At the IFA 2023 event, Lenovo made a significant entry into the handheld gaming console market with the announcement of its Lenovo Legion Go and Legion AR Glasses.
The Legion Go handheld is set to compete with other popular handhelds like the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Asus ROG Ally.
Let’s dive into the details of the Lenovo Legion Go, including its specs, price, and availability.
Lenovo Legion Go Unveiled
The Legion Go is one of the most distinctive handheld gaming consoles to be released in 2023.
The comapny has evidently taken inspiration from the Steam Deck & Nintendo Switch consoles while incorporating robust hardware, making the Legion Go an attractive option among the plethora of powerful gaming handhelds.
Lenovo Legion Go Specs and Features
The Lenovo Legion Go is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, an APU augmented with 16GB of DDR5 7500MHz memory.
The Ryzen Z1 Extreme features an 8-core, 16-thread configuration, and its architecture is based on the new Ryzen 7000 series mobile processors.
The CPU can reach up to 5.1GHz, but in a handheld gaming console, the performance largely depends on the cooling potential.
For graphics, the chipset includes onboard RDNA 3 graphics with 12 compute units. The TDP of this chip, as specified by AMD, is between 9-30W, although manufacturers have been known to implement higher wattage modes for enhanced performance.
Detachable Controllers of Lenovo Legion Go
The Legion Go supports up to a 1TB NVMe Gen 4 SSD and offers expandable storage with a microSD slot that supports a 2TB capacity.
The battery has a 49.2Wh capacity and supports Lenovo’s Super Rapid Charge, which can charge the battery to 70% in under half an hour.
The performance options offered by Lenovo for their Legion Go handheld will be intriguing to see. This handheld runs Windows 11, meaning it will support games from Steam, Epic Games, or Xbox Game Pass.
The controller, called the Legion TrueStrike Controllers, boasts several impressive features:
- Hall effect joysticks for increased durability.
Detachable controllers for added versatility
- Integrated trackpad.
- D-Pad & angled mouse wheel.
- 10 mappable shoulder buttons, including triggers and grip buttons.
- ‘FPS Mode’ powered by an optical eye for precise aiming similar to a mouse.
- Display Features of Lenovo Legion Go.
The handheld also features a sizable 8.8-inch QHD+ Display with a claimed 500 nits of brightness, 97% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, and support for up to a 144Hz refresh rate at 2560×1600 resolution.
These are all robust display specifications, making it one of the best displays on a handheld. The display is also a 10-point touchscreen, which should enhance the user experience given its larger size.
Certain features, like the integrated trackpad and detachable controllers, seem inspired by Valve’s Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch.
However, Lenovo’s implementation, combined with the powerful internal hardware specs, make the Legion Go the first handheld to offer this impressive combination of features.
Lenovo Legion AR Glasses & E510 Headphones
In addition to the Legion Go, Lenovo also introduced the Legion AR Glasses. These glasses feature a large, micro-OLED display for the wearer.
The Legion AR Glasses can be paired with the Legion Go, but also support most Windows, Android, and even macOS devices thanks to the universally compatible USB-C port.
The glasses deliver content at 1080p resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. The built-in speakers of Lenovo’s Legion Glasses are designed to deliver high-fidelity audio.
With these AR glasses, gamers and others can access a colorful, micro-OLED large-size screen that is entirely portable and offers comfortable viewing angles.
Lenovo also released the Legion E510 7.1 headphones, featuring 10mm armature drivers, RGB, and a USB Type-C connection.
Lenovo Legion Go Price & Release Date
The new hardware from Lenovo is undoubtedly exciting. The Legion Go handheld is expected to be available in stores starting November 2023, priced at 802 euros (including VAT), which converts to $866.
This makes it one of the more expensive handhelds, but its value will ultimately be determined by the user experience it offers.
Legion AR Glasses Price & Release Date
The Legion AR Glasses with its AR screen are expected to be available starting October 2023, priced at 499 euros.
While this is a premium price, it remains to be seen whether the immersive gaming and multimedia experience they offer will justify the cost, considering their compatibility with multiple devices.
Wrap Up
The Lenovo Legion Go and Legion AR Glasses announced at the IFA 2023 event represent an exciting development in the world of portable gaming and augmented reality.
With a host of innovative features and powerful hardware, these devices are set to make a significant impact on the market.
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