The sector of "handled" devices, i.e. which can be held with two hands, is starting to become quite inflated.
After Steam, many other brands have entered a market that is aimed above all at gaming lovers, but not only.
The perfect emblem of this trend is the
Legion Go by Lenovo
, a portable console that is difficult to define as such, given the degree of versatility it achieves, so much so that it transforms, if necessary, into a small tablet, always with the power basic version of Windows 11 in full version, therefore open to use for study, work, but also for watching a film or for "playing" with Copilot's artificial intelligence.
The price is not for everyone: it starts from 799 euros but is in line with the requests of gaming laptops, with different dimensions and characteristics.
How it's done
Let's talk about size: a huge 8.8-inch display which is the beating heart of the whole experience.
From here starts an indefinite (so to speak) series of buttons to customize and use to the fullest.
Perhaps there are really too many, so much so that the average user will find himself using them only in the classic X, Y, A and B combination. A peculiarity immediately catches the eye: under the main pad there is a small touchpad, which that of a notebook.
You can use it to move the arrow within Windows 11 instead of relying only on your fingers or analog sticks.
In terms of connectivity, we have two USB-C ports, both for charging or connecting external devices, a classic headphone jack, a port for expanding the memory via microSD cards and two upper fans, which dissipate heat optimally.
Never, even after hours of play, do you feel the need to put the console down because the temperature is too high.
In addition to installing games in memory, with a 512 GB disk, you can access practically every cloud gaming platform, from Xbox Game Pass to Steam.
Thinking about the opportunity to also buy an emulator of titles from the past, the fun is practically unlimited.
What it turns into
But, as anticipated, the beauty of the Lenovo Legion Go is its versatility.
In the back, at the bottom of the two controllers, there is a small button which, if pressed, allows you to detach the gamepads and leave the display alone, as if it were a real tablet.
Of course, the sensation is not that of an iPad, given the weight and thickness, but Lenovo had the nice idea of inserting a stand on the back, similar to a Microsoft Surface, with which to keep the Legion Go still, in a vast of angles.
This simplifies use as a multimedia device and, if desired, also for playing games, keeping the two portions of the gamepad detached and connected via Bluetooth to the console.
Nintendo Switch has set the example and Lenovo has made the lesson its own.
Inside the package, together with the usual cables and a convenient travel case, there is a dock, a circular ring into which the right gamepad can be magnetically inserted.
By turning it vertically and activating the FPS mode, this transforms into an ergonomic mouse, similar to the ones we are used to.
It will take a while to get the hang of it but, at that point, you will be able to use the configuration both to manage Windows 11 with all the programs you want and even play video games, as you would with a computer, i.e. with even greater precision in titles shooter or similar.
To date, there is nothing similar in the portable console segment.
Is it worth it?
Reviewing a console like the Lenovo Legion Go is very difficult, in proportion to what it can do.
It is not just a gaming device, it does not have notebook dimensions and certainly does not have the autonomy of a smartphone (ideally 3 to 5 hours of "calm" use).
The great thing is that it works well in every situation you compare it with compared to specific products.
For those who already have a computer, it can become an ideal multimedia companion, even a substitute in some cases, considering a very beautiful panel even if smaller than the classic 10 inches of a tablet.
Lenovo's effort to create an all-in-one gadget is more than successful, so much so that the Legion Go can act as a reference model for anyone intending to launch something even remotely similar in the future.
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