Legion Go S 8" 120Hz Gaming Handheld - AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme - SteamOS - 32GB with 1TB SSD

Never owned a handheld before so I did a lot of research before buying one. My analysis led me to this device and my gosh do I love it. Am not a fan of small screens so the 7inch on the Ally devices was just not it for me. The Chinese handhelds are too expensive and the legion go devices are a tad bit heavy for long sessions. The deck albeit amazing is unfortunately a little behind in power. So this device just feels like the sweet spot for everything. Screen not too big and not too small. Really good performance. (I know the z2E devices are out but it’s not an extreme jump in performance) Plus it has steamOS so you get the best out of good performance and a good handheld OS to match. If you’ve never used steamOS you might feel like people are exaggerating when they say it’s good. And that’s how I felt till I used it. Gosh it’s amazing. Battery life is honestly acceptable and with the fans, it’s not as loud as I was led to believe. The speakers are the only bad thing about this device lol but to be fair all the other devices don’t really have amazing speakers. Nothing wowed me when I was trying the devices out. Sadly no OLED but the screen is amazing 120hz plus VRR so yeah! P.s Hall effect thumb sticks. And if you’re not sure what that means. Essentially it means stick drift is something you won’t have to worry about. And on a device that has thumb sticks attached to it. That’s a major reason for concern. Unlike a traditional console you can always just buy another controller when stick drift develops. Rather than having to buy a whole other 900$ device lol.

This Legion Go S works great, and SteamOS seems to work pretty well. I haven't run into any issues with any games, and the sleep function works seamlessly. The device is heavier than a Switch 2, but it isn't cumbersome. The screen is nice, and the colors seem well-balanced. I did not find the fan noise as distracting as some people have, but it can be audible, especially on heavy games or while downloading. The battery life could be better, however it is not a dealbreaker.

This is a really nice handheld but I got it on sale for $750 making it more justifiable, I probably wouldn’t pay full retail for it. Pros: Comfortable, large screen, SteamOS. Cons: The battery life is terrible so expect to bring a charger or portable battery on the go. That’s the only reason I docked a star. The fan is also loud when using max voltage but it doesn’t bother me that much. Some people report terrible screen response time but honestly I don’t notice. No 2tb storage version requires you to upgrade it yourself. Not everyone is comfortable opening a handheld and cloning a M.2 drive to expand storage. If you look up how to download lossless scaling on SteamOS it really helps with FPS on more demanding games. SteamOS feels way more like a console than windows with their gimmick version of full screen mode but it’s not without issue. Installing outside games and launchers requires a bit more work than a windows handheld but honestly I’m happy with just my steam library on the go anyways. I did manage to get BattleNet and Epic on here though. Overall this is comfortable to use and plays most games well enough. It is a handheld after all, don’t expect PC or laptop quality. Overall very happy with it for the amount I paid.

The Legion Go S is powerful and convenient. I love it! The z1 extreme is a surprisingly powerful APU. It can run AAA games like Hogwarts Legacy at 1200p at a solid 40fps with a mix of high and medium settings with the help of FSR upscaling, and frame gen makes it even better! I was worried about the screen not being OLED, but it's beautiful! Also, it's a wonderful size for immersion especially with its 16x10 aspect ratio. Hall effect joysticks are definitely appreciated. The ability to switch L2 and R2 between full travel analog triggers for racing games and hair triggers for shooters is a plus. The thing I love most about it is that it is so convenient! With the ability to suspend games at any point (including mid-cut scene!), I can finally play games. Heating something up in the microwave? Waiting to be called at the doctor's office? Have some down time between tasks for work or need a quick break from studying? Whatever the case may be, unsuspend and play, unlike playing on your PC (where it's just inconvenient and a waste of electricity to keep your game running in the background). I can't recommend this handheld enough! My one minor complaint is that I wish the ergonomic grips were at a bit of a wider angle like console controllers. (See photo)

This little handheld has been one of the best things I've purchased in a long time. I originally bought the cheaper one, but the next day this one went on sale for only a tiny bit more than what I bought the other for, so I returned it for this. I have owned a couple of Steam Decks, and loved it, but the Legion Go S was a step in the right direction. What really sold it for me, was I ended up trying windows on it and realized it was what was missing from my handheld gaming experience. Sure it may run a few FPS less, but I can play all of my games and mods across all platforms with ease now in a comfortable environment for me. All of the for a few hundred less than the windows variant and still have the same experience. Though it is not perfect, overall I am very happy. If you know to what to expect going into a handheld purchase, the experience will be more than satisfying! The only issue I have with it is battery life, but I use it plugged in almost all of the time so its not enough to knock off anything.