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Questions

Legion Go: Common Questions

Straight answers to the questions we are asked most about the Legion Go, based on two weeks of testing.

Last revised

The questions we are asked most often about the Legion Go, answered from our own testing rather than the specification sheet.

Is it worth buying?

It scored 3 out of 5 at £699. It is a straightforward recommendation if you are tabletop and desk play rather than true handheld use, and a poor one otherwise.

What is the catch?

854g is genuinely too heavy to hold comfortably. That is the single thing most likely to bother you, and it is worth being certain it will not before buying.

How long will it stay usable?

Assume the support window rather than the hardware determines this. Software support length is what decides how long a device stays safe to use, not how well the hardware holds up.

How does it compare with the alternatives?

The strongest alternative we have measured is the Steam Deck OLED at £479, which scored 5 out of 5 against this one's 3. The cheapest we would still recommend is the Xbox Series S at £249. Both went through the same tests under the same conditions, which is the only reason those numbers can sit in the same sentence.

Should I buy it now or wait?

It launched in 2023, which puts it 3 years into its life. If what you have still works, waiting costs you very little; replacement cycles in this category are long and the successor is rarely a step change. If what you have has actually failed, buy now — the price will not move meaningfully before it does.

Is it good for everyday use?

Yes, with one qualification. For tabletop and desk play rather than true handheld use it is a straightforward yes. The qualification is that 854g is genuinely too heavy to hold comfortably, which is a background irritation for most people and a dealbreaker for a few — and only you can say which you are.

Full specifications

SpecificationValue
Display8.8in IPS, 144Hz, 500 nits
ChipAMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
RAM16GB LPDDR5X
Storage512GB NVMe
Weight854g
Battery49.2Wh
Play time1h 50m in demanding titles

What we liked

  • The largest and highest resolution handheld screen at 8.8in 1600p
  • Detachable controllers, one of which works as a vertical mouse
  • A built-in kickstand

What we did not

  • 854g is genuinely too heavy to hold comfortably
  • Under two hours of battery in demanding games
  • The 1600p panel forces upscaling to stay playable

Behind this page

What this page covers — Legion Go: Common Questions
Where this page sits in the reference library.

This reference page is written from the same testing notes as the reviews it supports, and it is revised whenever the hardware or the software underneath it changes. Where a figure appears here it has been measured rather than quoted from a specification sheet.

If something on this page no longer matches what you are seeing, it is out of date rather than disputed — tell us and it gets checked again.

The reviews this page supports go into the measurements behind these figures, and the knowledge base collects every reference page we keep.

Elsewhere in common questions: MacBook Air M4: Common Questions, Meross Smart Plug Mini: Common Questions and Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): Common Questions.

Frequently asked questions

At £699 it scored 3 out of 5 and suits tabletop and desk play rather than true handheld use.
854g is genuinely too heavy to hold comfortably.
Check the manufacturer support window, which is counted from launch rather than from purchase.
It is 2023 hardware. If your current device still works, waiting costs little. If it has failed, buy now.
For tabletop and desk play rather than true handheld use, yes. The qualification is that 854g is genuinely too heavy to hold comfortably.
At least two weeks of daily use, on the same measured suite we run on everything in this category.

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