Lenovo has finally released the new Legion Go (8.8″, 2), the second generation of its gaming handheld. The new model builds on the original with some pretty significant improvements and even more customization options.
The first thing you’ll notice is the screen, which is a native landscape 8.8″ WUXGA OLED display with a variable refresh rate of 30Hz to 144Hz. That’s a huge deal because it means you get much better and more vibrant colors with a super smooth experience, no matter what you’re playing. The display is also HDR TrueBlack 1000 certified, which means it can deliver truly deep blacks, making games look absolutely fantastic.
Powering this beautiful display is up to an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor and up to 32GB of 8000MHz RAM, which is more than enough to handle even the most resource-intensive AAA games. The storage is also getting a big upgrade with up to a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and it has a microSD card slot that supports up to an additional 2TB. This means you can take your entire game library with you wherever you go.
To make sure you have enough juice for all those games, the battery has been upgraded to a hefty 74Whr, which is over 50% larger than the previous generation. The detachable Legion TrueStrike controllers have been redesigned with more ergonomic lines and a smarter button layout. They still have that awesome FPS mode that turns the right controller into a vertical mouse, which is perfect for FPS games.
The detachable controllers give you a lot more freedom, letting you switch between console mode, tablet mode, and handheld mode. There are also three user-programmable buttons that you can customize through Legion Space, giving you even more control with a single press.
To be fair, the original controllers were pretty good, but the Hall effect joysticks sound like they give much better accuracy with fewer drift issues. The large pivot D-pad is also a great addition because it’s critical to have a responsive D-pad in fighting or retro games. The best part is that the redesigned controllers are fully backwards-compatible with the first-generation Legion Go, so if you already own one, you can upgrade your controllers without buying a whole new device.
Other improvements include a robust kickstand for when you’re playing with the controllers detached, and there’s now a USB-4 port on both the top and bottom of the device. This makes it much easier to access ports whether you’re docked, on a table, or just holding it in your hands. There’s even a fingerprint reader built into the power button for faster login.
The name is the only thing that keeps me from really liking the handheld. I try not to judge names, but it’s weird to have the generation number inside a parenthesis (8.8″, 2) instead of the regular “2” at the end. I originally thought this was an expansion of the line and not a new generation, but Lenovo believed in the name enough to push it, so maybe others may like it.
The new Legion Go (8.8″, 2) is priced starting at $1,049.00 and is expected to be available starting in October 2025 on the official website.
Source: Lenovo
