Lenovo is finally back with a new Windows 11-based handheld, having just announced the Legion Go 2 at IFA in Berlin on September 4. Officially called the ‘Lenovo Legion Go (8.8-inch, 2)’, the new handheld is the second iteration of Lenovo’s first Legion Go handheld, which also ran on Windows 11. That’s not to say this is Lenovo’s second handheld entirely. Its Legion Go S comes in both Windows 11 and Steam OS flavors, the latter of which we reviewed earlie r this year and loved.
The Legion Go 2 , as we’ll be referring to it from now on, is built on the same bones of the original model, utilizing the same DNA, with a few tweaks and optimizations. The original Legion Go was a breath of fresh air compared to the likes of the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. It offered the ability to detach the TrueStrike controllers and use them like you would the Joy-Con controllers on a Nintendo Switch 2. This feature has stuck around for Lenovo’s Sophomore Legion Go handheld. Lenovo also tossed in some meaningful upgrades.
The newly announced Lenovo Legion Go 2 has 2TB of storage, plus an upgraded APU
Thinking back to the original Legion Go, it seems rather tame now when comparing it to Lenovo’s follow-up unit. The 512GB of storage was standard across competing options. Soon, however, follow-ups from other brands were coming with a base amount of 1TB. Lenovo is going beyond that and shoving a 2TB SSD inside the Legion Go 2. That’s more than double the amount of the original model. It also has double the RAM. Going up from 16GB to a healthy 32GB. All of that is backed up by the AMD Ryzen Z2 or Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU, as well. In other words, it should easily be one of the most powerful PC gaming handhelds on the market when it launches. That being said, these changes are going to be costly.
While the internal upgrades are certainly worth highlighting, it’s also worth mentioning that the outside has been revamped. The handheld as a whole is more ergonomic, with the edges and corners of the TrueStrike controllers having been rounded off. Lenovo has updated the buttons as well. Noting that the layout is more comfortable for gamers.
The launch date will be next month
Unless Lenovo ends up having to push back the launch, the Legion Go 2 will be available starting in October . So, just a few more weeks. That being said, Lenovo does not give out a specific date. Just that it’s sometime next month. As for the cost, it won’t be cheap.
In fact, it’s likely to be one of the most expensive PC gaming handhelds out there. With a starting cost of $1,049, it’s considerably more expensive than competing products. This is also the price of the Ryzen Z2 model. The Ryzen Z2 Extreme model is a whopping $1,479. Of course, it does have a more powerful APU than the Steam Deck and ROG Ally X, both of which are popular even if older, because they perform well. Those handhelds are several hundred dollars less, though. In fact, this is almost $1,000 more than the mid-tier Steam Deck, so the Legion Go 2 might have its work cut out for it.
