Valve needs to come to the rescue with a Steam Deck 2, because prices in the handheld market are getting out of hand. Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 officially launches this October, but the combination of a higher price tag and extra weight has raised concerns among gamers.
The issue isn’t just the hefty price — the device is heavier as well, even though the original model was already on the bulky side. Here’s how Lenovo has priced the new lineup:
- AMD Z2 / 16GB RAM / 1TB SSD – $1,099.99
- AMD Z2 / 32GB RAM / 1TB SSD – $1,199.99
- AMD Z2 Extreme / 32GB RAM / 1TB SSD – $1,349.99
- AMD Z2 Extreme / 32GB RAM / 2TB SSD – $1,479.99
These figures are veering into absurd territory. The weight has also increased from 1.88 pounds to 2.02 pounds. The point of a handheld system isn’t just portability but also affordability, and these rising costs shut many players out. What makes things worse is that the Z2 chips don’t offer much of a performance leap compared to the previous generation, so the extra money doesn’t translate into substantial improvements.
Despite speculation triggered by a concept render that resembled SteamOS, the Legion Go 2 will not ship with Valve’s operating system. Instead, as expected, it comes with Windows 11 pre-installed. Linux users will have to rely on alternatives such as Bazzite, which already provides early support for the device.
Lenovo’s official specifications are as follows:
| Dimensions | 11.64 × 5.38 × 1.66 inches |
| Weight | 2.02 pounds |
| Display | 8.8″ WUXGA (1920×1200) OLED, 16:10, 10-point touch, 144Hz, 97% DCI-P3, 500 nits, VESA TrueBlack 1000 |
| Processor | Up to AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, 8 cores / 16 threads, 15–30W cTDP |
| Graphics | Up to AMD Radeon 890M, 16 graphics cores |
| Memory | Up to 32GB LPDDR5X 8000 MHz |
| Storage | Up to 2TB M.2 2242 PCIe SSD (Gen 4) |
| Battery | 4-cell, 74Whr, Super Rapid Charge |
| Ports | 2× USB Type-C (USB 4.0, DisplayPort 2.0, Power Delivery 3.0), 1× 3.5mm audio jack, 1× microSD slot (up to 2TB) |
| Audio | 2× 2W speakers, dual-array microphones |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Lenovo does have a more affordable option in the Legion Go S, which will even offer a SteamOS version. Valve’s Steam Deck also remains a strong competitor, consistently ranking as a top seller. The Legion Go 2, by contrast, is clearly positioned as a high-end enthusiast device, which will limit its mainstream appeal.
Many expect that when Valve finally unveils the Steam Deck 2, it will reset the market with more reasonable pricing and force competitors to become competitive again, restoring accessibility for a broader audience.
Source: Gaming on Linux
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