Lenovo Legion Go 6 Month Review

I’ve had my Lenovo Legion Go (my nickname: LeNoGo) for over 6 months now, and I have some observations, beefs and praise.

As a grown-ass adult, I don’t have the time or motivation to play games every. single. day. I do have a library of PC games, but not enough time or will to play any of them, let alone all of them.

Hence the decision to purchase Lenovo Go, which could utilize my existing game collection (Steam, Epic, EA, etc.) and not require purchasing a new library of games, as would have been required with something like a Nintendo Switch.

Why does this matter in the context of a long term review? I want you the reader to understand what kind of gamer I am, so as to better understand my expectations.

I am not playing all day. I am not spending my non-gaming time tweaking settings. I am not measuring FPS, or frame rates or any other metric to determine if my Legion Go is getting maximum performance. I have no plans or will to mod this thing, and I have no desire to spend any more time in Windows than I’m required.

Lenovo Legion Go Observations

1. I moved all controller games from my gaming PC to the Lenovo Go. I have an Alienware where I formally played all of my games and using the Steam Link, streamed them to my TV. The Lenovo Go replaced the Steam Link part, as well as my need to use my gaming PC for any controller based games. As a result I’ve removed all controller games from my gaming PC and shifted them to my Lenovo Legion Go. Keyboard/mouse games like CS:GO remain on my Alienware.
2. I use it less than I thought. I didn’t have high expectations as most gadgets don’t live up to the usage expectations. However, even with the slightly improved living room TV experience I’m not using it a ton. This one is mostly on me, but it’s worth mentioning when dropping more than $800 on a new device. Lesson: maybe the $400 device is enough.
3. Updates have been smooth. I’ve had no issues with Windows, or the Lenovo software update process. I’ve resisted the urge to fiddle, and tweak which I believe has served me well. With any Windows gaming device there’s always a need to tweak game and performance settings (more on that later) but I’m a firm believer in playing games over modding/fiddling (Jerry: not that there’s anything wrong with that!)
4. My playtime rarely exceeds the battery life. Unless I’m playing with someone else, I find myself ending my session with 25-40% of the battery remaining. The lesson here is don’t sweat battery specs unless you’re a sweat.
5. Hooking up to my TV can be a nightmare. It’s not so much a problem connecting the Legion Go itself, as it is what happens when I launch a game. Some games just don’t handle it well, and I have to spend time tweaking the resolution in either Windows or the game. Then I have to decide to mirror or extend my screen. Extending makes sense, but then that opens up new issues with games that don’t handle multiple monitors. Mirroring sort of makes sense, but it seems like a waste of resources. Disabling the primary works, until you have a Windows problem and are forced to use your TV. And to top it off, sometimes the picture just goes sideways and the only fix is either changing Windows display settings or rebooting the device. To make matters even worse, sometimes there’s no audio so you either have to play the audio through the tiny LeNoGo speakers or nothing at all (I “solved” this by connecting to my soundbar via Bluetooth). Nothing quite like playing a video game on mute!
6. Built in software is 50/50. While I enjoy (and sometimes use in a panic) the right button / quick settings screen. The Legion Go Space app (left shortcut button) is only okay. While I like the concept of aggregation, the app doesn’t reliably launch applications so I typically go directly to the desired launcher: Epic, Steam etc.
7. Lack of dock is annoying. While I know many have used Steam Deck docks, the lack of an official dock is an oversight. The other issue I have is that I use one USB-C cable for power, and the other for HDMI out. That means I have a cable coming out the top and the bottom of the device. For optimal air flow, I keep the device standing up with the kickstand, but then the cable coming out of the bottom is awkwardly pinched. Hard to describe in words, better to show a picture.

I need more time.

I simply need more time to game and work out my various issues. My goals for the next 6 months are as follows:

1. Install more emulators. The best games are older.
2. Play different games, I tend to get stuck in a rut.
3. Play more on the TV. I need more living room time to work out my issues, and because it’s better than sitting on my gaming PC.
4. Figure out my dock situation. I know I can solve the awkwardness with some accessories, I just want to pick the right ones!
5. Try out the FPS mode, and overall explore more device features. I need to spend more time on Reddit looking at what the fanboys are doing with their devices.
6. Replace more smartphone use with Legion Go use.