Together, Lenovo Legion: Windows Handheld Gaming Meets Switch Style

A number of handheld gaming consoles, some of which run full Microsoft Windows, have emerged as a result of the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck’s popularity. Naturally, Lenovo is best known for its laptops, but it is the latest PC manufacturer to introduce a handheld system: Meet the new Lenovo Army Go.

Going to a preparation with Lenovo in front of the handheld’s huge uncover at IFA 2023, we went hands on with the aggressive new control center to check whether it has the stuff to hang out in this developing group.

Design: Big Screen, Little Structure Element

Lenovo picked Windows 11 as the working framework for the Army Go, which is worked around an AMD Ryzen Z1 Outrageous processor alongside 16GB of DDR5 memory and up to 1TB of extra room. ( That is the same chip that is found in the Asus ROG Ally, which is the other well-known Windows 11-based gaming handheld currently available.) The screen is the principal thing you see, however, and it stands apart contrasted and the screens on other gaming handhelds. It’s a 8.8-inch, 1600p 2,560-by-1,600-pixel) show with a 144Hz revive rate.

The screen’s perspective proportion is 16:10, and it’s the greatest presentation we’ve seen such a long ways on a handheld control center. Its pinnacle invigorate rate dominates and its local goal out-pixels even the 1080p screen on the Asus ROG Partner, and keeping in mind that it’s no OLED, the board is bounty distinctive.

Somewhat in view of this big screen, the Army Go is a lot chunkier gadget, however it’s still far more versatile than the littlest gaming PCs. Lenovo hasn’t shared any evaluations of the Army Go’s battery duration presently, however the Go backings an element called “Very Quick Charge,” which it says will squeeze the battery back up to 70% full in thirty minutes. Besides, the unit has heaps of network, including several USB Type-C ports (supporting USB4) and a microSD opening that backings up to 2TB of additional stockpiling. Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E are also included.

Utilizing the Lenovo Army Go: On top of the world

The Army Go’s greatest distinction from the other PC gaming handhelds, however, is its Nintendo Delight Con-like regulators. You can confine them from the tablet’s sides, similar as on the Nintendo Switch, and the primary body has a retractable kickstand that keeps the tablet upstanding while you’re utilizing the regulators independently, free-form. They associate with the primary piece through Bluetooth when disconnected.

One regulator has an inherent touchpad and a calculated mouse wheel, while different has a huge D-cushion — and between them they have a sum of 10 mappable shoulder fastens, triggers, and hold buttons. All of this takes into consideration heaps of customization generally held for work area PC gaming arrangements.

Lenovo even designed a one of a kind first-individual shooter mode for one of the regulators. You can use the right-hand controller like a vertical mouse by fitting it to the included base, which allows it to stand up vertically. In shooter games, it makes it possible to aim and move more precisely. You can’t shift it, yet it works for pinpoint following that is nearer to mouse development than any guess on a touchpad might at any point be.

Being used, the regulators felt strong, however their buttons and sticks felt somewhat solid. A little instrument tucked behind every regulator assists discharge them from the primary framework with bodying, yet we had some difficulty at first getting the hang of disengaging and once again joining the regulators. To get it right, you need to practice carefully positioning your fingers. The Army Go is likewise a lot bulkier than the ROG Partner, so it is not yet clear exactly the way that agreeable it’ll be during longer play meetings, when you use it with the regulators connected.

With the Army Go, Lenovo will likewise present a point of interaction overlay called Army Space. Planned only for the Go, Army Space is a regulator accommodating UI that permits you to rapidly get to all your game stages and stores, and view all your privately introduced games. In conjunction with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can also use Legion Space to buy games from the Legion Game Store. ( You get three months of Xbox Game Pass with the Go.)

Of course, until we have a unit for more rigorous trials, we won’t have exact benchmark numbers. However, execution seemed smooth during the demo meeting that we had with the Army Go, with practically no observable casing rate drops. In-game visuals were particularly distinctive when contrasted with the Steam Deck’s screen. We inspected probably the most famous Xbox Game Pass games, including Forza Skyline 5, Radiance: PowerWash Simulator and Master Chief Collection all ran smoothly and appeared vibrant.

Another Challenger in a Packed Field

While our active time with the Lenovo Army Go left us intrigued, a lot of inquiries actually remain: How long will the battery last? Will the Z1 Extreme be overburdened by games that take advantage of the handheld’s higher refresh rate and resolution? What’s more, how might it utilize AMD’s recently reported FSR 3?

The good news is that the Legion Go will be available to you quickly: Expect it this October beginning at $699 for a model with the Z1 Outrageous and 512GB of stockpiling. ( A model with 1TB should cost $50 more, and Lenovo also plans to make a later model with just the Z1 chip instead of the Extreme one; no valuing shared on that one yet.) Remain tuned to PCMag for a full survey of the Army Go, in addition to definite benchmarks, when we get one into PC Labs not long from now.