It has been two years since Lenovo launched the Legion Go gaming handheld. It was massive and heavy, certain, but it surely additionally had poor battery life, actually loud followers and was saddled with Home windows 11. To be truthful, it was one of many first of the current crop of Home windows gaming handhelds, and the competitors hasn’t precisely been exceedingly higher. We could also be turning a nook, although, with the Legion Go S earlier this yr, the upcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally and now, the Legion Go 2.
Anticipated to reach in October, with an eye-watering beginning worth of $1,049, the Legion Go 2 is greater and higher than the unique — no less than primarily based on specs and the jiffy I spent taking part in with one. And after I say larger, I imply it is truly bigger in all instructions and suggestions the scales at 2 kilos.
The Go 2 is thicc.
The design may not look too totally different from the unique, however Lenovo truly made numerous adjustments. For instance, the bottoms of the removable controllers have been rounded, so that they’re extra snug. They now have Corridor Impact sticks to assist with drift. There are three user-programmable buttons, a bigger D-pad and a greater total button structure. And there is nonetheless an FPS mode that allows you to use the proper controller like a vertical mouse.
Lenovo Legion Go 2 specs
| Show | 8.8-inch 1,920×1,200 OLED 144Hz |
|---|---|
| Processor | As much as AMD Ryzen Z2 Excessive |
| Graphics | As much as AMD Radeon 890M Graphics |
| Reminiscence | As much as 32GB 8,000MHz LPDDR5X RAM |
| Storage | As much as 2TB M.2 2242 PCIe SSD (Gen 4) |
| Ports | USB 4.0 Kind-C (x2), microSD card reader (helps as much as 2TB), 3.5mm Audio Combo Jack |
| Audio | 2-watt stereo audio system, dual-array near-field microphone |
| Wi-fi | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Battery | 4-cell 74Whr |
| Dimensions | 11.6×5.4×1.7 inches (295.6×136.7×42.3 millimeters) |
| Weight | 2 kilos (920 grams) |
| OS | Home windows 11 |
The hand held remains to be constructed round an 8.8-inch touchscreen, however this time it is a great-looking OLED panel with a 30-144Hz variable refresh price. Disappointingly, the decision dropped from 2,560×1,600 pixels to 1,920×1,200. Maybe that is for the most effective, although: Even with its new AMD processor and graphics chip, you may not be capable of benefit from a 2.5K decision, however 1080p ought to be simply tremendous, particularly in case your tastes lean extra towards less-demanding indie and retro titles.
With its 2-pound weight, table-top gaming utilizing the Go 2’s sturdy built-in kickstand is perhaps the best way to go for lengthy gaming periods.
Lenovo additionally bumped up the battery measurement to a 74-watt-hour capability — greater than 50% increased than the Legion Go’s battery. It additionally has fast charging with Energy Supply 3.0 assist via its high or backside USB-C ports. A 65-watt energy adapter is included.
An non-compulsory docking cradle shall be accessible for the Go 2.
Each USB-C ports assist DisplayPort 2.0, so you possibly can simply connect with an exterior show, with or with out Lenovo’s non-compulsory dock, or to a pleasant pair of show glasses. (Lenovo up to date its Legion Glasses, too, making them “slimmer, lighter and brighter.”) Lenovo even made it simpler to securely unlock the machine by placing a fingerprint reader within the energy button on high.
Will all of the updates repay? Possibly. However at $1,049 — and that is simply the beginning worth — the Legion Go 2 is in price range gaming laptop computer territory. Since it’s operating Home windows 11, you possibly can all the time use it like a desktop PC that additionally simply occurs to play video games fairly properly on the go, too.