EXCLUSIVE: First renders of the Legion Go "S" PC gaming handheld are here, potentially powered by the new AMD Z2 platform

Lenovo Legion Go S
The "more affordable" Legion Go S will bring further competition in the gaming handheld market. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

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We were the first outlet to report on the Lenovo Legion Go "Lite" (later revealed as the Lenovo Legion Go S) earlier this year, and now we have some more shiny new details for you. Most notably, the first official renders of the new product, which confirms earlier leaks of a white chassis.

While we're unsure of the internals ourselves, Videocardz previously, shared that the Lenovo Legion Go S is expected to use the new AMD Ryzen Z2 platform, notably its Z2G "Rembrandt" config. This would contribute to the idea that the Lenovo Legion Go S is supposed to be a more affordable option. Indeed, it has dropped a lot of the "bells and whistles" on the Lenovo Legion Go, dropping the detachable sticks, the kickstand, and extra back buttons for a more ASUS ROG Ally-like profile.

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The official renders from Lenovo are below, shared and confirmed as genuine by our amazing and awesome sources.

The Lenovo Legion Go S looks similar to the ASUS ROG Ally. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

As you can see from the render, it looks a lot like the ASUS ROG Ally, complete with the white colorway. The "white" color is likely to denote its more "affordable" nature. The Z2G "Rembrandt" chip has "Zen3+" cores which makes it less powerful than the Z1 Extreme we have now in devices like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally, which have Zen4 cores.

RELATED: Every PC gaming handheld owner needs this cheap accessory

The APU chould make the Lenovo Legion Go "S" significantly cheaper than the current roster, which RRPs at anywhere between $499 and $599. All the bells and whistles on the Lenovo Legion Go base model pushes it all the way up to $699 at RRP, but none of those bells and whistles are present here.

What we can see is a large honeycomb-style reverse vent which is not dissimilar to its predecessor. While it's difficult to infer size from this render alone, it's most likely going to use a smaller display to shave some dollars off the RRP. It's expected by some that this could retail starting at anywhere around the $399 to $449 mark, given Lenovo's eagerness to get something more affordable into the market. Although it could also be far more expensive too, depending on what internals Lenovo decides to bake into the final unit. Lenovo has retained the double USB-C ports, however they both seem to be on the top of the device now.

Interestingly, there seems to be a "nub" to replace the full touchpad, similar to Lenovo's popular TrackPoint cursor you see on some of their laptops. RGB lights are still in, but Lenovo seems to have moved its Xbox "menu and view" keys up to the top of the device, rather than down off to the left (thank you, thank you.)

Lenovo Legion Go

The PC gaming handheld line up is getting incredibly interesting as we head into 2025. The main players are Lenovo, ASUS, and Ayaneo, although Sony and Microsoft are expected to be getting involved too in the future. Dell has also previously showcased a prototype device, and Samsung recently filed a "folding" gaming handheld patent. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The Lenovo Legion Go is my preferred PC gaming handheld right now owing to its versatility as a laptop replacement on top of being a powerful gaming handheld in its own right. But if I had to guess, devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and especially the Steam Deck have likely achieved much bigger market penetration owing to more affordable options. Among other things. The ASUS ROG Ally has some undeniable advantages over the Lenovo Legion Go, with a lighter-weight design, more ergonomic grips and triggers, and maturing software. Lenovo seems keen to catch up, though, with a decent cadence of updates to its software and driver suite, and hardware iterations like the Lenovo Legion Go S.

What remains to be seen is whether the Lenovo Legion Go "2" will retain some of the features of its predecessor. What we've seen here is that Lenovo has dropped some of the Legion Go's unique features, like the Switch-like detachable sticks (one of which can double as a mouse), as well as its Surface-like kickstand. Will the more powerful Z2 Extreme Legion Go 2 drop them as well? I for one, hope not. But given the decent bump in power and most likely battery efficiency, all those added bells and whistles could add added alarm bells to the price.

Expect to find out more about this device and other AMD Z2 platform PC gaming handhelds from Lenovo's competitors at CES 2025, which as always, is set for January 2025 fresh out of Las Vegas.

Lenovo Legion Go (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 512GB)Was: $699.99Now: $498.99 at Amazon RENEWED OPTION: $449.99 at Amazon
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Lenovo Legion Go (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 512GB)
Was:
$699.99
Now:
$498.99 at Amazon
RENEWED OPTION:
$449.99 at Amazon

"The Lenovo Legion Go is a versatility powerhouse giving you the Z1 gaming chops of the ASUS ROG Ally with the kickstand and screen real estate of a Surface tablet. I use this thing for both work and play, and despite missing VRR and lacking the ergonomics of the ASUS ROG Ally, it ended up being my preferred PC gaming handheld after trying most of the major options on the market." — Jez Corden

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Jez Corden
Executive Editor

Jez Corden is the Executive Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter (X) and Threads, and listen to his XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!