The Lenovo Legion Go S is the first handheld, other than the Steam Deck, to run SteamOS, and it does so fantastically.

2025 brought us a whole new line of handheld products, including the, the first officially licensed handheld powered by OS. One of the major benefits of SteamOS, an operating system made famous by the , is that it's designed specifically for handheld gaming, meaning it's more optimised compared to gaming on Windows 11.

I got hands-on with the Lenovo Legion Go S, which comes in two versions. The white edition, which runs Windows 11, is available to purchase, with a January release window (no release date confirmed yet) and a price point of £600 / $599 / AU$1,299. You can pre-order it now from or in the UK, in the US and in Australia.

There's also the Nebula Violet edition, which runs the bright and shiny SteamOS and is set for an April 2025 release. It's currently set at $499, which roughly converts to £408 or AU$800, which doesn't account for regional pricing. Design and specifications-wise, these devices are identical, with the only differences being the colour and the operating system.

The overall design and shape of the Lenovo Legion Go S is quite different from that of the device's first iteration. It's quite rounded, fits snugly in your hands, features an asymmetrical layout, and has a very small touchpad. When I say very small, I mean very small, measuring about the size of my fingertip, but it still works quite well due to high sensitivity.

Despite sporting a pretty big 8-inch screen, the Lenovo Legion Go S still feels compact, perfect for taking on the go with you, as the name suggests. It weighs 740g, which is quite lightweight compared to alternatives but still heavier than the which weighs 640g. However, the device feels very light when you pick it up and use it, allowing you to play for long periods of time with no hassle.

There are switches on the back of the device to switch between hairline and regular triggers and additional buttons for extra inputs. You can program these to replicate any inputs or set them up as a separate button altogether. Ports-wise, you get two USB-C ports as well as a MicroSD card reader, a handheld gaming essential, plus an audio jack.

The specifications of the Lenovo Legion Go S feature a processor up to an Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The main, and cheapest, option is the brand new AMD Ryzen Z2 Go, which still provides excellent performance but isn't as powerful as the Z1 Extreme. You also get up to 32GB of RAM. It makes me very happy that Lenovo has taken on feedback and provided this option for gamers.

• Processor: up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
• Operating System: Windows 11 / SteamOS
• Display: 8” FHD+ (1920x1200), 120Hz
• Storage: 1TB M.2 SSD Gen4
• Memory: up to 32GB LPDDR5x
• Ports: 2x USB-C, 1x Micro SD Card Reader, 1x Audio Jack
• Battery: 55.5Whr
• Size: 299 x 127.55 x 22.6mm (WxDxH)
• Weight: 740 g

You also get a 55.5Whr battery, ever so slightly bigger than the Steam Deck OLED. This should provide you with a couple of hours of game time, even when running intensive titles, however, as my demo was only a short session, I can't comment on how the battery life held up. Another benefit is rapid charging, which can get you up to 85% battery in just 60 minutes.

Using the Lenovo Legion Go S was a super pleasant experience, a major step up from my initial , which was littered with bugs. When testing, I was able to check out both the Windows 11 and SteamOS devices, and luckily, I didn't encounter a single issue on either device; they booted and ran very smoothly.

The edition I tested featured the brand-new AMD Ryzen Z2 Go. Games ran smoothly and looked gorgeous, with high to medium-quality graphics, and solid frame rates, with no stuttering. I only got to test a few titles for a limited time, but the performance I was getting made me excited to get the device in for a full review.

Being able to use SteamOS on the device was also a major bonus, as sometimes Windows 11 has issues with handhelds. Of course, you're somewhat limited in what you can access compared to Windows, but you also get an operating system designed specifically for handhelds, making it way more optimised, so it depends on what's more important to you.

All in all, the Lenovo Legion Go S seems like it could be a fantastic portable gaming handheld that offers excellent performance and, potentially, an upgrade on what the Steam Deck offers at this price point. It's very comfortable to use and hold, and I personally think the white edition looks adorable and suits my set-up perfectly.

While I can't speak on the exact performance I was getting since this was a short hands-on demo where I wasn't able to monitor frames, what I saw so far was promising and made me excited to see what the future of handheld gaming could be, including the release of the upcoming .