The Lenovo Legion Go S shocked us with a surprise unveiling during CES in January, alongside the announcement of a highly anticipated Legion Go 2.
However, as we close on their respective release dates, there's a worry about their processing power (or lack thereof).
The Lenovo Legion Go S' Windows 11 model, which we gave 3 out of 5 stars in our review, was built with the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip, designed as an entry-level option for the next generation of handheld gaming PCs.
However, its steep price point of $729.99 didn't quite sync with the supposed "value" of the chip, leaving it feeling like a disappointment overall.
Luckily, Lenovo has a chance to fix its mistakes with the upcoming SteamOS model of the Legion Go S, as pre-orders went up on Friday.
However, being powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, a chip that felt cutting-edge at the time of its release but is now two years old, already leaves Lenovo's latest handheld feeling outdated.
The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme is out and we're expecting handheld gaming PCs to launch with them this year. So, why not just wait?
Wait until AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme machines are tested before buying anything
The SteamOS-powered Legion Go S is launching May 25, and there's plenty of reason to look forward to the machine.
SteamOS is a lighter operating system than Windows 11 and has been shown to potentially yield greater frame rates from demanding video games — even across systems with the same chip.
We previously covered how SteamOS brings more performance out of hardware, highlighting an article from Tom's Guide comparing the exact boosts seen on an Asus ROG Ally X when switching from Windows 11 to SteamOS.
In one example, Cyberpunk 2077 at Medium graphics settings jumped from an average of 36 fps on Windows 11 to 42 fps on SteamOS.
As these same improvements were seen across almost every game Tom's Guide tested, we expect the Lenovo Legion Go S (powered by SteamOS with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme) will be the strongest handheld gaming PC to date.
However, considering its release date is in May, it's coming pretty close to when we'll likely see handheld gaming PCs powered by the new Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
It's not confirmed, but Asus has launched a handheld gaming PC every summer for the past two years.
The Asus ROG Ally with Z1 Extreme was released on June 13, 2023, while the Asus ROG Ally X launched on July 22, 2024.
Following that logic, we anticipate the next Asus ROG Ally, potentially simply the Asus ROG Ally 2, could launch this summer.
Again, we don't know this for sure, but there's a strong chance it'll also be powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
After all, there's no reason we'll see an Asus ROG Ally successor without the next generation of chips, as the Asus ROG Ally X already fulfilled its role as a mid-cycle upgrade to the original model.
Jumping at the first opportunity to get your hands on the Legion Go S just a couple of months before a new slew of handheld gaming PCs powered by the latest chips might launch may be foolish.
This is all speculation, but we cannot imagine the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme remains in limbo for much longer without being implemented.
Don't buy a handheld gaming PC yet
The decision to wait doesn't only apply to those interested in buying a Legion Go S, it's true for all competing handhelds — especially ones powered by Intel.
It's no secret that second-generation, Core Ultra-powered gaming handhelds, like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ with its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, surpassed its Ryzen Z1 Extreme-powered competitors in our benchmarks.
The Ryzen Z2 Extreme may similarly leapfrog its Core Ultra counterparts, and we're simply waiting for it to be available in a handheld gaming PC to test its power for ourselves.
Until then, don't rush to purchase a handheld when you could be missing out on a massive boost in performance.
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