understand what kind of performance you can expect from this particular device to avoid any potential disappointments.
4. Updates and support: Check if updates for SteamOS and game compatibility will continue to be provided, as well as the level of customer support available.
5. Price and value: Weigh the cost of the Legion Go S against its features and performance to determine if it offers good value for money.
In simpler terms, the main rival to the Legion Go S (SteamOS) is the Steam Deck. This is because Valve’s portable gaming device demonstrated that SteamOS works effectively in a handheld format.
The Legion Go S (SteamOS) comes at a higher price point compared to the Steam Deck, but this added expense grants you a system boasting newer, more potent hardware components along with a superior screen quality.
The trackpad on the Lenovo Legion Go S is quite compact. Since certain games require more control from a mouse than others, whether the tiny trackpad poses an issue depends on the type of games you prefer to play.
Spear has pointed out that one major concern with the Legion Go S is its fan noise levels, which are notably greater compared to the fans found in the Steam Deck gaming device from Lenovo.
Based on factors such as your financial plan, preferred games, and tolerance for sound, potential downsides of the Legion Go S might range from significant issues to minimal concerns. However, it’s important to acknowledge these points when discussing its attractive pricing for a gaming handheld device.
Legion Go S (SteamOS): Z1 Extreme vs Z2 Go
At Best Buy, you’ll find two different editions of the Legion Go S (running SteamOS) on sale: standard and Z1 Extreme. We suggest opting for the Z1 Extreme gaming handheld, as its processor offers superior performance.
With the Z1 Extreme, the Legion Go S (SteamOS) delivers a smoother gaming experience and improved performance compared to when it’s equipped with the Z2 Go processor, allowing for a wider variety of games to be played.
The processing power of the Z1 Extreme, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is a significant leap compared to the Z2 Go, which has only 4 cores and 8 threads.
| Chip | CPU Cores & Threads | Graphics | TDP |
| Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme | 8 cores, 16 threads w/ XDNA2 NPU (Zen 5) | 16 GPU Cores (RDNA3.5) | 15-35W |
| Ryzen Z2 Extreme | 8 cores, 16 threads (Zen 5) | 16 GPU Cores (RDNA3.5) | 15-35W |
| Ryzen Z2 | 8 cores, 16 threads (Zen 4) | 12 GPU Cores (RDNA3) | 15-30W |
| Ryzen Z1 Extreme | 8 cores, 16 threads (Zen 4) | 12 GPU Cores (RDNA3) | 15-30W |
| Ryzen Z2 Go | 4 cores, 8 threads (Zen 3+) | 12 GPU Cores (RDNA2) | 15-30W |
| Ryzen Z2 A | 4 cores, 8 threads (Zen 2) | 8 GPU Cores (RDNA2) | 6-20W |
| Ryzen Z1 | 6 cores, 12 threads (Zen 4) | 4 GPU Cores (RDNA3) | 6-15W |
The graph you see is taken from our analysis that pits all Ryzen Z2 Series CPUs against each other. In addition, this article provides insights on how these processors measure up to AMD’s Z1 Series chips.
The Legion Go S (SteamOS) with a Z1 Extreme processor will deliver the best gaming experience.
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2025-07-04 00:10