I asked a Lenovo representative about the Legion Go S (SteamOS) price increase — This is what they told me

Black Lenovo Legion Go S in front of white one.
The Legion Go S (SteamOS) has a dark purple casing and runs SteamOS rather than Windows 11. (Image credit: Windows Central / Lenovo)

Previously, during CES 2025, Lenovo officially revealed its upcoming Legion Go S gaming handhelds.

That is where we first learned that the company would be releasing a Legion Go S Windows version in a white casing with a starting price of $729.99, followed a few months later (May 25) by a less expensive SteamOS version in a dark purple casing.

This news was especially interesting since the latter is the very first non-Valve gaming handheld to ship with SteamOS on it.

The thing is, I recently noticed that the price for this anticipated SteamOS device seems to have increased.

You see, Lenovo's original press release sent to me in January stated that the starting price for the upcoming SteamOS configuration would be $499.99.

However, the live preorder page at Best Buy shows the starting configuration at $549.99. There's also a $749.99 configuration at Best Buy as well.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Starting at $549.99 at Best Buy

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Starting at $549.99 at Best Buy

The new Legion Go S (SteamOS) gaming handheld is expected to release on May 25, 2025. There are two configurations available for preorder right now.

👉 See at: BestBuy.com

The Legion Go S (SteamOS) has a dedicated Steam button unlike the Windows model. (Image credit: Windows Central / Lenovo)

Now, a $50 increase isn't huge, but it is different enough to feel notable.

I reached out to a Lenovo representative to ask about this price increase; this is what they told me:

"As with many consumer tech products, pricing can vary slightly depending on the retail channel and launch timing. We announced a starting price of $499 to reflect the expected entry point for this product. Final pricing however may vary slightly depending on configuration, channel, and other factors. Retailers may set their own pricing based on their promotional strategies or offers."

In other words, Lenovo expected the starting price to be $499.99, but retailers, or at least Best Buy, seem to have upped the price to $549.99.

It's not entirely clear why the handheld's MSRP went up, but given the recent tariffs and economic woes, it's not surprising to see price increases.

In fact, we'll likely see other areas where tech costs go up.

What do you think about the upcoming Legion Go S (SteamOS) pricing?

Are you planning on getting this handheld?

Tell us about it in the comments.

Lenovo Legion Go S — SteamOS: Starting at $549.99 at Best Buy

Lenovo Legion Go S — SteamOS: Starting at $549.99 at Best Buy

The Legion Go S — Powered by SteamOS is the first handheld to officially come with SteamOS installed on it. Its starting configuration features an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD.

👉 See at: BestBuy.com

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Rebecca Spear
Gaming and News Editor

Self-professed gaming geek Rebecca Spear is one of Windows Central's editors and reviewers with a focus on gaming handhelds, mini PCs, PC gaming, and laptops. When she isn't checking out the latest games on Xbox Game Pass, PC, ROG Ally, or Steam Deck; she can be found digital drawing with a Wacom tablet. She's written thousands of articles with everything from editorials, reviews, previews, features, previews, and hardware reviews over the last few years. If you need information about anything gaming-related, her articles can help you out. She also loves testing game accessories and any new tech on the market. You can follow her @rrspear on X (formerly Twitter).

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