Legion Go takes portable gaming to the next level

Sagan Chen's weekend with the Lenovo Legion Go

For many of us, gaming isn't just about pushing pixels on a screen. Gaming has been a significant part of my life since childhood, serving as both a source of entertainment and an opportunity to navigate challenges in a different context. And when I can’t make it to the boxing gym to shake off the day’s stress, gaming offers a therapeutic relief where I can immerse myself, temporarily leaving behind the pressures of life to come back with a clearer mind.

As a New York City-based actor, filmmaker, and theater artist who doesn’t work a steady 9-5 job, I’m constantly on the go, bouncing from auditions to gigs to screenings. Lucky for me, my line of work sometimes takes me to different corners of the map.

This weekend, I brought the Legion Go with me on an impromptu trip to LA. I’ve clocked plenty of hours playing on different consoles and was excited to dip my toes into the PC gaming world — without dropping dough on all the gear needed for a desktop setup.

Left: Credit: Josh Steinbauer

Right: Credit: Josh Steinbauer

Lifestyle fit

Heading to the airport for my flight, I packed the Legion Go and instantly appreciated its portability. Its compact size made it a breeze to toss into my go bag, giving me the ideal flexibility I crave. And as an actor, it’s a perfect fit.

Unlike many other handheld gaming consoles, the Legion Go runs on Microsoft Windows 11; it has two removable controllers and a hefty crystal clear 8.8-inch screen. This means that besides all the impressive gaming capabilities, I can also browse the internet, stream my favorite shows, and even do work on Microsoft Office Suite. It functions as a tablet when you want it to, complete with a mouse and scroll wheel once you detach the right controller and use the trackpad.

Credit: Josh Steinbauer

Design

The Legion Go runs on a 2560x1600 screen resolution and can reach a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, making it outshine its competitors. It has a sturdy kickstand on the back, a touchpad on the right controller, and two USB-C ports, one on the top and one on the bottom, so you can charge no matter if you’re hanging out on the couch or sitting at a desk and have your screen propped on the kickstand.

It weighs a little under two pounds, which you start to feel in your wrists if you play for hours on end like I sometimes tend to do with Cyberpunk 2077. But the graphics are mesmerizing and smooth as butter — meaning I often lost track of time. When my wrists needed a break, I placed the screen on the kickstand, detached the controllers, and gamed on.

Credit: Josh Steinbauer

What stood out to me

The robust size of the screen is undoubtedly the biggest win. One of the games I looked forward to trying out was Overwatch, which I’ve played on multiple other consoles. Most recently, I had to adjust my mains because of the frustrating tech limitations of playing on a smaller handheld device. But the Legion Go’s screen is more than enough for me to go back to some of the snipers I used to play, and the Hall Effect controllers meant that stick drift was a thing of the past.

I also played Cyberpunk 2077, a notoriously tough game for processors. After toying with the plethora of settings available, I was able to balance the right performance mode, resolution, and refresh rate so that it played like a dream. Plus, I could easily read even the smallest text in gameplay.

Credit: Josh Steinbauer

Giftability

This would certainly be a Grade A present for the gamer in your life. If they’re a more advanced gamer with PC experience, the tech specs and portability of the Legion Go are pretty standout. On the other hand, this console is accessible enough that with a little bit of fiddling, testing, and a classic scrub through Reddit forums, the Legion Go is still a viable entry point for those new to PC gaming who want to give it a shot.

Give it a go

I had a great time playing with Lenovo’s latest handheld device, both at home and on the go, and it’s a pretty slick-feeling device overall. Graphically dense games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Genshin Impact look jaw-droppingly fluid with the ultra-fast refresh rate at high performance. And the fact that it runs on Windows 11 means that I have a tablet at my fingertips anytime I want to do work or hop online.