Lenovo has finally released the latest and best model of the Legion Go S. It comes with SteamOS pre-installed, plus the powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, along with a whopping 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. That kind of power doesn’t come cheap (it’s $829.99 exclusively at Best Buy), but it’s certainly a killer handheld gaming PC. It’s so good that it became our new pick for the best handheld gaming PC.
Basically, unless you absolutely need Windows 11 or the Steam Deck’s trackpads to play the games you want to play, this is the handheld gaming PC device to get right now. From our 9/10 Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme, SteamOS) review:
“By swapping to SteamOS from Windows and upgrading to the Z1 Extreme chip, the Lenovo Legion Go S has become one of the best handhelds out there, and highlights just how much work Microsoft has leading up to its handheld release.”
There are numerous models of the Lenovo Legion Go S out there, so you want to make sure you’re getting the right one. Earlier this year, Lenovo released one with Windows 11 and a relatively under-powered Z2 Go chip. Then it released a SteamOS model that also ran on the Z2 Go chip. This latest model with SteamOS and the Z1 Extreme chip is the one that handily beats the Steam Deck in terms of specs – meaning it can run a bunch of newer games that are out of reach of the Steam Deck, like Doom: The Dark Ages.
If you want to hold off on picking this up, that’s understandable, too. We’re in something of a golden era for handheld gaming PCs. Microsoft and ASUS plan to release the Xbox ROG Ally and the Z2 Extreme-powered Xbox ROG Ally X later this year, complete with a new version of Windows 11 that’s more optimized for handheld gaming devices.
Additional devices powered by the Z2 Extreme chip will be coming out eventually as well. But if you want a highly efficient SteamOS-powered device that’s available now, this Legion Go S with a Z1 Extreme chip is the one to get. It’s a good time to be a handheld PC gamer.
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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
