Introduction to the Legion Go S

Lenovo's Legion Go S, a SteamOS-powered handheld gaming PC, was unveiled at CES 2025 with an attractive price point of $499.99. However, the device has recently gone up for preorder at Best Buy with a higher price of $549.99, and a release date set for May 25th. Lenovo's communications director, Jeff Witt, confirmed that this is the new cost for the base model.

The Legion Go S boasts several perks over both the Steam Deck LCD and OLED models, including Hall effect joysticks, a larger 8-inch screen with variable refresh rate, and a cozy design with adjustable triggers. Despite these features, the device's Ryzen Z2 Go chip performance is a concern, as it was outperformed by the Steam Deck in tests.

Implications of the Price Increase

The $50 price jump may not spell failure for the device, but it does make the arrival of the first third-party SteamOS handheld less exciting. Valve has confirmed that it is working on adding support for the Asus ROG Ally, another third-party handheld, with a beta experience set to ship after March.

Pierre-Loup Griffais, one of the lead designers of SteamOS and the Steam Deck, shared that the beta experience will provide a glimpse into the future of SteamOS on third-party devices. The price increase of the Legion Go S may impact its competitiveness in the market, but it remains to be seen how the device will perform and whether the price hike will deter potential buyers.