Lenovo is making waves in the handheld gaming market with the announcement of the Legion Go S, marking a historic first as the initial authorized third-party device to utilize SteamOS, developed in collaboration with Valve. The Legion Go S, slated for a May 2025 release, will be available at an accessible $499 price, positioning itself as a direct competitor to the Steam Deck. This handheld device is designed to provide an optimized gaming-on-the-go experience, featuring a lightweight build at 1.6 pounds and a 120Hz variable refresh rate screen that ensures smooth gameplay, even at lower frame rates.

Under the hood, the Legion Go S is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip, a Lenovo-exclusive, designed to provide enhanced performance. It also addresses feedback from previous iterations with improvements such as a sculpted grip for better ergonomics, customizable RGB lighting around the joysticks, a larger 55Wh battery, and a pair of levers to fine-tune trigger response.

Additionally, it features dual USB 4 ports, making it versatile for connectivity options. For gamers who prefer Windows, Lenovo will offer a version of the Legion Go S with Windows 11, launching earlier in January 2025 at $729.99, featuring 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

Lenovo isn’t stopping there. The company also teased the prototype for Legion Go 2, which will introduce detachable controllers and an 8.8-inch OLED screen, providing a larger and potentially more immersive gaming experience. According to The Verge, Legion Go product manager Alex Zhu mentioned that Lenovo currently doesn’t have “any specific plans” to support SteamOS on the larger Legion Go, focusing on Windows instead. However, Zhu hinted that this could change depending on customer preferences after the initial release in May.

This move by Lenovo reflects a significant step in the handheld gaming industry, providing consumers with more options and a seamless, console-like experience, thanks to the user-friendly SteamOS platform. With these developments, Lenovo is poised to reshape the landscape of portable gaming, blending the accessibility of SteamOS with the power and versatility of PC gaming.