Lenovo Legion Go 2 prototypes are starting to find their way into reviewers’ hands, showing strong results despite a lack of proper software support. Featuring AMD’s latest Z2 Extreme chip, today’s engineering sample gives us a hint at the performance we can expect from final products. If you were holding off on getting a gaming handheld, this may be the one to change your mind.
Unlike the previous Legion Go 2 leak which was an early test variant powered by the weaker Ryzen Z2, this time we get to see the full might of AMD’s Z2 Extreme chip. Well, at least in its unoptimised form. YouTube Lines Tech put it to the test in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, where the handheld managed 49fps at 1080p medium settings. For comparison, the MSI Claw A8, which is also powered by the same Z2 Extreme, delivered 44fps in the same test, i.e. 10% slower.
This performance discrepancy could be attributed to multiple factors, such as cooling performance, memory configuration, or even the power profile tuning of each brand. While the power metric may be configurable through the handheld’s overlay, the memory is what you get out of the box. In this case, the Legion Go 2’s 32GB – of which 8GB is dedicated to the GPU – seems to provide an advantage. Lines Tech has also mentioned that the Legion Go 2 maintained a steady temperature between 60° and 70°C, allowing the Z2 Extreme to unleash its full performance.
Lines Tech also took his screwdriver for a spin, disassembling the Legion Go 2 to reveal the Z2 Extreme and the cooling system. The process was quite seamless thanks to Lenovo’s use of screws instead of glue. This means that any future storage upgrades or battery replacements should be within the reach of most users. Great stuff.
Despite being a prototype without final software optimisations, the Legion Go 2 is set to offer a stronger alternative to the Legion Go and Legion Go S. We surely don’t mind seeing more PC performance in the portable format, especially if Sony’s PlayStation 6 handheld rumours turn out to be true.
The Legion Go 2 is expected to launch sometime in September, but Lenovo has yet to announce it officially. The same goes for pricing, which may be quite hefty considering the performance on hand. If the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is any indication, there is no running away from a $900 tag. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it even at $1,100, actually, since the Legion Go 2 features detachable controls plus a larger, high-resolution screen.
