Ever since Valve introduced the Steam Deck, taking PC games on the go via a handheld gaming device was no longer an impossible dream. The Steam Deck skips using Windows entirely, however, while other manufacturers like Asus with its ROG Ally, and now Lenovo’s Legion Go are essentially handheld Windows gaming PCs. Lenovo adds something the Ally doesn’t, though: Nintendo Switch-like detachable controllers.
The Go’s release timing and price — Oct. 23, starting at $699 — puts it into the mix for holiday shopping, although depending on how you spec it out, you may be shooting up closer to $1,000.
The Legion Go, which we got a chance to play with during an early demo session in New York, is built around a big 8.8-inch display with a useful kickstand on its back and, most importantly, those controllers that detach from its sides. That not only allows for multiplayer gaming, but it means you can play games more easily when the Legion Go is docked or resting on its kickstand. It gives the Legion Go all the flexibility of the Nintendo Switch, not just some of it like the Steam Deck, which has dock options but no detachable controllers.
The Legion Go is big, but it feels comfortable enough to hold.
Hands-on thoughts
CNET’s Lori Grunin got to play with it for a little while, and came away with some initial thoughts about it compared to Steam Deck and the Asus ROG Ally:
Features: Lenovo looks to be tossing in all the features, a kitchen-sink-type approach. It seems well done, but also possibly overdone for what it needs in some instances.
Weight: Although it weighs almost 2 pounds, in practice it doesn’t feel that heavy. Then again, after a few hours of play it might be.
The Legion Go’s clever table-stick base makes for throttle-like controller options.
Controls: They’re fine, and work well. But are there too many? Sometimes a few of the big buttons on the grips were easy to accidentally trigger while playing.
Removable controllers: They’re easy to detach and reattach, but there’s no way to join them into a single wireless controller like the Switch can do. Being able to use the right controller as a table stick is clever, but it may not be practical.
Kickstand: It’s solid and allows lots of angle adjustments.
