"Discover a 'Legion Go S' rival priced at $499.99, running on Windows instead of Steam Deck. Frankly, it's surprising it wasn't initially priced this competitively."
The Lenovo Legion Go S (Ryzen Z2 Go) is a popular choice for gamers seeking a high-performance portable gaming device. Positioned as a higher-performance alternative to the Valve Steam Deck, the Legion Go S offers a brighter, larger 8-inch 120Hz IPS display with 1920x1200 resolution, more RAM, and more storage than the Steam Deck.
Performance
The Z2 Go model of the Legion Go S has faster, more modern CPU cores than the Steam Deck's chip, but it uses an RDNA 2 GPU architecture, which is slightly behind RDNA 3 used in higher-performance models. However, the 32GB/1TB model tested comes with the AMD Z1 Extreme processor, which significantly improves performance for demanding AAA titles and smoother gameplay. This model outperforms the ASUS ROG Ally X by about 9% in synthetic benchmarks and runs some games at higher quality settings than the Steam Deck.
In real-world tests, the Legion Go S SteamOS version reached about 29 fps compared to 24 fps for the Steam Deck OLED, showing a performance edge.
Value and Price
The Lenovo Legion Go S with Z1 Extreme, 32 GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD retails for about $829 in mid-2025. Although the base Z2 Go model starts lower (~$600), it underperforms significantly for AAA games, so the premium model is generally recommended for serious gaming. Lenovo’s price is somewhat inflated by tariffs, as initial targets were $499 for the Z2 Go and $749 for the Z1 Extreme model, making the device more competitive.
Comparison Summary
| Device | SoC / CPU / GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | OS | Price (mid-2025) | Performance Notes | |-------------------------|--------------------------|-----------|----------|--------------------------------|----------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Lenovo Legion Go S | AMD Z1 Extreme (or Z2 Go) | 32 GB | 1 TB SSD | 8-inch 1920x1200 IPS 120Hz | SteamOS | $829 | CPU cores modern/faster than Steam Deck; 9% faster than ASUS ROG Ally X; beats Steam Deck OLED at 800p medium | | Valve Steam Deck OLED | AMD Steam Deck APU (custom) | 16 GB | up to 512GB | 7-inch 1280x800 OLED | SteamOS | ~$400 | Very good value; less powerful but widely supported | | ASUS ROG Ally X | Intel/Alder Lake or Ryzen rival | Often 16 GB | Varies | 7-inch or 8-inch 1080p+ IPS | Windows | ~$800 | Slightly slower than Legion Go S Z1 Extreme in benchmarks| | Lenovo Legion Go 2 | (Less info in results) | Not specified | Not specified | Not detailed | Not specified | Not detailed | Newer generation; details limited in available data |
Additional Notes
The Legion Go S’s strength lies in its high RAM and storage capacity, bigger/brighter screen, and its SteamOS ecosystem compatibility combined with Lenovo's hardware design. The legion's SteamOS setup is praised for its flexibility compared to Windows handhelds but has some driver/software support challenges for proprietary hardware features compared to first-party Valve support.
The earlier Z2 Go model (with the same high RAM and storage but weaker CPU/GPU) is less favored for demanding games compared to the Z1 Extreme model.
The Windows 11 version of the Lenovo Legion Go S (Z2 Go) is available at Best Buy for US$499.99. The Legion Go S (Ryzen Z2 Go) is available at BestBuy.com and there is an open box option available for US$474.99. The Legion Go S (Z2 Go) can be dual-booted with Windows 11 and SteamOS.
In summary, the Lenovo Legion Go S (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) ranks at or near the top of handheld PC gaming devices in performance and display quality in 2025, offering a premium but justified alternative to the Valve Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally X, especially for gamers who prioritize SteamOS and want the best specs currently available in this category. However, it may not be the best choice for those seeking the best performance in a gaming handheld.
- The Lenovo Legion Go S, featuring the AMD Z1 Extreme processor, is a popular portable gaming device for those seeking high-performance, offering a brighter, larger 8-inch 120Hz IPS display and more RAM and storage than the Valve Steam Deck.
- In benchmark tests, the Lenovo Legion Go S with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD performs 9% faster than the ASUS ROG Ally X, and in real-world tests, it outperforms the Steam Deck OLED, reaching about 29 fps compared to 24 fps.
- Priced at around $829 in mid-2025, the Legion Go S with the Z1 Extreme processor offers a premium gaming experience, though initial targets aimed for a lower price of $499.
- Comparatively, the Windows 11 version of the Lenovo Legion Go S (Z2 Go) is available at Best Buy for $499.99, offering the option for dual-booting with SteamOS.
- The Legion Go S's strength lies in its high RAM and storage capacity, bigger/brighter screen, and SteamOS ecosystem compatibility, making it a top choice for gamers who prioritize SteamOS and want the best specs currently available in this category, though it may not be the best choice for those seeking the best performance in a gaming handheld.
