Lenovo Legion go s Steamos Review: Windows Get Ye Gone

Once even Microsoft itself begins to promise a version of Windows 11 that can be launched by turning off half of its features, it’s time to accept that such a heaving desktop OS is an unpleasant fit for handheld gaming PCs. Lenovo has already launched a new version of their Legion Go S, which will replace Windows 11 with a more naturally portable-oriented, sensitive deck, Steamos, and quickly replace Windows 11 to become a better handheld for it.

Not in a great sense – Steam deck OLEDs are quiet, long lasting and generally easy to handle. But between the wise choice of operating systems and relatively affordable pricing, the Legion Go S Steamos is a refreshing change from at least a series of expensive and expensive devices, at least so that all non-valve manufacturers seem to be captivated by each other. If this is a sign of oceanic changes, then just squeal my knees.

Purely hardware wise, this is at the same time an upgrade, paring back and continuation of the original 2023 Legion Go. No removable controllers are available. The mouse feature now has Nintendo 75% nick on the Switch 2, with the IPS display reduced from 8.8 inches to round 8 inches, dropping the resolution from 2560×1440 to 1920×1200. It’s a kind of spec reduction, but it’s a kind of spec reduction, as the Legion Go pixel density is too much to handle for everything except the simplest game.

The Legion Go S ‘1200p screen is a better match, especially since this Steamos version chooses the Z1 Extreme or the cheaper Ryzen Z2 Go. Despite the “larger number = better” convention, the Z2 GO uses the old Zen core architecture (and low 4/8 cores/thread counts and slow clock speeds), but on the surface it is more power efficient.

I know about that, but Legion, who gave up from the original, says he’s sitting more comfortably in his hand. It’s round, softer, lighter – conceptually not ambitious. Its 8-inch screen is large enough to give some degree of distinction from the Asus Rog Ally XS and Zotac and ZOTAC zones, giving you some premium thriving, including a responsive Hall effect joystick and adjustable trigger depth.

However, there is nothing to add steam to provide usability boost. Windows 11 can accurately claim a wide selection of compatible games and launchers, but even setting up on this cramped desktop OS with joysticks and touchscreen controls can make you feel like you’re unlocking Christmas lights while being trapped in your car boots. The handheld optimized Steamos interface is flowing aggressively in comparison. Incidentally, from fully functional quick resumes to custom power profiles per game, Legion allows some of the best tricks in a steam deck. Desktop mode is also here, which unlocks the ability for Steamos to add a non-steam launcher that increases compatibility to almost anything on the Game Pass Pick. You can stream them anyway.

I’m noticing that it carelessly suggests that there is Steamos only Advances on the handheld PC. This may be a safe place where the co-pilot can’t hurt you right now, but Monopoly can be as harmful to valves as Microsoft. Still, of the two available flavors, the steam is much more free to friction. Some games may run faster.

Yes, ARS scoops everyone about this, but my own testing points to better performance on Steamos than Windows 11. The Legion go S enjoys full driver support on both operating systems, making it a difficult comparison to do justice using the previous handheld. This is what my Z2 Go-Owered Legion Go S managed 10 game benchmark gags. Everything runs on native 1920×1200.

For the record, quite a half of these do not show any specific differences in performance between Steamos and Windows, so it’s too simple to argue that one is faster than the other. However, there is a noticeable difference in frame rate, and each time it is advantageous to steam. Especially the result of that For the Horizon 5 is a bloody hell. I was sure I groped around settings and more to get an average average on Steamos, but after multiple checks, reruns and reboots, I continued to pull the same or similar scores. I think it’s really much faster, at least with this particular handheld. If I had been blessed with endless hours (and stronger tolerance for entering miserable passwords for my Steam Press account), I would run many of these tests more, but I think even a sample size like this is enough to draw some conclusions. Conclusions such as “Do not purchase the Windows version of Legion Go S”

As for how it works against handhelds that aren’t itself, the choice of low-power Z2 Go chips doesn’t seem to be poor at first. Next to the rival devices running on each native lesbian, it still has an astonishing Forza result still doing it, equaling the MSI Claw 8 ai+ in The Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The claws will hit you pointlessly in Cyberpunk 2077, but if the MSI handheld costs almost twice as much, you’ll expect it.

At semi-standardized resolutions either 1280×800 or 1280×720, the Z2 GO does not repeatedly outperform the original Legion GO, but suggests that older models don’t make the most of the Z1 Extrem Chip. Also, in all four of these games, it easily beats Steam Deck, the only real competition in the Legion Go S ‘600 £600 weight class.

Given the Lenovo handheld offers a sharper display, it would look like a big win. However, further investigations reveal that Z2 GO’s performance is more contradictory than unaccusable. Take the Elden Ring: In theory, this should work well given that you can easily run 30fps with a low and medium setting of 800p. However, with Legion’s native 1200p, I struggled to even go above 20fps. When I dropped it to 1280×800 it was framed to the point of playability, but still wasn’t significantly faster than a steam deck.

Despite having a high score elsewhere, Legion Go S often struggles with the same game as Steam decks. Remastered Oblivion can only hit 30fps or more with Legion if it is set to use the lowest Gli global lighting settings. Meanwhile, Horizon Forbidden West has been able to match decks when dropping in the lowest 20’s, in the toughest regions, despite having stepped into the FSR with ultra-low presets and Ultra Performance. Dunes: Regularly below 30fps with minimum settings and Ultra Performance FSR, even when faithful low-end laptop mode is in operation.

The Legion go S has more pixels to fuel, but like the 1440p Legion Go of Yesterday, it’s the worst to pay for a crisp solution, as you’ll need to manually lower it to pursue acceptable gaming performance. Perhaps the most awful example of this occasional lack of power despite the speed of other games was that the FBC: Firebreak handheld presets didn’t produce reliable 30fps at native 1200p, even with more ultra-performance upscaling added. It is literally called a “handheld”! For handheld! And this is brand new!

I’m much happier running running like Hades II, Haste, Rematch (the latter doing 60fps at Low), but so are cheaper steam decks. Similar to the Steam Deck OLED, the upgraded screen defeated the Legion Go display with non-resolution metrics. Deck OLED, for example, will blow up HDR games with brightness of up to 984cd/m2, burning brows from the bright 486CD/M2 panels in between and between. Contrast is not a contest either. Because I measured the honorable 1495:1 ratio on the Legion Go S, but the deck OLED can technically produce endless contrast by turning off the black molting pixels completely.

The Legion go S can display a wider array of colors than steam deck OLEDs, which covers 99.2% (93.8%) of the SRGB color range, but in reality the latter’s brightness and contrast advantages make them more vibrant with visibility in dark scenes. Valves that choose an anti-glare finish also help there – the Legion Go S screen is glossy and reflective.

It’s these quality of life bonuses that keep both steam deck variations resonating for years, and although the Legion Go S has some great hardware, I’m not sure I share my attention to detail with the Steamos Frenemy. The trackpad is a good example. It’s better than having no trackpads at all, but unlike the dual pads on the deck, it’s too small to use in the game as a thumbstick replacement. I’ve also seen them generate both games, such as Total War: Warhammer III, in both desktop mode. If you end up buying this, I like to add mice and docking stations that are slightly less urgent than Padless Logg’s allies.

Furthermore, off-eat is fan noise. This is so loud and loud that Legion can’t make his speakers fully own. And while you’ll need to play the game to make that effort in the first place, the cooling system loves to give the impression of the best jet engine with harmless tasks like downloading software updates. Certainly the chassis stays calm, but if this and extended sessions fail to miss the gentle whispers of my steam deck, I’m lying.

Well, I say it’s been extended, but another weakness of the big Legion is its battery life. The 1 hour 28m on the Elden Ring, and 50% volume on both the screen brightness and the speakers, is only a few minutes on the original Steam Deck, but the 1 hour 49m on Portal 2 shows that even with Steamos, the hardware is close to the same level when increasing power in low-demand games. The Forza Horizon 5 was also overwhelming.

Like frame rate performance, there are variance and trade-offs to consider, especially large and premium displays. And, obviously, a fan system designed by Pete Townsend. But a portable PC must be portable above all else, minimizing the need to stop and charge. Putting it this way: Portal 2 will dry out if you had a Legion Trio GO S unit and one steam deck. All three One by one, before the deck runs out of juice.

So, yeah, you need more than a magnetic joystick and (very qualified) performance bump to make the magnetic deck family feel very special among handheld PCs. Yet, in a certain way, they it’s not With Steamos currently out in the wild, the Legion Go S proves that it is better than the slower, fat, data-hungry alternatives that the non-valve portable inherited from the desktop. Maybe this device isn’t the best of its kind, but it’s an important torch bearer and overall it’s decent enough to avoid at least damaging the moment.

This review is based on retail units provided by the manufacturer.