I just tested the new Legion Go S — and it’s the Steam Deck killer I’ve been waiting for

The Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS ($599 to start) is the gaming handheld I’ve been waiting for. While Windows 11 works well on the best gaming PCs and best gaming laptops, Microsoft’s operating system hasn’t really benefited the best handheld gaming consoles.

We now finally have a non-Steam Deck handheld running on SteamOS, and it’s better than I could have imagined.

The main difference between this and the Lenovo Legion Go S I reviewed earlier this year is their respective operating systems. Besides that, this model has the same design but in a different color. It also has an 8-inch (1,920 x 1,200) 120Hz LCD, trigger locks for the L2 and R2 buttons, and a rounded D-pad.

I’ll need more time with the new Lenovo Legion Go S before rendering a final verdict, but based on my time so far, this device already crushes its Windows 11 counterparts on usability alone. If you’ve been waiting for a true Steam Deck rival, this is the handheld to get.

My full review will go live soon, but for now, here’s what I think and what you need to know about the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) hands-on review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A Lenovo Legion Go S model that runs on SteamOS instead of Windows 11.
• Who is it for? For folks who want a gaming handheld that doesn’t run on Windows 11 and is as easy to use as the Steam Deck.
• What does it cost? Both models of the Legion Go S start at $599 at Best Buy and pack an AMD Z2 Go chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Our review unit costs $829 and features an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The Legion Go S with Windows 11 has the same hardware specs as our review unit but costs $899.
• What do we like? We like the snappy SteamOS, ergonomic design and strong gaming performance.
• What don’t we like? The handheld’s fans can get very loud when running and downloading games.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) hands-on review: Specs

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) hands-on review: Design & display

Other than its Nebula (dark) color, the SteamOS Legion Go S has the same design as its Glacier White Windows 11 counterpart.

As before, this handheld ditches the removable controllers of the Legion Go and instead has a uniform body design that’s similar to the Asus ROG Ally X. It’s comfortable to hold thanks to its ergonomic design, grippy corners and smart button placement.

The asymmetrical Hall Effect analog sticks and the rounded D-Pad are as responsive as the face and shoulder buttons. Overall, this system is a joy to hold and play with.

The 1,920 x 1,200-pixel 8-inch LCD is identical to the previous model. I had no trouble making out all the small details in games like Doom: The Dark Ages and Cyberpunk 2077 during my initial testing. Colors are nice and vibrant, and overall brightness is also pleasing to the eye. The 120Hz refresh rate also ensures everything runs buttery smooth.

We ran the Legion Go S through our display benchmarks and can confirm its panel is virtually identical to the Windows 11 model. The new Legion Go S can get quite bright, and its color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3) isn’t too oversaturated. Color accuracy (Delta-E) isn’t as good as before (closer to 0 is best here), but it’s not a stark difference.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) hands-on review: Performance

Our SteamOS Legion Go S review unit packs an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip and 32GB of RAM. Thanks to those factors, it offers stronger performance than the Windows 11 Legion Go S I reviewed. However, keep in mind that the latter runs on the weaker AMD Z2 Go chip and has 16GB of RAM.

For my initial testing, I played Doom: The Dark Ages on the new Legion Go S. At 1200p resolution, medium graphical settings and FSR (frame generation) disabled, The Dark Ages can run at around 25 frames per second. With FSR enabled, the fps jumps to 35. I got a smooth 56-61 fps at 800p resolution with FSR, though the game doesn’t look so good at this lower resolution.

The Legion Go S with Windows 11 didn't do quite as well. Doom: The Dark Ages ran at an abysmal 15 fps at 1200p and medium settings. Enabling frame generation bumped the fps count to 27, which is better but still not great. I got a decent 45 fps at 800p resolution with FSR on and graphical settings at low. However, the image quality looked muddy at those settings.

For our lab tests, we ran the in-game benchmark tool for a handful of titles at maximum graphical settings. As you can see in the table above, the SteamOS Legion Go S trounces its counterpart across the board.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) hands-on review: Outlook

I once said I wanted a handheld with the ROG Ally X’s specs that ran on SteamOS. I’m happy to say the Lenovo Legion Go S is literally what I’ve asked for.

Though I still need a bit more time with this machine before finalizing my review, I’m already confident in saying this will be my favorite PC gaming handheld of the year.

Stay tuned for my full review of the SteamOS Lenovo Legion Go S!