Lenovo unveiled its new gaming handheld, the Lenovo Legion Go, and it comes with a stand-out feature that brings a new dimension of play to handhelds: FPS mode.
Announced at IFA 2023, Lenovo’s first Windows PC gaming handheld features a host of premium specs to compete against the popular Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally, including a sizeable 8.8-inch QHD+ display, an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor with AMD RNDA graphics and Nintendo Switch-like detachable controllers.
However, its multiple modes, including handheld mode and dock mode, offer a special FPS mode that turns the right Legion TrueStrike controller into a makeshift mouse. No more fiddling with a joystick to get precise aiming while gaming on the move; the Legion Go brings proper FPS mouse control to portables.
Lenovo’s innovative design choice is sure to entice fans of FPS titles like Counter-Strike, Valorant and Overwatch 2, but it also comes packed with more premium features that make the Legion Go a PC gaming handheld to look out for later this year.
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Lenovo Legion Go price and availability
The Lenovo Legion Go is expected to be available later this year. It’s set to arrive in the UK in October, priced at £699, and available in Europe in November, priced at €799.
The company has yet to announce when it will be available in New Zealand, but you can expect it to be priced around NZ$1,499 if it makes its way over.
The Legion Go is on par with the Asus ROG Ally at NZ$ 1,499 / £699, both pricier than the priciest Steam Deck at around NZ$1,288 / £569. The Lenovo Legion Go boasts a few more bells and whistles, including a bigger display, detachable controllers and up to a 1TB SSD.
Lenovo Legion Go specs
The Lenovo Legion Go is packed with up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip with AMD RDNA Graphics, 16GB of DDR5X RAM and a choice of 256GB, 512GB or 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSDs.
Display-wise, the Legion Go is equipped with an 8.8-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS Pure Sight touchscreen display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 144Hz refresh rate, 97% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and 500 nits of brightness. You can also expect it to support resolutions from 1600p to 800p and a 60Hz refresh rate.
In terms of battery, it has a 49.2Wh battery capacity and supports “Super Rapid Charging,” which Lenovo claims to recharge the battery to 70% in 30 minutes. The gaming handheld also has a “power bypass mode” that protects that battery from extra degradation and aims to eliminate heat while charging. To charge it, it comes bundled with a 65W USB-C power adapter.
The Legion Go doesn’t slack on ports, either. It’s fitted with a dual USB-C with support for USB 4.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0, and a handy 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card reader, extending storage to up to 2TB. You can also expect Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
Talk about high-end specs, but we’ll have to wait and see how the Lenovo Legion Go handles once it’s officially out in the wild.
Lenovo Legion Go FPS mode
From the Nintendo Switch to the Steam Deck, portable gaming consoles can be remarkable at rivalling PC and console gaming. Still, the Lenovo Legion Go takes it further by properly bringing FPS games into the fold.
Instead of turning the detachable Legion TrueStrike controllers into separate controllers, Lenovo decided to give PC gamers what they want: a mouse. How is this done, you ask? Flip a switch at the bottom of the right detached controller, place it into an included controller base that attaches via a magnet, and the optical eye at the bottom of the controller allows it to act like a mouse. From there, it works like a joystick of sorts, while the left controller is used as usual (where the D-pad is).
Thanks to an adjustable kickstand that props up the display, the Legion Go can transform into a mini PC setup wherever you go. It may take some time to get used to, but it gives portable gamers a new way to play FPS games on the go – the right way.
Lenovo still gives attention to the joysticks, though. The controllers feature “hall effect joysticks,” which the company claims will offer no joystick drift and minimal dead zones. That’s not all, as the Legion Go also boasts an integrated trackpad similar to the Steam Deck, a D-pad, an angled mouse wheel and ten mappable shoulder buttons, triggers and grip buttons.
That gives you plenty of ways to play, and there are plenty of titles out there, seeing as it runs Windows 11. Game platforms and stores can be accessed through the company’s Legion Space, allowing users to see installed games, buy titles in different stores and adjust settings such as resolution, refresh rate and brightness. What’s more, users can purchase games through the Legion Game Store in collaboration with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and it comes bundled with a complimentary three-month subscription.
The Lenovo Legion Go offers plenty to look forward to, and we haven’t even touched on the new Lenovo Legion Glasses, an advanced wearable virtual monitor with a micro-OLED display that works alongside the portable console. How will it fair against its competition? It won’t be long until we find out.