When I was a kid, my PlayStation Portable was my whole life. I didn’t have the most advanced PC or the latest console, so the small (but gigantic in my early teen hands) device was a godsend. Time eventually ravaged my PSP, which was already clinging to a mile of duct tape to keep everything together. You can imagine my delight when a new generation of handheld consoles suddenly and emphatically broke into the scene.

You’ve already heard of the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck. Now, a new breed of handheld consoles aims to blend the convenience of the aforementioned two and the nostalgia of having everything in the palm of your hand. Enter: the Lenovo Legion Go.

A powerhouse just by looking at it

The Legion Go takes a few design elements from its contemporaries and predecessors. At first glance, the console shares the most similarities to the Steam Deck: a minimalist black design complemented by a handy trackpad. However, it also takes some inspiration from the Nintendo Switch: removable controllers and diagonally opposed joysticks.

Overall, the Legion Go relies mostly on the Steam Deck’s simplicity to convey a more premium feel. It’s an absolute looker guaranteed to turn heads.

Layout laid out

Now, let’s look at the console’s layout. If you’ve held a portable console recently, the Legion Go should feel familiar to you. You’ll find the standard fare of diagonally opposed sticks, a D-pad, the XYAB buttons, bumpers, and triggers. With the familiar out of the way, let’s go through what’s different.

Much like the Deck and the ROG Ally, the Go has additional buttons at the back: Y1, Y2, and Y3 buttons to add some convenient hotkeys for more elaborate games. It also has M1, M2, and M3 buttons for its FPS mode (but more on that later).

At the top of the left controller, the Go has the Legion Space button which opens the dedicated hub for gaming. The right controller has a Quick Settings button which opens a convenient panel for settings to optimize your setup. Unfortunately, these two buttons pushed the traditional Start/Select buttons to the bottom of the left controller. It took some time to get used to the new layout.

At the back, the console also has a sizable built-in kickstand. It eliminates the need for an external dock which other consoles require. Plus, it works better than the Switch’s tiny kickstand. I felt secure using the console on tabletop mode.

As for the console’s feel, the Go is remarkably tactile with grooves right where my hand should be. The controllers are also textured to provide better grip. My only gripe is the feel of the D-pad. Unlike the more pronounced pads of other controllers, the Go has a flatter pad. If, like me, you use the D-pad for navigation (which is the best way for 2D side-scrollers), your thumb might get a little sore after some use.

A brilliant display

The Legion Go has a brilliant 8.8-inch screen — touting QHD (2560 x 1600) resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and 144Hz refresh rate. On paper, Lenovo’s console is already ahead of the competition, eclipsed only by the new Steam Deck OLED.

In practice, the Go offers an impressive display, capable of handling gaming and other entertainment. Movies, via Netflix and my own files, were crystal clear on the Go. It’s so good that I’m also using the console as a secondary screen to watch videos while I work.

To test color reproduction, I booted up Shovel Knight, a retro-style platformer that consistently puts out static colors. The game was exceptionally bright, proving how much the Go can reproduce. No color was washed out. Even the blacks were deep and accurately reproduced.

Now, as most budget gamers can attest to, the largest resolution isn’t always the best solution to maximize framerate. Thankfully, the Go can perform even if you play on the lowest available setting (1280 x 800). The difference is palpable at first, but it’s incredibly decent for a lower resolution. The screen compensates well for the pixelation. Graphics still look smooth at the lower setting.

Power from retro to AAA

Time for the actual meat of the matter. How well does the Legion Go and its AMD Z1 Extreme chipset perform for your games? Surprisingly well, actually.

As mentioned above, Shovel Knight performs well on the console at maximum resolution. If indie games are your thing, the Go is more than capable. That said, a retro-style indie game isn’t the best indicator of performance. Let’s put the Legion Go through one of the most demanding games today: Cyberpunk 2077.

And… it works! As expected, you still need to experiment with the graphics settings to find a decent framerate. It took a while but playing Cyberpunk 2077 on low/medium settings and at 1280 x 800 resolution will net a viable framerate (around 40 to 50fps) to get through Night City smoothly.

The same experimenting goes for other modern games including Baldur’s Gate 3, Doom Eternal, and Forza Horizon 5. Now, I found that some modern games are already automatically optimized for the console. For example, I didn’t need to fiddle around with Doom Eternal’s settings to get a smooth framerate.

If you’re looking for graphical fidelity, a dedicated PC rig is still for you. However, the Legion Go is capable of going through the ringer of demanding video games. If you’re traveling or stuck in bed, it performs more than adequately.

The software underneath

Power isn’t the only remarkable aspect of the Legion Go. It’s also a PC. Right from opening the device, you’ll notice the familiar trills of the Windows setup screen. Unlike the Switch and the Deck, the Go comes with Windows 11 right out of the box, allowing for a lot of flexibility. You also get up to 1TB of internal storage and expandability via a microSD card.

Theoretically, you can use the Go to work. And I’ve tried. With a multiport adapter for a keyboard and mouse, the Go can act just like a laptop. If you’re in a pinch, the Go is an amazing backup device.

That said, the Go by itself can lack a bit of versatility for control without an external keyboard and mouse. The display is touchscreen, yes, but if you need to right-click on anything, you have to touch-and-hold on the screen. Scrubbing through a video (and other times you need to hold your finger on the screen) can be a nightmare as the console gets confused on whether you’re dragging or attempting to right-click. Additionally, the on-screen keyboard is also finicky on when it comes out. There are times when the keyboard doesn’t automatically come out when prompted with a text box.

Thankfully, the Go has a unique solution to the lack of a mouse, at least. The built-in FPS mode turns the right controller into a de-facto mouse. Just detach the controller, toggle the FPS switch on, and connect it to the magnetic disk (which comes with the package). The controller uses a sensor at the bottom to control the mouse. It’s a unique solution to the mouse problem. In practice, it works but will take some getting used to, especially because of the prongs digging into your thumb.

Outside of functioning as a PC, the Go also comes with Legion Space, a hub for gaming. It collates all the software you have from different platforms. It’s not much to write about, but if you want to launch games immediately, Legion Space is a helpful tool.

A decent battery

The Go packs a 49.2WHr battery under the hood. Naturally, your mileage may vary depending on how you use the device.

Smaller games, such as Shovel Knight and Blasphemous, eked out approximately two hours of gameplay on maximum settings and resolution. More demanding games (with reduced settings and the lowest resolution), such as Doom Eternal, got to only 90 minutes before I needed to charge. Unfortunately, the most intensive games — Cyberpunk 2077, especially — struggled on battery power. If you really want to play the biggest games on the Go, you’re better off plugging it in.

Now, for more PC-oriented usage, the Go lasts a lot longer. A video test — playing a video through VLC until the battery runs out — nets approximately three hours and 30 minutes. After two hours, the battery was at 45 percent. At two hours and 45 minutes, it automatically switched battery saving mode on after reaching 20 percent.

Regardless of usage, heat wasn’t a big issue. Since the controllers are detachable, most of the heat centers around the main chassis, rather than on where your hands are. Likewise, the fan wasn’t too noisy even without silent mode turned on.

From empty, it took approximately 90 to 100 minutes for the battery to recharge on normal settings. It reached 45 percent in an hour. If you need more speed, it also comes with Super Rapid Charging support, which greatly reduces the charging time. Unfortunately, the console doesn’t have an indicator on when the battery is full, so you’ll have to check manually.

Is the Legion Go your GadgetMatch?

At US$ 699.99/ PhP 49,995, the Legion Go is at par with the ROG Ally. It’s also more expensive than the most premium trim of the Steam Deck OLED. However, the Go has detachable controllers, a larger screen, a built-in kickstand, and a unique FPS mode. Despite how pricey the segment is, the Legion Go offers more than its competitors.

Is this your GadgetMatch? If you’re new to the handheld console market, absolutely. For its price point, you’re getting more than your money’s worth. While Sony is currently struggling with its return to handheld gaming, the Lenovo Legion Go offers an all-around, powerful solution for mobile entertainment.