As part of its 4th of July Sale, Best Buy has discounted both Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS gaming PC handheld models for the first time ever. The more powerful Lenovo Legion Go S AMD Z1 Extreme SteamOS model is down to $779.99 (normally $830) and the Legion Go S AMD Ryzen Z2 Go SteamOS model is down to $549.99 (normally $600). I strongly recommend you opt for the Z1 Extreme edition; it’s hands down the best gaming handheld PC so far in 2025. The new Lenovo Legion Go S was released in May of 2025; this is the first SteamOS gaming handheld that isn’t made by Valve.
Lenovo Legion Go S Steam OS Gaming Handheld PC
If you can afford the $230 price premium, I would strongly recommend going with the $780 model. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is a significantly more powerful processor than the Ryzen Z2 Go (which we didn’t like very much at all) and also includes double the RAM and double the storage. The Ryzen Z1 Extreme model is also more powerful than the Steam Deck. Since it runs on the same SteamOS client it outperforms the Steam Deck in most games. Games look better with more fluid movement as well, thanks to a bigger 8″ screen with a higher 120Hz refresh rate. Battery life remains roughly equivalent, however the Legion Go S has the benefit of a much faster maximum charging rate.
From the Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme, SteamOS) Review by Jaqueline Thomas
There are two versions of the Lenovo Legion Go S, one powered by the Z2 Go and one by the Z1 Extreme. And despite what the numbers in those names may suggest, the Z1 Extreme is both more powerful and based on newer silicon. This chip has a CPU based on AMD Zen 4 and a GPU based on RDNA 3, compared to Zen 3 and RDNA 2 for the Z2 Go… [The Z1 Extreme model] is significantly more powerful than the Steam Deck, despite running the same operating system. The Go S also has double the memory as the Steam Deck with 32GB of LPDDR5X clocked at 6,400MHz. By default, the Go S has 10GB of this system memory reserved for the GPU, compared to just 6GB for the Steam Deck. That makes more demanding games like Monster Hunter Wilds a no-go for the Deck, but much more feasible on the Legion Go S.
The SteamOS model is better than the Windows model
There’s a third Legion Go S model on sale. This model has the same specs as the more powerful SteamOS variant, but it runs off Windows 11. The SteamOS client is more user intuitive and better performing that Windows, which is a general purpose operating system that isn’t inherently dedicated to playing games and with a controller by default.
From the Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme, SteamOS) Review by Jaqueline Thomas
SteamOS was built from the ground up to be usable with a controller, and it really shows. Just as with the Steam Deck itself, it launches straight into a version of Steam Big Picture Mode. You log into your Steam account and you’re good to go. Compare that to the setup process on the Windows version of the Go S where, once you get the system up and running, it’ll open to the Legion Space app where you can choose to download Steam and any other game stores… That’s fine with me, to be sure, I’ve been reviewing gaming PCs and laptops for more than a decade, and I have more than enough experience dealing with Windows on a fiddly touch screen. For a lot of people, though, it was a huge turn-off.
If you end up getting this deal, we’d recommend picking up a portable power bank for extended travels and a Micro SD card. We’ve compared the Steam Deck to the ROG Ally and although the Legion Go isn’t mentioned, the article gives you a good idea of the major differences between a Steam-based and Windows-based gaming handheld.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
