Lenovo - Legion Go 8.8" 144Hz WQXGA Gaming Handheld - AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme - 16GB with 1 TB SSD - Shadow Black

I really really really like my Lenovo Legion Go! But I'm also not a typical user. I've already installed Linux on this device and unlocked more power in doing so. This device is excellent for anyone with patience or who loves to tinker. However, the default experience isn't the best and the first few hours with the device are better spent with a mouse and keyboard - even on windows. At a high level - Good: - Screen is wonderful from a refresh rate and color perspective, but I think the lack of an OLED panel is a mistake. - Performance is outstanding, likely the best of the 2023 handhelds. - Versatility - Again, likely the best of 2023 with a seamless FPS mode and a robust set of features. - Linux compatibility - Plug-and-play with Nobara, Bassite, and ChimeraOS linux distributions with only minor caveats and usually superior performance in every way. - USB4 - Having not one, but TWO full speed (40 Gbps) USB4 ports means this thing can already make use of external GPUs, thunderbolt docks, and other high performance peripherals. Meh: - Battery life is kinda meh. You can get a notable upgrade in battery life by switching to linux, but the display still likely consumes more power than the competing devices. It's not BAD if you know what you're doing and optimize games for 15 watts TDP or less, but still not as good as other devices. - Storage - I have the 1TB model, and I wish I had double the space with modern games reaching 200GB. The SD card slot helps a bit with older/smaller games, but provide a notable impact to load times on games over 40GB in size. USB4 is a far more effective way Bad: - Lenovo's software coupled with Windows is a terrible experience. Since this device has 16GB of memory shared between the CPU and the GPU, you'll often experience issues configuring the GPU with more than 4GB of RAM (leaving 12GB for the cpu) since Windows, on a clean boot, will take up 4-5GB of Ram without loading legion-space or the other tools. Add to this every launcher you'll need and maybe a web browser tab or two, and you run out of RAM fast. This problem is almost entirely a non-issue when running Linux where the RAM usage running Steam Big Picture is less than 2GB - meaning you can go up to an 8GB allocation for the RAM and unlock a TON of performance. - Lack of RAM - as stated above sharing 16GB of ram is tough. That's why modders are already offering upgrades to 32GB (which further unlock 10% MORE performance). In Linux, ZRAM helps make it hurt less.

I'm writing this review after a couple months' ownership of the device. I had initially intended to get an ROG Ally, but ran into not being able to activate Windows on that device led me to return it and get the Legion Go instead. I'm certainly glad that I did, as the Legion Go has been a fantastic device. The device, to me, well fills the gap between doing things on a phone and a larger tablet / laptop. I frequently browse the web and consume YouTube on it. The 8" 1440p touch screen displays with vibrant colors. I've been able to play pretty much any game I've thrown at it without issue -- Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Rocket League, Goat Simulator, emulators, etc. The Hall effect joysticks are smooth and responsive, and the buttons and triggers have a nice weight to their action. Depending on performance settings and use case, I can get somewhere between an hour and a half to around six hours on a charge. While not fantastic, it's more than adequate for the time I typically have to sit around and play. On the other hand, the downsides are that I haven't quickly found a way to re-map the Legion Space button (I haven't searched for hacky workarounds, just official methods). I'd like to use Windows' built-in XBox Game Bar instead of Lenovo's wrapper around all the game stores I already install individually. Also, there isn't room for the charger in the included hard-shell case, only the device itself. I would have liked a bit of extra storage, but I already carry a GoPro case for my tech accessories so it's not a deal breaker. Finally, I would recommend also getting a Bluetooth keyboard to accompany the device. Not a fault of the device itself, but the Windows on-screen keyboard takes up a large proportion of the screen, so seeing what you're typing can be a nuisance. I have an ikon MKB80 that I picked up abroad for cheap that serves this purpose well.

The Legion Go a great gaming device however I decided to return it because it wasn't for me. It's just far too heavy to play comfortably in my hands and the battery drains very fast. It's great to travel with as long you don't mind docking it while playing but personally that defeats the purpose as I already have a lightweight gaming laptop. I'm far an audiophile however I was able to notice speaker quality was lacking which can be ignored it you're fine with using Bluetooth earbuds. Please note, this if not an out of the box gameplay device and requires some setting up before you can start playing a game. GREAT IF YOU WANT: A portable gaming laptop A large touchpad screen Controllers that can slide off similar to a Switch A customizable device that you to tinker with NOT FOR IF YOU WANT: Right out of the box gameplay A lightweight device Quality speakers Hours of gameplay without having to charge