Since handheld consoles entered our lives, the scene has come a long way, but the road is still long. After it seemed that the market had reached a brief pause, and while many were waiting for the next generation from Valve, companies like MSI and ASUS never stopped working on new devices. At the same time, these are far from the only players in the market, as Lenovo continues to remind everyone that it also has power, delivering particularly strong devices to show where the competition truly stands. Now, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 has arrived, the newest contender in the arena, and it is here to put up a fight.
Pandora’s Box
This is the largest box I have ever received for a device of this kind. Not the Steam Deck, not the MSI Claw, not the Switch 2, and even not my laptop arrived in such a large box for what was actually inside.
Inside the case is the Legion Go 2, along with a disc used for the FPS mode of the console and an additional stand that I did not find particularly useful. The case itself is packed inside another cardboard layer, similar to the Steam Deck. Beyond that, the box includes a 65W charger and the instruction manual.
The first thing that immediately stands out is the size of the device. From the front, it does not look or feel much larger than the Steam Deck, but in terms of thickness, this is the thickest tablet I have ever held. The console measures about 23 millimeters in thickness, which is massive. There is a good reason for this, related to the cooling system, which will be discussed later.
However, the option to play without holding the screen can help relieve some of the weight during longer sessions.
The Lenovo Legion Go 2 features an 8.8 inch OLED display, the largest screen I have personally experienced on a handheld gaming PC. It offers an impressive presentation with a 144Hz refresh rate and is one of the device’s strongest points. The screen finish is fairly glossy, which can cause issues in direct lighting. On paper, brightness reaches up to 1100 nits, though this is a simulated value, as the screen boosts perceived brightness in strong lighting conditions, while actual brightness reaches around 500 nits. During travel, the display still delivered an excellent gaming experience. Under the hood, the device uses the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor with integrated AMD graphics.
One confusing limitation appears with the VRAM, which is capped at 2GB by default for unclear reasons. While this can be adjusted through AMD software, without knowing this, it could easily give the impression that the device is much weaker than it actually is. In practice, it is capable of far more, and this limitation does not reflect its true performance.
To Windows or Not to Windows
Initially, even the Xbox platform did not function properly due to missing components. While this was eventually resolved, the recent rollout of Xbox Fullscreen across more devices may address many of these issues.
Before continuing with Windows, it is important to mention the controllers, which feature a large number of buttons. In addition to Start and Select, there are two extra buttons on each side. One opens quick system settings, and the other launches Lenovo’s software interface. The right controller includes a trackpad beneath the joystick, while the left side has additional buttons for desktop access and window switching.
This mode is useful but requires adjustment, as there are no automatic presets for different games.
Lenovo’s software launches automatically on startup and presents the store first, alongside tabs for the library and system settings. The library tab is intuitive and automatically adds games from Steam and Epic Games once they are installed. The system settings allow control over power profiles, ranging from efficiency to full performance mode, where the fans become noticeably loud. Users can also adjust screen refresh rate and resolution. Audio options are minimal, with no equalizer included.
Overall, Lenovo’s software is convenient and not overly intrusive. Controller configuration menus are detailed, allowing customization of button functions. One issue arises in handheld mode, where buttons intended for FPS mode can be accidentally pressed, preventing in game menus from opening. These buttons have no function outside FPS mode and cannot be disabled, which can be frustrating.
But What Do the Numbers Say
The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is among the first devices to use AMD’s new Ryzen Z2 Extreme processors for this category. Similar hardware can be found in other recently released handhelds. The integrated graphics perform well, but as mentioned earlier, the default VRAM limitation can misrepresent the device’s capabilities. In reality, it delivers strong performance with significant untapped potential.
More than thirty games were tested on the device using medium graphical settings, ray tracing disabled, medium upscaling where available, AMD frame generation enabled, and the console set to performance mode. The results were impressive.
The gaming experience is among the best I have had on a handheld device. Even under load, the console remained cool and comfortable to hold, thanks to rear air intake vents and top exhaust fans. Battery life ranged from about one and a half to two hours during gameplay, which is solid, though slightly behind some competitors.
The biggest disappointment comes from the speakers. Audio quality is basic and only meets minimum expectations. While most players will likely use headphones, especially in public spaces, music playback reveals weak bass and distorted sound, particularly with fast paced or heavy music. This is disappointing given the level of attention given to other aspects of the device.