Lenovo Legion Go 2 hands-on preview – the handheld of the future, but at what cost?

The prototype shown disconnected astatine CES showed committedness successful presumption of some show and comfort.

Unveiling a prototype of the Lenovo Legion Go 2 astatine CES, I'm pleased to study that Lenovo has taken connected committee assemblage feedback, and for the better.

The Lenovo Legion Go 2was unveiled at CES 2025, and portion it was inactive a prototype, the gaming handheld was ace promising successful my hands-on demo session. With nary acceptable merchandise day oregon terms constituent and Lenovo stating that last accumulation details are inactive being refined, it's unclear if this prototype exemplary is what we volition spot erstwhile the instrumentality officially releases.

Despite not having a terms point, this instrumentality has interior specifications akin to the MSI Claw 8 AI+, specified arsenic a larger artillery capacity, 32GB of RAM, and a superior screen. So, we tin apt expect this instrumentality to beryllium priced rather precocious comparitivey, particularly considering MSI's caller handheld costs £899 / $899.99. Although Australian pricing oregon availability has yet to beryllium confirmed, this converts to astir AU$1,771.15.

In my Legion Go review, Lenovo's archetypal spell astatine a handheld performed beauteous good aft a bout of bugginess astatine launch. While it was large astatine the time, handheld gaming is progressing and changing precise quickly, and the Lenovo Legion Go 2 seems to reply players' requests for a much almighty device.

Lenovo Legion Go 2 plan

Design-wise, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 has ergonomic refinements from the archetypal one, and you tin consciousness it arsenic soon arsenic you prime it up; It conscionable feels truthful comfortable. You get caller rounded controllers and a circular D-pad for smoother and much close inputs. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 does clasp immoderate features though, with the aforesaid achromatic chassis and detachable controllers.

One of the large upgrades to the instrumentality is the OLED screen, measuring 8.8 inches. However, it's FHD+, 1920x1200, which is really a downgrade from the erstwhile iteration, which featured a 2560x1600 screen. However, successful my opinion, the OLED surface much than makes up for the solution drop, and it's conscionable stunning. It's besides 144Hz, truthful it's beauteous and smooth, with a surface brightness of 500 nits.

Games look perfectly fantastic connected this thing. You get vibrant colours and existent blacks, conscionable arsenic you'd expect from an OLED screen. For the duration of my demo, my eyes were glued to the device's screen; I conscionable could not look away.

Lenovo Legion Go 2 specs

The Lenovo Legion Go 2 specifications are beauteous beefy, and it's wide that Lenovo has taken connected assemblage feedback successful the improvement of its latest gaming handheld. The artillery has gone from conscionable nether 50Whr to a monolithic 74Whr, which gives you a important boost successful play time, and portion I wasn't capable to deplete the artillery successful my abbreviated hands-on demo, this betterment is inactive precise overmuch welcomed.

Another upgrade that gamers volition admit is the 32GB of RAM, treble the magnitude recovered successful the erstwhile console. This volition apt up the terms of the handheld, but it is seemingly going to beryllium optional successful a akin manner to the Lenovo Legion Go S, truthful if you don't deliberation you'll request it, you don't person to beforehand the cost.

Lenovo Legion Go 2 performance

While I wasn't capable to show frames during my hands-on play with the Lenovo Legion Go 2, the games I tested ran smoothly and looked fantastic. All the titles ran astatine precocious graphics settings, meaning I didn't person to sacrifice prime for frames arsenic I've had to astatine times with its predecessor. The OLED screen, of course, contributed to however large the games looked, to the constituent that I didn't adjacent announcement the solution difference.

Loading times were ace quick, successful fact, utilizing the Lenovo Legion Go 2 was noticeably quicker than the different handhelds I tested retired astatine CES 2025 (and I tested a batch of them!). The other boost of representation allows the instrumentality to output astatine its afloat potential.

Overall thoughts connected the Lenovo Legion Go 2

My clip with the Lenovo Legion Go 2 was truly positive, successful presumption of comfort, plan and performance. We'll person to hold for Lenovo to merchandise much details astir the last instrumentality due to the fact that the Legion Go 2 could beryllium the handheld of the future. But with this inactive being a prototype, last specs whitethorn differ, and if the specs are this beefy astatine launch, it's not going to beryllium cheap.