Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1E) | A Casual Gamer's Review
If you're a casual gamer like me, the Legion Go S might just be the best option yet.
The Steam OS Difference
As a busy dad, building up my Steam library has become the world’s worst side hustle. But the rise of handheld gaming has genuinely threatened to get me out of backlog hell, even if I can no longer seem to escape Kamarucho. This particular model of the Legion Go S comes with the Z1 Extreme chip, 32 GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage, which is pretty substantial for the price range.
The big talking point here is Steam OS. Windows offers more flexibility in terms of the games you can play and other use cases for the device, but by cutting out background processes and a lot of bloatware, the Steam OS version gives you considerably more bang for your buck in terms of available memory. You’ve been able to put Linux distros like Bazzite on gaming handhelds in the past, but this is the first third-party handheld that Steam OS officially supports. That integration goes deeper than you might expect: even inside the controller options, you’ll see an image of the Legion Go S rather than a generic Steam Deck, and there are bespoke features like updating the appearance of the thumbstick RGBs from within the OS itself.
Hardware That Feels Considered
The Steam OS version ships with a distinctive purple metallic finish (the SEA Edition), which is the only hardware difference compared to the Windows model. I personally really like it. It’s metallic enough to feel premium, but neutral enough that it steps into the background when you’re actually playing.
At first glance the Legion Go S looks a little bulky, certainly thicker than the Steam Deck. But turn it over and you’ll see why that bulk works in its favour: the grips are moulded in a flowing shape that sits naturally in your palms, complemented by a nice textured finish on the rear. It’s the most comfortable handheld I’ve ever used. It doesn’t dig in like the Nintendo Switch 2. It just rests there, giving you something substantial to hold without any strain.
The thumbsticks continue that theme. Their concave moulding lets you rest your thumbs in place and maintain real control without feeling like they’ll slip. The D-pad mirrors that same concave approach, which matters on a device this thick, since anything protruding further would tip it into awkward territory. The face buttons have a slightly translucent quality that reveals a floating effect when you tilt the device, and they’re flat, reactive, and comfortable to press. One carry-over from the original Legion Go that I’m less keen on is the placement of the auxiliary buttons. The start, select, and Steam buttons sit close enough together that I regularly press the wrong one mid-game, particularly when trying to access quick settings. Perhaps that’s the cost of switching between handhelds frequently, but it does feel like an odd arrangement.
On the top edge you’ll find volume buttons and the power button, though unless you install a plugin like Decky, the LED on that power button stays on and pulses even when the device is idle. In a dark bedroom, it’s genuinely irritating. The ventilation draws air in through the rear grid and exhausts it from the top, which means the right side of the device runs noticeably warmer during demanding sessions. The fan is loud at maximum power settings, not at an unpleasant pitch, but loud enough to compete with in-game audio. The front-facing speakers are decent, though I’d give the edge to the Steam Deck for audio quality.
One feature I’ve found genuinely useful is the trigger locks on the rear. At their default setting the triggers click like standard buttons, but releasing the lock gives you the full analogue draw. It’s a small touch that makes a real difference depending on what you’re playing.
Getting the Most Out of Steam OS
Valve has rolled out consistent updates to Steam OS over the past few years, and the result feels increasingly polished and console-like. You get instant access to your Steam library, the Steam store, and a genuinely excellent quick settings menu that gives you per-game performance profiles. For anyone coming to PC gaming from a console background, that quick menu is a great gateway into the world of tinkering: set your TDP once per game and you’re largely sorted. The Z1 Extreme chip being a step up from the Steam Deck means that any Steam Deck-optimised setting will run comfortably here, and you have a little headroom on top for more demanding titles.
The display runs at up to 120 frames per second (compared to 90 on the Steam Deck OLED) with variable refresh rate, which keeps things looking smooth even when the frame rate isn’t perfectly locked. The 16:10 aspect ratio is particularly welcome for strategy games and for emulating older titles in squarer formats, giving you more screen real estate without stretching the image. The big caveat is that this is an LCD panel rather than OLED. If deep blacks are important to you, the Steam Deck OLED has the advantage. That said, I’ve been genuinely impressed with how bright and dynamic this screen is; Yakuza’s Kamarucho and the cutscenes in Persona 5 look great on it.
For a performance boost beyond local hardware, Nvidia GeForce Now is worth setting up via desktop mode. It requires a little effort to install, but once it’s running it appears in your games library like any other title. Baldur’s Gate 3, for example, ran at a noticeably higher and more stable frame rate through Nvidia’s servers than locally. The one limitation is that the Legion Go S doesn’t support HDR10, which locks out some titles in GeForce Now’s catalogue entirely.
The Practical Realities
Battery life is the enduring problem with handheld PCs. Playing something close to a AAA title, you’re realistically looking at around two hours. Drop the TDP for indie games or emulated titles and you’ll get a bit more, but the truth is you’ll spend most of your time tethered to a power outlet. That’s still the biggest frustration with the category as a whole.
It’s also worth being clear-eyed about what you’re getting into with a handheld PC versus a Nintendo Switch. You’re not opening a curated storefront where everything is guaranteed to run. The Steam Deck Verified tag helps, but it isn’t perfectly reliable. For those willing to do a little research (checking settings others have used on similar hardware, nudging the TDP), the experience is fantastic. For those who want a plug-and-play guarantee on every title, it’s worth knowing the difference upfront.
One practical note if you’re switching from a Steam Deck: your existing memory card isn’t simply transferable. You’ll need to reformat it, which means losing all the data on it.
Final Thoughts
The Legion Go S with the Z1 Extreme chip feels very much like what a Steam Deck 2 might look like. It offers a similar console-like Steam OS experience, with meaningful advantages in performance, display refresh rate, and (perhaps most importantly for long sessions) ergonomics. Whether the Steam Deck’s touchpads matter to you will probably determine which side of the fence you land on, but if comfort and performance are your priorities, the Legion Go S has the edge.
Compared to the rest of the handheld market, it’s also excellent value. The OG Legion Go remains a solid option if you can find it secondhand, but it’s larger and Windows-only. The Legion Go 2 sits well above £1,000. Alongside the Steam Deck OLED, the Legion Go S is the strongest value proposition in the space right now.
My recommendation: If you’re a casual gamer looking for a comfortable, performant handheld with a genuinely console-like experience, the Legion Go S Steam OS edition is the best option currently available at this price point.