IFA 2023: Lenovo Legion Go - Next-Gen Gaming Experience

Key Takeaways

• The Lenovo Legion Go features an excellent 8.8-inch screen, QHD resolution, and better color range compared to its competitors.
• The Legion Go offers a unique FPS Mode with detachable controllers that can be used as a mouse-cum-joystick, providing a novel gaming experience.
• With a larger 49.2Wh battery, the Legion Go has the potential for longer battery life compared to the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally.

Watch out Steam, ASUS, and dare I say, even Nintendo?

The Lenovo Legion Go unveiled at IFA 2023 looks certain to become a serious contender to the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally, and while the Nintendo Switch is typically less affected by the launch of handheld gaming PCs, it’s another competitor.

So, what makes the Lenovo Legion Go a worthy competitor? We had a hands-on play with the Legion Go at IFA 2023, and this is why it’s set to claim a strong stake among its peers.

Lenovo Legion Go Hardware Specs

Image Credit: Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

The Lenovo Legion Go uses an all-AMD hardware configuration, using AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU, with 8 cores/16 threads, clocked at up to 5.1GHz and a 16MB L3 cache. It also uses AMD’s RDNA 3 graphics, featuring up to 12 cores, plus a substantial 16GB of LPDDR5x, rated at 7,500Mhz.

You can check out the Lenovo Legion Go’s specs below.

Image Credit: Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

5 Lenovo Legion Go Features We Loved

The Lenovo Legion Go is shaping up to be a cracking gaming handheld, so much so, we gave it aBest Tech in Show award for IFA 2023 . These are the features we loved during our hands-on test.

1. The Lenovo Legion Go Has an Excellent Screen

Image Credit: Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

As with most gaming handhelds, the first feature you notice is the screen, and the Lenovo Legion Go’s screen is top-notch.

Its 8.8-inch screen is bigger than the 7-inch screens on the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, and combined with the Quad HD+ resolution (2600 x 1600), it looks beautiful, sharp, a full of vibrant color when playing games or switching between apps. The Legion Go’s 144Hz refresh rate is higher, too, and it really shows during the fast-paced games we tested on the unit.

Although the brightness of the Legion Go and the ROG Ally are the same, at 500 nits, the Lenovo unit delivers much greater color range and depth by way of its 97% DCI-P3 color gamut support. In short, it displays a wider range of colors, which really shows.

2. FPS Mode

Image Credit: Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

The reason I’ve added the Nintendo Switch to the list of Legion Go competitors mostly comes down to this feature. First up, the Legion Go controllers are detachable, similar to how you slip the Switch Joy-Cons off to use the screen separately or for two-player gaming. We don’t know if you’ll be able to use them for two-player game modes as yet—we’ll find out when we get some more time with the Legion Go.

However, once removed, you can place the right controller into a holder, turning it into a mouse-cum-joystick that you can use to play FPS games on the go. It’s novel and genuinely gives the Legion Go a unique feature.

You can also use the right controller as a mouse, which can make it easier to navigate menus and otherwise on the Legion Go. The experience is very similar to a regular mouse, which will make it accessible to most folks.

3. Bigger Battery

Both the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally have a 40Wh battery. They both last a decent stretch but come under serious pressure when playing AAA-rated games.

Lenovo opted for a 49.2Wh battery, which will theoretically give it the edge over the competition. Again, the battery life is something we’d have to test with more time, but the figures show a clear boost.

4. Excellent Hardware

Image Credit: Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

The overall Lenovo Legion Go hardware package is brilliant, and it should fill anyone considering picking one of these up with joy. While we didn’t get to play any massively taxing games during our hands-on experience (we were limited to Hot Wheels and Vampire Surviors), the buttery-smooth screen was evident, powered by AMD’s Ryzen Z1, built specifically for handheld gaming devices.

You should be able to really make the most of the 8.8-inch QHD screen, though we must concede that you’ll be playing around with resolution and settings to prolong battery life. That’s just a fact of life for any handheld gaming device, though.

5. Size and Weight

Image Credit: Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

I’m a big fan of the much bigger screen on the Legion Go. It turns the Legion Go into a handheld gaming unit that feels solidly built, like it’s built to last, but also ergonomically designed.

With the controllers attached, the Legion Go measures 11.8 x 5.15 x 1.61 inches, which is by no means small. The overall size will likely have its detractors; some people will just prefer the smaller footprint of the ROG Ally and Steam Deck.

But even with its larger frame, the Legion Go still feels nicely balanced. You can hold it for a period without getting tired, and while most people are likely to rest the unit on their lap or use the integrated kickstand, the 1.88 lbs doesn’t feel overly cumbersome.

The carry case is also a nice touch!

Lenovo Legion Go Launch Date and Price

First revealed at IFA 2023, the Lenovo Legion Go is set to launch in October 2023. The starting price is $700, but Lenovo hasn’t revealed any configurations, and this is the information listed on its site. However, the price and additional configurations may well change before its October launch.

Lenovo Legion Go vs. Steam Deck vs. Asus ROG Ally: Battle of the Gaming Handhelds

When it comes down to it, the main comparisons will be drawn between the Lenovo Legion Go, the Steam Deck, and the Asus ROG Ally. They’re similar devices with similar specs, catering to the same audience.

The big question will be who comes out on top once the Legion Go launches.

Also read: