The Lenovo Legion Go is the handheld for anyone who wants the biggest, sharpest screen and the most flexible controls. It runs the same fast chip as the ROG Ally X around a huge 8.8 in display. Here is what that screen buys you, and what it costs in weight and battery.
Lenovo took a different approach to the Windows handheld with the Legion Go, building it around an unusually large 8.8 in 1600p display and a set of detachable Switch-style controllers. The result is the most versatile and the most cinematic handheld here, with a built-in kickstand and an FPS mouse mode, but also the heaviest and the most demanding on battery. At £699.99 it is a clever, ambitious device that suits couch and tabletop play more than the commute.
| Model | Price | Display | Chip | Battery | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Lenovo Legion Go (8.8 in) | £733.00 | 8.8 in IPS, 2560 x 1600, 144 Hz | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme | 49.2 Wh | ★ 4.2 | View → |
£733.00
8.8 in IPS, 2560 x 1600, 144 Hz · AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme · 49.2 Wh
The verdict from Kofi Mensah, handheld gaming tester
The choice for a big-screen handheld. The Legion Go runs the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme as the Ally X but wraps it around a huge 8.8 in 1600p 144 Hz display and clever detachable controllers. It hit 52 fps in our Cyberpunk test at the same 1080p settings, just behind the Ally X. The trade-offs are real: at 854 g it is the heaviest device here and the 49.2 Wh battery managed only 2 hours 10 minutes under load. As a near-portable that doubles as a tiny PC, though, nothing here matches its screen.
The big panel makes detailed games feel immersive, and the kickstand mode is genuinely useful.
| Display | 8.8 in IPS, 2560 x 1600, 144 Hz |
|---|---|
| Chip | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme |
| Battery | 49.2 Wh |
| Storage | 512 GB NVMe SSD + microSD |
| Weight | 854 g (with controllers) |
| Operating system | Windows 11 |
| Measured frame rate (Cyberpunk 2077, low + FSR) | 52 fps |
| Measured battery (same test) | 2 h 10 min |
| Special features | Detachable TrueStrike controllers, FPS mode, kickstand |
| Typical UK price | £699.99 |
The Legion Go is the right console if you value screen size and flexibility above weight and battery. The 8.8 in 1600p 144 Hz display is the biggest and sharpest on this list, and it makes detailed games genuinely immersive, especially with the kickstand out and the controllers detached on a table. For couch gaming, strategy games and anyone who plays mostly at home or near a charger, it is a compelling, distinctive device that no rival matches on screen.
It is less suited to commuters and anyone who plays in bed for hours. At 854 g with the controllers attached it is the heaviest device here by a wide margin, and the power-hungry screen gives it the shortest battery life on test. If portability and stamina are your priorities, the lighter Steam Deck OLED or the more efficient MSI Claw 8 are better choices. The Legion Go is a near-portable that doubles as a tiny PC, not a pocketable travel machine.
The display is the whole reason to buy a Legion Go. At 8.8 in and 2560 x 1600 it is far larger and sharper than anything else here, with a 144 Hz refresh rate, and detailed games look superb on it. Driving games at that native 1600p resolution, though, hammers both the chip and the battery, so in practice most people run at 1080p, where it still looks excellent. At 1080p in our Cyberpunk run it returned 52 fps on the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme as the ROG Ally X, just behind it, which is strong performance.
Battery is the Legion Go's clear weakness. The 49.2 Wh battery, smaller than the Ally X's 80 Wh, powers a large high-resolution screen, and under our heavy Cyberpunk load it lasted just 2 hours 10 minutes, the shortest on this list. Capping the frame rate, dropping to 1080p and lowering brightness all help considerably, and for less demanding games it stretches much further. But if all-day battery matters, this is not the handheld for you.
The detachable TrueStrike controllers are a genuine highlight. They slide off the sides Switch-style for tabletop play, and the right controller stands upright on an included base to become a vertical mouse, the FPS mode, which really does help in shooters and strategy games once you adjust. Combined with the built-in kickstand, it makes the Legion Go the most flexible handheld here for how and where you play, even if some of those modes take practice.
Two stand out. First, the weight: at 854 g it is tiring to hold like a traditional handheld for a long session, which undercuts its portability. Second, the battery life is the weakest here, a direct consequence of the big screen. Both are the price of the Legion Go's ambition, and neither is a fault so much as a trade-off. If the large screen and detachable controllers are what you want, you accept the weight and the charger; if they are not, a lighter handheld will suit you better.
Best for: the player who wants the biggest screen and the most flexible controls for home and couch gaming, and stays near a charger. Not the pick if you want light weight and long battery (try the Steam Deck OLED or MSI Claw 8).
Yes, it is the standout feature. The 8.8 in 2560 x 1600 144 Hz display is the biggest and sharpest on test, and detailed games look genuinely immersive on it. The trade-off is that driving games at the native 1600p resolution hammers the battery and the chip, so most people run at 1080p, where it still looks excellent and frame rates are far healthier.
At 854 g with the controllers attached it is the heaviest device here, because of the large screen, the detachable TrueStrike controllers and the built-in kickstand. It is comfortable on a table or with the controllers detached, but holding it like a traditional handheld for long sessions is more tiring than the lighter units. It suits couch and tabletop play more than commuting.
The right controller detaches and stands upright on an included base, turning it into a vertical mouse for first-person shooters and strategy games. It is a clever idea that genuinely helps in aim-heavy games, though it takes practice and is more of a bonus than a reason to buy on its own.
It is the weakest here under load. The 49.2 Wh battery managed 2 hours 10 minutes in our Cyberpunk test, because the large high-resolution screen is power-hungry. Capping the frame rate and lowering brightness helps considerably, but if all-day battery is your priority, the Steam Deck OLED or MSI Claw 8 are better choices.
The Legion Go is the best big-screen handheld because nothing else here comes close to its 8.8 in 1600p display, and its detachable controllers and FPS mode make it the most flexible device on test. It runs games well, hitting 52 fps in our Cyberpunk run, but the trade-offs are real: at 854 g it is the heaviest console here and its 49.2 Wh battery managed only 2 hours 10 minutes under load. As a near-portable that doubles as a tiny PC for home use, it is excellent; as a travel handheld it is outclassed by the lighter Steam Deck OLED and the more efficient MSI Claw 8. Read our buying guide to decide whether screen size or portability matters more to you.