Since Valve introduced their Steam Deck PC console, there are many console brands running Microsoft Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems in the market such as Ayaneo, GPD Win, ASUS ROG Ally and so on in the gaming market now.
A few months ago, Lenovo also said that they will introduce their own offering, and it is called the Lenovo Legion Go, a PC console that comes with almost the same specifications as the ROG Ally, but with many other differences that make this console a unique offering.
Specifications And Design
Lenovo Legion Go
Screen 8.8″ QHD+ (2560×1600) IPS, 144Hz, Touch
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU
AMD Radeon RDNA3 GPU
RAM 16GB LPDDR5-7500
512GB PCIe Gen4 Internal Load
Main Camera None
I/O 2x USB4
1x microSD card reader
49 Wh Battery (4 Cells)
65W charging
SIM/Telephony None
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scan System None
Sale Price TBA
Starting with the specifications of the Lenovo Legion Go, it is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 series of processing chips that were introduced for the first time through the ASUS ROG Ally console. Other specifications of this console include the use of 16GB LPDDR5 memory and 512GB SSD storage.
It also comes with an 8.8-inch IPS Legion TrueStrike display with a resolution of 2560×1600 and a refresh rate of 144Hz, which is the largest display when compared to consoles like Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally.
Apart from this very large display, another uniqueness of Lenovo Legion Go comes from the use of a game controller that can be removed from the side of the display of this console, similar to what can be done on the Nintendo Switch game console.
In fact, the way you remove the controls on these two consoles is almost the same, and the way they are used when they are separated from these consoles is also the same. One difference is that the right controller can be attached to a base that allows it to be used as a wireless mouse that can be used on the operating system as well as in games.
My initial attempts to use this controller as a mouse felt a little clumsy because around this controller there are several buttons that are covered by your fingers when the controller is gripped. But what's great about this feature is that your controller will automatically become a mouse when it's hovered over the site.
Software
Lenovo Legion Go is powered by the Microsoft Windows 11 operating system, with Legion Space software that houses all the games installed on this console, as well as various mode and quality settings that users can take advantage of.
Just like ROG Ally, users can use computer game platforms such as Steam, Microsoft Games Store, Epic Games Store, EA and so on without any problems, and the games downloaded on this console will be shown in the Library section of this software, regardless of which platform are you downloading the games from.
In the meantime, various device settings, such as performance mode, resolution, refresh rate and even device updates can also be accessed through this Legion Space software.
Lenovo Legion Glasses
This Legion Go console also has two USB charging plugs, and both support 65W charging. The reason why this console comes with two USB plugs is because of the accessory that was introduced along with this console, the Lenovo Legion Glasses.
Legion Glasses are electronic glasses that are used as a display without using the Legion Go display. These glasses come with a free pair of lenses that can be used to change the lens power, which is useful if you wear glasses.
But other than that, using these Legion Glasses is very easy. You just need to plug the USB-C cable into the console, and the display output will switch from the console to the glasses just like that. One drawback here is that the display refresh rate will be limited to 60FPS only. It will also use battery power from the console, so it's not something that needs to be charged.
What's more interesting about these Legion Glasses is that they are display glasses that can be used by other devices, such as other PC consoles, and even laptops that have a USB-C plug. The list of devices that Legion Glasses can benefit from is unknown, but I can say that it is an agnostic computer accessory.
Performance
So far, there is not much I can say about the performance of this console. It uses the same AMD Ryzen Z1/Z1 Extreme series of processing chips used in the ROG Ally, so the performance is as expected.
At the Lenovo Legion APAC event where the console was showcased, I was able to test the game Starfield on this console, and it showed close to 60FPS performance at 800p resolution with medium settings and the device set to Performance mode.
We were told by Lenovo that depending on power settings, games, display and so on, the Legion Go console is seen to last two to two hours more on a full charge. We will test this in more depth when we review this device in the future.
Closing
I can honestly say that this Lenovo Legion Go PC console is another gaming device that gives me a sense of fun because of the ideas taken by Lenovo to develop this device.
Yes, the concept of a Windows 11 game console is not new, and the concept of a detachable controller has been used before, but the way Lenovo implemented it gives me hope that we finally have a mobile game console that combines many ideas better than other consoles in one frame.