Gaming is a cool pastime, and I am getting increasingly involved as I find the right tools and equipment. I’m actually having a lot of fun with the whole thing as I get more coordinated with the standard controllers. While it may be second nature to some, we older folks may have some learning to do.

Here, I unbox the Lenovo Legion Go.  It’s a cool little gadget that, like the GPD Win3 and GPD Win 4, are full-fledged, handheld gaming consoles that run PC games from several different platforms, including Epic Games, Steam, Xbox, and others. The console has an 8.8in QHD screen at a resolution of 2560×1600, 500 nits brightness, 16:10 aspect ratio with a refresh rate of 144Hz.  An AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme powers it and has RDNA Graphics, and it comes with 16GB of RAM and either a 512GB or 1TB drive that you can (somewhat) easily upgrade to a 2TB NVMe M.2 2242 drive.  Yes, you can use an M.2 2230 if that’s all you have, but you’ll need something to ensure that the bottom of the drive can be screwed into the motherboard.

The Console

The Legion TrueStrike wireless controllers can detach from the main gaming unit, allowing you to control gameplay the way YOU want, much like the Nintendo Switch. You can always leave them attached and hold the whole unit if you prefer.  You can also use a keyboard and a mouse to control your gameplay if you wish.

The device comes with a built-in kickstand. Whether you are using the TrueStrike controllers or a keyboard and mouse—with or without an external monitor—you can angle the device against its kickstand and have it sit by itself.

Looking at the right-side controller, you’ll notice a thumb-operated touchpad. You can also use your thumb to operate the mouse arrow if needed. Unlike GPD Win 4, the device has no sliding screen or attached keyboard.

Let’s talk battery life for just a second – The Lenovo Legion Go has a 2-cell, 49.2Whr battery that, depending on gameplay, could last a bit.  Under heavy use, you’ll last an hour and a half, so you might want a portable power station handy if you plan to do some heavy gaming on the go.  However, under normal usage, Lenovo says you should get up to 6-7 hours of battery life.  As with everything, your mileage will vary, and I would reasonably expect about 3.0 – 4.0 hours of battery life on a single charge.  You will need to choose the right power plan in Windows to get this, so the tip we recently published on enabling Windows 11 God Mode may interest you.

The Unboxing

 

Specs & Technical Stuff

There’s a bit here in the chart below.  To get the best sense of what the device can and cannot do – if you’re interested in it – you should read through the specs below.  The device is surprisingly very capable for the small package that it is.  The screen in and of itself is really very good and can play HD movies without any issues.  So, if you install a streaming service like Netflix or Disney+ on it for example, you should be able to stream the movies you want to watch on the built-in screen.  It’s very good for this.  I was pleased when I watched Dune Part 1 on the built-in screen while doing other work on an external monitor here at the house.

However, I was not successful in getting the GPD G1 Mobile Graphics Accelerator Dock to work with it, which disappointed me. While the USB-C ports are USB-C 4.0 compatible, I’m not certain they are Thunderbolt compatible, and that dock is a TB4 dock. I had zero luck getting either the HDMI or DisplayPort working with the Legion Go, and it certainly wouldn’t use the graphics adapter in it.

The other downside is the amount of RAM the device comes with. It only has 16GB of RAM, and a 32GB option is not available.

 

Conclusion

Ok… Let’s get down to brass tacks – you wanna know if the device is worth the purchase.  That’s a great question.  There are a few things to remember here:

1. It’s a Full-Fledged Windows PC. It can run MS Office 365.  It should be able to run almost anything you throw at it.  With its built-in AMD Ryzen Extreme processor and RDNA Graphics, you should be able to push gaming and apps like Photoshop and Lightroom Classic on this box.  It can also be upgraded from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro.  This is a REAL computer.  Parents should know and understand that it CAN run (nearly any and) all (of the) software you’ll need for school and could potentially take you through your 4-year college degree before you might want something a little more traditional or something with a little more punch.
2. Its Storage can be Upgraded.  If you (ever) plan on upgrading the storage on this device, I’d buy the $700 version.  512GB isn’t a bad place to start, and upgrading the drive to a full 4TB of storage is possible with a 2TB SSD upgrade AND a 2TB microSDXC card.  You won’t run out of space on this device with those options.  Changing out the SSD is fairly easy.  My biggest issue was getting the tape-based metallic shield off the original drive to reuse it on the new, upgraded SSD I was putting in.
3. It CAN push more than one External Monitor.  It has two USB-C 4.0 (DisplayPort™ 1.4, Power Delivery 3.0) ports, one on the top and one on the bottom.  With the right port replicator or docking station, it should be able to push 4 displays (including its own built-in display).
4. It’s a Powerful Game Console.  This console has run everything that I’ve put on it, including Rocket League Season 12 Elite, Disney Speedstorm, Hot Wheels Unleashed, Halo, Forza, Mortal Combat, Counter Strike Go, Asphalt 9, and a number of other games as well.  It’s got what you need for both productivity and portable gaming.  The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Given this, if you’re a high school student about to graduate and want to take a gaming PC to college with you when you go, this is an excellent choice.  It’s small and lightweight.  It’s a portable desktop that will fit into your backpack, so you don’t have to leave it in your dorm room or apartment if you don’t think it will be there when you return.  It has its own carrying case, so you can cart it around wherever you want without worrying about scratches or damage in your bag.

The RAM on this device is also not upgradable. While it does have 16GB of RAM, I would consider that to be a bare minimum. A few years later, you may find that 16 GB is not enough for what you want to do, despite the fact that the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme manages RAM very well.

The device will NOT work with any pen, however, so you won’t be able to take it to class and take handwritten notes on it. The on-screen keyboard is also really difficult to use with your thumbs unless you have giant-sized hands, especially with the controllers on the device. It’s just too wide. I wasn’t able to use it effectively.

Despite these small issues, this is a great device, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a portable gaming PC.  I know I’m glad its part of my gaming and PC gear.