The Lenovo Legion Go S will become the first PC handheld not named Steam Deck to run on Valve’s SteamOS when it launches this May. On paper, the $500 handheld is more powerful than the Steam Deck. That said, it doesn’t have an OLED display or trackpads, so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of the Steam Deck vs. Legion Go S to make your choice.
If you want a handheld running on SteamOS, that is. If you’re interested in a Windows portable, you can get the Legion Go S sooner. Slated to release in the coming weeks for $730, the high-end Lenovo Legion Go S with Windows has double the RAM and storage space as the SteamOS edition and is available to preorder at Best Buy.
$730 | Releases February 14
At CES 2025, Lenovo said the Windows version of the Legion Go S would be available this month, but Best Buy’s listing has the new handheld marked for February 14.
The Legion Go S is fitted with the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It has an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 LCD display with 120Hz variable refresh rate. Other features include adjustable RGB light rings around the analog sticks, two back buttons, one trackpad, and a pair of levers on the back that modify trigger tension.
Unlike the original Legion Go, this one doesn’t offer detachable gamepads or a kickstand, opting instead for a solid, streamlined design built specifically for handheld play. Lenovo increased the battery capacity from 49.2Wh to 55Wh with the Legion Go S.
Lenovo will also launch a second Windows configuration in May for $600. This lower-priced model has 16GB RAM instead of 32GB. Preorders aren’t live for the $600 model just yet.
$500 | Releases in May
The SteamOS edition isn’t available to preorder yet, but it’ll launch in May for $500. The Legion Go S will be the first third-party handheld that uses Valve’s Steam Deck operating system. This model will receive the same updates as Valve’s Steam Deck. That means you won’t have to worry about Valve abandoning SteamOS on the Legion Go S, as the team is treating SteamOS as a unified platform regardless of which handheld you’re playing on.
While it retains the Ryzen Z2 Go chip and the 8-inch 1200p display, the SteamOS edition is limited to 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. You can upgrade your SSD or expand the storage capacity via microSD.
For comparison, the Steam Deck starts at $399 for the 256GB model with a 7-inch LCD display. The 512GB model with a 7.4-inch OLED display costs $549, and the 1TB OLED edition goes for $649.
If you opt for the Legion Go S, you’ll get a faster processor and a larger 8-inch screen with higher resolution–1200p compared to the Steam Deck’s 800p resolution. That said, the Legion Go S uses an LCD panel, whereas the 512GB and 1TB Steam Deck models have better OLED screens.
Lenovo went with a more conventional control layout with offset sticks, while the Steam Deck’s two sticks, D-pad, and face buttons are essentially aligned. The layout admittedly looks odd, but the Steam Deck is a lot comfier than it looks. Valve’s handheld has four remappable back triggers, while Lenovo’s new handheld only has two. The Steam Deck also has two large trackpads, whereas the Legion Go S has one small pad. Adjustable trigger tension is unique to the Legion Go S.
With these differences, it’ll be interesting to see how the Legion Go S stacks up against the Steam Deck. Expect to learn more about the handheld as we get closer to its May release date. We’ll update this article when preorders are available.
The Legion Go S isn’t the only upcoming handheld from Lenovo, as the brand is also working on a Legion Go 2. It’ll arrive sometime this year (an exact date is yet to be announced) and features a more powerful Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, an 8.8-inch, 144Hz OLED display with VRR, and a 74Wh battery.
