Well, I am back after a few quiet weeks over the festive period where news is very scarce. In 2024 I habitually delved into other gaming devices and treating myself. Back in July, I invested in Meta Quest 3 and you can read my insights into that HERE. For the last few years, I’ve been striving to get some gaming goodness on the go. Having changed job roles very recently at work where there may be an hour or two break here and there, so what better way to fill the time than purchasing a handheld?

The Perfect Way To Burn Downtime
Sure I could have just relaxed watching endless TikTok on my phone or a bit of Netflix, but a gaming session is far more entertaining. I do own a Nintendo Switch but the machine doesn’t do much for me. There is only so much Mario and Pokemon you can play before you’re bored and there isn’t much power packed in the faithful old Switch now it’s at the end of its shelf life. Not to mention how expensive the Switch library is, exclusive titles rarely go on sale. So I recently decided to spend a fortune on a Lenovo Legion Go. Do I regret it? Not at all as I’ve already had a ton of fun with it but it does come with some negatives as well.
Why Have I invested in a new handheld?
I turned my attention to the handheld market and after attending various gaming conventions I have been intrigued by the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. The only thing that drove me away was the expensive price points. But I was impressed and was set on eventually investing in one when funds allowed me to. As a console gamer though, I was turned off by the flexibility of the Steam Deck compared with other options. One option I never explored was the Lenovo Legion Go and when I did my head was turned.
A Stunning Screen
What attracted me instantly was the stunning 144hz screen and not only this, the largest screen on any of the handhelds. But there was one huge plus point and this was the ability to download and play my Xbox Game Pass titles natively on the device. This alongside being able to access Steam, GOG and Epic Game libraries is huge. So I took the plunge just before the Christmas period and purchased one.

What Comes In The Box?
Packaged in a lovely lengthy and robust box is the machine itself, a premium 65-watt charger which you’ll be using an awful lot and a sturdy case to contain the Lenovo Legion Go in. I was impressed with the case as honestly I wasn’t expecting one and I always anticipate having to buy a case for anything, like I had to with the Meta Quest 3. It’s refreshing to receive a device and not have to go mad buying extras for it. I did invest in a screen protector which you can grab for no more than £10 on Amazon or other retailers.
Juice Doesn’t Last Long
If you’re planning on taking this out without access to power sockets regularly then you may want to invest in a top-end power bank to extend the battery life of the machine. Some around the £50-£75 mark offer 1.5-2 charges of the device before the bank runs flat. So potentially you could be looking at 4-5 hours of gameplay there before you run out of juice completely. It isn’t going to cut it for a long-haul flight to Australia, but then I’d like to think there would be sockets close by.

How Accessible Is This Thing?
The Lenovo Legion Go runs on Windows 11 so you could call it a PC in the palm of your hands. With an 8.8-inch 144hz screen and a Ryzen Z1 APU Chipset with RDNA Integrated graphics. It also has 16GB of 7500Mhz LPDDR5X RAM & 256GB – 1 TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD storage, hall effect analogue sticks and a 49.2-watt-hour battery. This beast certainly packs a punch with detachable controllers to boot. This also has the option to be docked to a TV screen or monitor and whilst I haven’t tested this yet, there is nothing to stop you from doing so and using a mouse and keyboard in sync.
What I also liked is the built-in kickstand so you can prop it up at any moment and use it to work on if you want or even pair an Xbox controller to give yourself a break from holding it in hand. For the more clever out there you could run emulation here and even mount further power to push the machine even further. These are options I haven’t investigated myself, but a quick Google search or YouTube will throw up the cool stuff you can do to extend your fun.

Final Thoughts
The Lenovo Legion Go is a fantastic piece of kit and a very costly one, but all the handhelds are pretty equal in terms of their pricing. Sure you can invest in a lower-powered model of the Steam Deck for around the £350 mark, but it is upwards of £500 for the OLED model with decent storage space. The ROG Ally at full price also weighs in at around £550-£600. If you’re in the mindset of opting for a handheld that isn’t a Nintendo Switch soon, then I would urge you to think carefully before spending all that money.

Comes With A Bit Of A Learning Curve
Lenovo Legion Go brings power, decent performance and an incredible 144hz large screen. However, if you are looking for portability and lasting battery life then this one won’t push you much further past 60-90 mins without a wall socket or expensive power bank. With its sheer size, it is bulky and it consumes half of my work backpack if I want to carry it around with me.
It is the least accessible machine for the casual user and isn’t as pick-up and play as the ROG Ally or Steam Deck, but it compensates for that by giving you access to literally everything a PC does. Once you get the hang of tinkering with settings for more demanding games whilst playing natively, it runs like a dream. Is it worth it? Not if you’re not going to use it regularly, but it is a godsend when on a break at work for a quick gaming session or sitting on the sofa at home when the main TV is occupied.
Overall
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85%
Summary
Pros
- A PC in your hands, giving you access to all the gaming libraries you need and want, natively
- Stunningly vivid 144hz screen makes it a joy to play anything
- Flawless when it comes to accessing your Xbox Game Pass library (What I really purchased it for)
- Looks and feels premium and has drawn interest from many people in my workplace who have been blown away by it
- Detachable controllers and adjustable RGB colour scheming on the analogue sticks
Cons
- Battery life drains by the sheer power of this thing, don’t expect much more than 90 minutes out of a charge whilst gaming
- Demanding games take a lot of tinkering and messing around with settings to get the performance right
- It is a bulky beast within its case which nicely comes bundled with the machine
- If you don’t get settings right it can run too hot and power down without warning