This Lenovo handheld with its AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor is a great option for gamers
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(Image credit: Future / Lenovo) Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Flipboard Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google If you’ve been tempted to pick up a handheld gaming PC in time for Christmas, then you’re in luck. The price of a brand new Lenovo Legion Go S handheld running SteamOS has dropped to a record low on Amazon’s website, offering better specs and a much better price than Valve’s own Steam Deck rival.
With a £427.97 sale price , this Lenovo handheld is one of the more affordable ways to play PC games portably. Handhelds like this one are a great alternative to consoles, but also to a bulkier (and more expensive) laptop or PC. With delivery ahead of Christmas still available, this 21% discount is a saving worth considering.
Let’s look at the specs first. The Lenovo Legion Go S is on our list of the best handheld gaming PCs for a reason as a more powerful alternative to the aging Steam Deck. You can pick up the Legion Go S in two variants, but this is the cheaper model, featuring the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go APU.
The Lenovo Legion Go S is a budget-friendly handheld gaming PC. This model features the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go APU, with four CPU cores, along with an RDNA 2-based AMD Radeon GPU with 12 compute units. It has 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, a 1TB SSD with Gen 4 speeds, as well as an 8-inch IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with VRR support.
The processor is one of the few physical differences between the two models on sale, aside from the price you’ll pay. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go is a Zen 3+ processor with four CPU cores and eight threads, with a boost clock speed up to 4.3 GHz. The built-in Radeon GPU it features is RDNA 2-based with 12 compute units and a TDP of between 15 and 30W. Those specs make it a more powerful option than the Steam Deck’s Zen 2-based Van Gogh APU, which has four CPU cores and an RDNA 2 GPU with only eight compute units.
As our Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS review shows, the Z2 Go isn’t as powerful as the more expensive Z1 Extreme model, but it isn’t far off, and running SteamOS is certainly better than running it with Windows 11. Frame rates were playable in several intensive games we tested, including Cyberpunk 2077 at 800p, which was able to reach 50fps on average, while the same handheld running Windows 11 was only able to manage 32fps.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) Alongside that AMD processor, you’re also getting 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The Lenovo Legion Go S also features an 8-inch IPS display with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 and a variable refresh rate of 120 Hz. You can game at 1200p on the Z2 Go, but better frame rates in resource-heavy games are available with a drop down to 800p.
While this isn’t an OLED like the similarly-priced Steam Deck OLED, it does offer a bigger screen (8-inch vs 7.4) with a higher native resolution and VRR support, alongside the already-mentioned superior gaming performance. You've also got a bigger battery, with the Lenovo Legion Go S featuring a 55.5 WHr battery, which, in our tests, was able to last for around two hours using the power saving profile.
SteamOS is the game-changer for handhelds like this Lenovo Legion Go S. While Microsoft is trying to improve the handheld experience on Windows 11 , SteamOS continues to be the best and most lightweight option for handheld gamers, especially on lower-powered model like this. You’re also able to take full advantage of Valve’s efforts over recent years to improve Linux gaming on handhelds with the Proton compatibility layer, gaining immediate access to a huge range of compatible games on Steam.
With SSD and RAM prices soaring , if you’re looking for a portable and affordable gaming PC that’ll let you play through your Steam backlog, then this Lenovo Legion Go S handheld with SteamOS is one of the best options right now. That £427.97 sale price is the lowest we’ve seen so far, and if those chip prices start to affect handhelds in the new year, it might be the lowest we see for some time.
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals , Gaming Monitor Deals , Graphics Card Deals , Gaming Chair , Best Wi-Fi Routers , Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/lenovos-powerful-steam-deck-rival-handheld-just-hit-a-record-low-price-on-amazon-uk-8-inch-legion-go-s-running-steamos-now-under-gbp428-with-16gb-ram-and-1tb-ssd#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.