The battle for portable gaming supremacy has shifted dramatically. Where once we had humble, dedicated handhelds, we now have full-fat Windows 11 gaming PCs shrunk down to a manageable size. Amidst this unique arms race we are seeing giants like the ASUS ROG Ally X and the MSI Claw and now Lenovo has unleashed the Legion Go 2, a device that boldly chooses spectacle over sheer subtlety.
If you were looking for the definitive portable gaming screen, the search stops here. The Legion Go 2 makes a powerful case that its visual performance completely washes away any negatives. The device delivers on raw power, justifying its positioning as a premium product. However, this level of performance and screen quality comes with an unavoidable physical cost. The Legion Go 2 is, without question, the heavyweight of the category. Acknowledging its size which is “definitely noticeable” is necessary, but it serves as a deliberate trade-off for the unparalleled quality. This device is the absolute beast of the handheld world, and it owns that title with confidence.
Core Specifications at a Glance
The Legion Go 2 immediately stakes its claim at the top tier of handheld devices, thanks to its high-end component selection.
| Component | Legion Go 2 (Z2 Extreme Variant) | Detail |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen™ Z2 Extreme | 8 Cores / 16 Threads, up to 5.0 GHz |
| Graphics | Integrated AMD Radeon™ Graphics | Utilizes high-speed system memory |
| Display | 8.8″ WUXGA OLED, 144Hz | 1920×1200 resolution, DisplayHDR True Black 1000 |
| Memory | Up to 32GB Soldered LPDDR5x-8000 | Fast, future-proof memory |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0×4 | NVMe storage |
| Starting Price (AU) | AU$1,809.00 inc. GST (configurable) | Premium pricing for premium specs |
The most common and popular configuration uses the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme Processor alongside a substantial 32 GB of Soldered LPDDR5x-8000 memory. The Z2 Extreme provides the raw processing muscle needed to drive complex modern games. This configuration firmly places the Legion Go 2 as an investment in high-end, future-proofed portable performance, which is why it commands a premium starting price point in Australia of AU$1,809.00. This level of component quality is essential to guarantee longevity and the ability to run demanding titles for years to come.
The Visual Spectacle: Why This OLED Screen Changes Everything
The heart of the Legion Go 2’s success, and the definitive feature that justifies its existence, is its magnificent display. This is unequivocally the best screen currently available in a handheld gaming PC, setting a new benchmark for competitors, but it really asks a lot of questions around why we aren’t seeing more with this type of display.
Lenovo opted for an 8.8-inch WUXGA (1920×1200) OLED panel. The move to OLED is the single most important design decision they made. Unlike the IPS panels found in most rivals, OLED technology allows for perfect black levels because individual pixels can be turned off completely. This creates infinite contrast, delivering stunning HDR performance and deep, rich colours that make games look dramatically more vibrant and cinematic.
The Go 2’s panel supports DisplayHDR True Black 1000, confirming its ability to produce dazzling highlights, with peak brightness reaching 1100 nits. The glossy, anti-fingerprint surface enhances the image clarity, supporting a wide colour gamut and supporting 10-point touch. The sheer size of the 8.8-inch screen also maximizes immersion. This deliberate choice to include a large, premium display is what primarily drives up the device’s overall weight and physical size. So don’t drop it on your face when you are having a late night gaming session in bed.
The screen offers a 144Hz refresh rate, paired with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support. Demanding AAA titles running on an integrated chip often struggle to maintain a perfectly stable framerate. VRR dynamically synchronizes the screen’s refresh rate with the GPU’s output, ensuring that inevitable framerate dips feel much smoother and tear-free. This technological polish transforms the fluctuating performance of a high-power APU into a polished and consistent user experience, making VRR a vital feature for serious handheld gaming.
Under the Hood: The Power That Forgives All Sins
The superior screen would be wasted without the engine to drive it, and this is where the Legion Go 2 truly solidifies its position as a performance leader. The sheer power available is “scary good”.
The use of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU provides incredible raw processing muscle. When the device is running in performance modes for example (at 25W) the Z2 Extreme handles demanding modern titles such as The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, StellarBlade and Cyberpunk 2077 with stunning efficiency.
The top-tier configuration boasts 32GB of ultra-fast LPDDR5x-8000 memory, soldered directly to the system board. Since integrated AMD Radeon Graphics rely heavily on shared system memory, this high-speed RAM is absolutely critical for maximising graphical throughput and ensuring the device remains relevant for demanding games released years down the line. This emphasis on the combination of high-speed memory and a powerful APU confirms that the Legion Go 2 is an investment in raw, future-proofed performance.
Battery Life: I’ve Got The Power
A device this powerful requires serious energy management, leading to a tale of two distinct battery realities depending on how the device is used.
When engaging in intense AAA gaming, running the CPU and GPU hard in Performance Mode (25W TDP), the 74Whr battery capacity provides sufficient power for approximately 2.5 hours of solid gameplay. This endurance is in line with expectations for these powerful handhelds running demanding modern titles.
However, the hardware’s impressive scalability shines through when the device is used for lighter tasks. When the AMD architecture is scaled down to “sip electricity” in tasks other than gaming such as during local video playback the Legion Go 2 achieves a battery life of 796 minutes, which is over 13 hours. This demonstrates the device’s surprising versatility and efficiency as a portable media device which is certainly where I would position it.
Controller Design: Handling the Heavyweight
The physical trade-off for the spectacular performance and large screen size manifests in the device’s heft. Weighing in at 0.92 kg, the Legion Go 2 is the largest and heaviest device in its category, which makes the heft “definitely noticeable”. This weight poses a potential issue for extended gaming sessions, leading to wrist fatigue and I skipped “wrist day” at the gym.
The design however incorporates a saving grace: the detachable Legion Truestrike controllers and the flexible, integrated kickstand. This design choice elevates the ergonomics from a potential issue into a massive feature. Users can simply deploy the sturdy kickstand, set the 8.8-inch display on a table, and play with the detached controllers, entirely removing the weight from their hands. This capability converts the device’s significant weight from a potential dealbreaker into a preference for static gaming positions (on a couch, at a table).
Controller Quirks: From Annoying to Second Nature
While the overall ergonomics benefit from sculpted controllers and improved comfort over the original Legion Go, the device does present some initial friction points. The mouse buttons (M1/M2) on the right controller can be annoying when first learning to hold the device. They require a “mental adjustment” due to their positioning and even though they are inactive, the clicking under your palm in annoying. However, after some time with the device the annoyance wears off, and the movement and use eventually become “second nature”.
On the technical side, the controllers excel. They utilize Hall effect joysticks, which use magnets instead of physical contacts to register movement. This technology drastically slows down wear and tear and eliminates the dreaded hardware failure known as “stick drift” that plagues other premium gaming handhelds. The primary buttons are responsive, with just enough give on every press.
A unique inclusion is the optional FPS (First-Person Shooter) mode. This feature allows the right-hand controller to be connected to an included base, effectively transforming it into a vertical mouse/joystick hybrid. This functionality provides a unique and fun way to play shooters especially for those who prefer mouse-like input for accuracy. For me who is primarily a console gamer, it took some getting used to but once I settled in the advantage was clear.
Legion Go 2 vs. The Field
The Lenovo Legion Go 2 exists squarely in the premium segment of the market, competing directly with high-spec devices like the ASUS ROG Ally X and the MSI Claw 8 AI+. This showdown is less about overall performance parity (as all use powerful chips) and more about design philosophy a choice between ultimate portability and visual spectacle.
The core difference for me comes down to the screen technology. The debate between the Legion Go 2 and its rivals often comes down to the choice of more portable, integrated feel of the smaller device or the superior image quality and large 8.8-inch size of the Legion Go 2’s OLED panel. The OLED screen is a hard feature to give up once you have used it, it quickly becomes a necessary, non-negotiable feature that justifies the Legion Go 2’s higher price tag and larger form factor.
The Issue of Windows is Fixed with a Console Upgrade
Perhaps the most significant ongoing challenge for any Windows-based handheld is the operating system itself. Windows 11 is a brilliant, powerful OS, but it was designed primarily for mouse and keyboard input. Navigating menus, switching apps, and launching games using only controllers can be clunky, often forcing the user to touch the screen or use awkward controller-to-mouse mappings.
The hardware of the Legion Go 2 is phenomenal, and the software experience with Legion Space as a platform to manage all your games is good but not quite the official integrated “Xbox Full Screen experience” that makes massive changes to the Windows 11 performance.
Microsoft has begun rolling out this full-screen UI, which is designed to transform the core Windows experience on handhelds. It is essentially a console shell that sits over Windows, making controller-based navigation intuitive and removing the extra “bloat” of normal Windows.
Once this integration officially hits the Legion Go 2 the sky is the limit.
Final Verdict
The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is a device defined by bold decisions and uncompromising quality in key areas. It demands that the user accept a certain level of physical bulk and weight (2.03 lbs) and deal with some initial controller friction (specifically the M1/M2 buttons in handheld mode).
However, even with minor subjective issues there’s little doubt that the supreme power of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme and the gorgeous 8.8-inch OLED display make this a magnificent purchase. This screen is currently the definitive visual experience in handheld gaming. The ability to detach the Hall effect controllers and use the integrated kickstand mitigates the weight issue for static gaming sessions and provides a welcome versatility.
Ultimately, the Legion Go 2 is a premium handheld PC where the negatives are minor, the potential is vast, and the screen is simply magnificent.
