The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is officially available to preorder ahead of its October release, and we also now know how much each of its SKUs will cost: $1,100 for the standard Z2 model and $1,350 for the higher-specced Z2 Extreme version. That makes the handheld gaming PC quite expensive, but the device does have some high-quality hardware inside of it.
Internally, the base model is powered by the AMD Z2 SoC, while the premium model has more power with its AMD Z2 Extreme chip. Other specs include a high amount of LPDDR5X RAM, with the Z2 model getting 16GB and the Z2 Extreme having 32GB. Both of these devices are equipped with a 1TB PCIe SSD–with an option to add up to 2TB of extra storage via MicroSD–an 8.8-inch 1200p OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 74Wh battery.
The Legion Go 2 also has Switch-like functionality, as its TrueStrike controllers are detachable. This allows the unit to shift between handheld, tabletop, console, or FPS modes. Switching to FPS mode is especially interesting, as the TrueStrike controller adopts a joystick position.
The Legion Go 2 also has an updated thermal design that delivers up to 45% more airflow, 2W speakers with Nahimic and spatial audio, near-field dual mics, and a 3.5mm jack for wired gear. You’ll also get a voucher for three months of PC Game Pass, so you’ll have a library of games you can access right out of the box, like Hollow Knight: Silksong.
$1,100 | Releases October
Processor:
Display:
Refresh rate:
Battery:
RAM:
Storage:
Speakers:
- 2W speakers with Nahimic and Spatial Audio
Connections:
- 3.5mm jack and dual USB-C ports with DisplayPort 2.0 and 40Gbps transfer speeds
$1,350 | Releases October
Processor:
Display:
Refresh rate:
Battery:
RAM:
Storage:
Speakers:
- 2W speakers with Nahimic and Spatial Audio
Connections:
- 3.5mm jack and dual USB-C ports with DisplayPort 2.0 and 40Gbps transfer speeds
This isn’t the only handheld gaming PC coming out soon, as the ROG Xbox Ally is expected to launch during the holiday season. Xbox partnered with Asus on this Windows-based handheld, which will be available in a base model and a premium “X” edition.
The white base model Xbox Ally is equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z2A chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD with a 60Wh battery, while the black Xbox Ally X has an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme APU, 24GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an 80Wh battery. Both devices have the same 7″ 1080p screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and in terms of ergonomics, they’re designed to feel more comfortable with their sculpted handles. The Xbox Ally targets a resolution of 720p, while the Xbox Ally X aims for a 1080p resolution.
The other big thing to note here is that both handhelds are running on a version of Windows that’s designed to make accessing games easier and smoother. The main issue with Windows-based mobile gaming PCs is that the flexibility they give users with accessing various storefronts is countered by an unintuitive desktop experience. At the end of the day, they’re still PCs, and accessing apps on them can be awkward due to the size of the screen.
With the Xbox Ally, the Xbox App now supports multiple storefronts like Steam, GOG, and Epic Games, allowing you to gather all of your downloaded games into a centralized launcher.
While the new Legion Go 2 is pricy, you can still get several of the previous models at a lower price. For an entry-level option, there’s the Lenovo Legion Go S for $650, which has an 8-inch 120Hz Lenovo PureSight display and an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip with Radeon graphics. This one doesn’t have detachable controllers, but with 16GB of RAM and a 512TB SSD, it’s still a solid option that can easily play a wide variety of games.
Best Buy also has the first-generation Lenovo Legion Go for $740. This model does have detachable controllers, the Z1 Extreme processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It’s not as advanced as the upcoming model, but it’s still surprisingly powerful.
