Lenovo have lifted the lid on the world's first officially licensed handheld powered by SteamOS, the Lenovo Legion Go S, which should arrive in May. There's two versions of it: one shipping with SteamOS that's cheaper and one with Windows 11 and you will be able to pick between a few different configurations (eventually anyway).
Here it is:
With multiple configurations available you'll get the choice between processors too. Either the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor (they say it's exclusive to Lenovo) or the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. The Z2 Go is part of what AMD announced at CES 2025.
The specifications given for the two editions are listed below:
| Lenovo Legion Go S (8″, 1) | Lenovo Legion Go S (8″, 1) — Powered by SteamOS | ||
| Dimensions & Weight (L x W x D) | (mm): 299.0mm x 127.55mm x 22.6mm (inches): 11.77″ x 5.02″ x 0.88″ 740g / 1.63 lbs. |
||
| Display | 8″ WQXGA (1920 X 1200) LCD 16:10 (120Hz / 500 nits / 10 Point Touch Support / 100% sRGB) - VRR supported | ||
| Processor | Up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (3.3Ghz, 8 Core, 16 Threads) | ||
| Graphics | Up to Integrated AMD Radeon 700M Series | ||
| Memory | Up to 32GB 6400Mhz LPDDR5X | ||
| Storage | Up to 1T PCIe SSD (Gen4) (2242, 2280 compatible) | ||
| OS | Windows 11 | SteamOS | |
| Battery | 55.5Whr / 3 Cells Rapid Charge Express Support 60 mins 85% |
||
| Power Adapter | 65W USB Type-C | ||
| Ports | 1X Micro SD card reader SD 3.0/UHS-I 2X USB4 (no logo) 1.4/3.0/40Gbps 1X Audio Jacks Combo |
||
| Audio | 2x2W Integrated Speakers | ||
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E (2.4Gbps) 22AX Bluetooth 5.3 |
||
| Colours | Glacier White | Nebula Violet | |
Lenovo did not confirm yet what exact specifications the initial SteamOS model will ship with, at least not in their main public press material.
From the press release: “Lenovo’s vision for gaming has always been to deliver the most powerful and innovative technology, empowering gamers to play their way at their best. With groundbreaking devices like the Legion Go S, the world’s first officially licensed handheld powered by SteamOS™, and our redesigned Legion Pro laptops featuring stunning OLED displays, we’re redefining what gaming experiences can be,” said Jun Ouyang, Lenovo’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer Segment, Intelligent Devices Group. “These innovations are designed with competitive gamers and gaming students in mind, providing the performance, adaptability, and versatility needed to excel both in the game and in academic fields like STEM. By combining cutting-edge hardware, gamer-focused AI-powered software, and new form factors, Lenovo Legion is empowering the next generation of gamers to push boundaries and achieve their goals.”
The Windows version of it will be available this month (January) with a starting price of $729.99, with additional configurations coming in May starting at $599.99. The SteamOS version is due in May with a starting price of $499.99.
Valve spoke to The Verge giving some other details like Lenovo being the only current SteamOS partner, and there's no other third-party SteamOS devices in the works right now. And a new SteamOS Beta is apparently coming that might work on other handhelds. Update: Valve officially announced a SteamOS Beta is coming!
dbrand have already jumped in to announce accessories for the Legion Go S as well like the Killswitch case.
Pictured - Legion Go S Killswitch, dbrand
What do you think? Will you be picking one up?
Showing compatible games is going to be an interesting hurdle though. No information has been given on how they plan to handle that, as the Deck Verified system will have plenty that wouldn't apply to this device, and in some cases this new SteamOS device may have issues the Steam Deck does not. I've reached out to Valve and Lenovo to see if they can share anything.
Lenovo had various other announcements like a prototype next-generation Lenovo Legion Go, the one with detachable controllers. They said the final production details are "still being refined" on that. Currently the Prototype "features up to the new AMD Ryzen™ Z2 Extreme processor with RDNA™ 3.5 graphics and up to 32GB of 7500Mhz LPDDR5X RAM, as well as a native landscape 8.8" 16:10 144Hz 500nit OLED PureSight touch display with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support".
The Prototype for the Lenovo Legion Go 2 also has some other refinements like rounded Lenovo Legion TrueStrike controllers with a circular D-pad. Along with "up to 2TB of SSD storage and a 74Whr battery".
Pictured: Prototype Image of the Lenovo Legion Go 2
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
The SteamOS version is due in May with a starting price of $499.99.
It's a shame they aren't launching simultaneously; hopefully the hardware reviewers will also test with the likes of Bazzite while they're waiting.
Will you be picking one up?
Nope. As Stella points out there are no trackpads, the sticks are in the wrong place, and I've already got a Deck. If my Deck were to die before a Deck 2 is out I'd get another Deck rather than one of these or any of the other devices with no trackpads & the sticks in the wrong place.
additional configurations coming in May starting at $599.99. The SteamOS version is due in May with a starting price of $499.99.
Really glad to see this, price is a big motivator
Tom_Oostveen 21 hours ago
Okay, so what are the advantages over just buying a steamdeck? Not sure I understand the point
The advantage is probably that Lenovo has a bigger distribution network for physical goods that actually reaches places where Valve can't or won't sell their Steam Decks.
R Daneel Olivaw 21 hours ago
Seriously, this alone would make me reconsider ever buying this.
Other than that I'm glad it exists to bring more competition to the space, and everything else about it looks fine (the whole sticks in the wrong place thing never really bothered me) provided you can turn off the leds. I hope its successful and more of theses mobile handsets start moving to this and off of windows 11.
benjamimgois 19 hours ago
Interested in these though, shipping with SteamOS as they do. I'm not sure about those touchpads though. The one on the Killswitch is so small it looks like a goddam fingerprint sensor! Decent sized touchpad on the "Go 2" model though. I was torn on the lack of a left-touchpad until I realised that the only time I ever used the left-touchpad was for the keyboard.
Caldathras 18 hours ago
Last edited by Caldathras on 7 January 2025 at 8:05 pm UTC
this is cool, but where's my touchpads
That little box below the right stick is a touchpad. It has been confirmed.
R Daneel Olivaw 18 hours ago
What is this? A touchpad for ants?
What is this? A touchpad for ants?
I thought it was a fingerprint sensor for Windows Hello.
Cyba.Cowboy 17 hours ago
But, I suppose it's a step in the right direction and possibly a sign of things to come from more reliable manufacturers... Maybe.
The advantage is probably that Lenovo has a bigger distribution network for physical goods that actually reaches places where Valve can't or won't sell their Steam Decks.
That's assuming Lenovo actually put any effort into pushing the SteamOS version... Which historically, hasn't been the case with third-party manufacturers.
Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 7 January 2025 at 9:47 pm UTC
if they sell well, more oems will ship steamOS and they will make more devices with steamOS, then linux will finally have a chance to grow.
other than that, then only with valve subsidizing hardware.
i doubt valve can compete using only their own cash, one of the reasons why microsoft is so strong is because they have rich partners like dell, hp, lenovo etc.
with more companies entering the market maybe they can sell (combined) as much as an switch does...
Last edited by elmapul on 7 January 2025 at 10:16 pm UTC
That's assuming Lenovo actually put any effort into pushing the SteamOS version... Which historically, hasn't been the case with third-party manufacturers.
this time is different, they probably gonna distribute the windows version every location they can, and from one version to another, the only difference is the hardware and a little icon on the case, im sure the logistics of changing those details last minute arent so complicated, so if the steamOS sell more than they expected, they can repurpose some of the windows devices as steamOS instead and vice versa, this reduce the risk for both versions streaminglining the distribution channels.
That's assuming Lenovo actually put any effort into pushing the SteamOS version... Which historically, hasn't been the case with third-party manufacturers.
Do you mean, third-party manufacturers not putting any effort into support Linux with their hardware?
CyborgZeta 58 minutes ago
Other than that, having a version shipping with SteamOS is good news. That it's cheaper than the Windows version is also good news.
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