The handheld gaming market is buzzing with excitement as Lenovo seems poised to reveal a new contender, the Legion Go S, which promises to be easy on the wallet. Fresh insights from WinFuture suggest this device might be the first to harness AMD’s latest Z2G APUs—slated for a 2025 launch—and offers specs like a 120 Hz, 1080p display, 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM.
Diving deeper into its core, the Ryzen Z2G, or Z2 Go, appears to draw from AMD’s Rembrandt architecture, featuring eight Zen 3+ CPU cores coupled with an RDNA 2 iGPU that houses 12 Compute Units. While it doesn’t boast the cutting-edge features of AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 (Strix Point) APUs or the Phoenix lineup, it’s designed to be more budget-friendly, promising consumers a more attractive price tag. Technically speaking, the Z2G is akin to AMD’s Ryzen 7 6800U, equipped with 16MB of L3 cache standard for AMD’s octa-core APUs, along with 4MB of L2 cache. Clock speeds may see a modest boost from the current 4.7 GHz mark, though nothing too spectacular performance-wise.
In terms of other feature specs, the Legion Go S is packed with 16GB of soldered LPDDR5 memory and a PCIe 4.0 512GB SSD in the compact M.2 2242 configuration. Connectivity is modern, offering both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The device sports an 8-inch 1080p IPS screen running at 120 Hz, which means missing out on the deep blacks and vibrant colors offered by OLED displays. For comparison, the base model of the Steam Deck OLED is priced at $549 but comes with a slower APU, making this a trade-off worth considering.
Rounding off the package is a 55.5Wh battery, larger than the one found in the original Legion Go. However, the runtime might not see significant improvement due to the older architecture. To counter this, Lenovo includes the Vantage app, allowing users to tweak the charging settings and potentially extend battery life by running entirely on AC power when desired.
There is, however, a drawback. The Legion Go S comes with built-in controllers that cannot be swapped out for third-party alternatives. It’s uncertain whether the controllers use Hall Effect technology, and the inability to customize this could deter gaming enthusiasts. Initial pricing whispers from Europe suggest a $650 tag, but if that includes VAT, a price closer to $500 becomes plausible—which is only $50 less than the faster APU-equipped, better-displayed Legion Go.
All eyes are on next month’s CES event where the Lenovo Legion Go S is likely to make its debut, alongside AMD’s unveiling of the Z2 APU range and other innovations. Any preliminary price figures should be seen as fluid, as official launch pricing may offer a pleasant surprise.
