The Legion Go 2: An Overview
- Runs on the Z2 Extreme chip from AMD.
- Features a new OLED panel: 120 Hz variable refresh rate, 500 nits, HDR support.
- Improved audio: New speakers.
- Enhanced controls: New D-pad, new sticks.
- Better ergonomics.
- 50% larger battery compared to the previous generation.
- Considered the most premium gaming handheld currently available.
Trade-offs of the Legion Go 2
- Significantly larger.
- Noticeably heavier.
- Fans are louder.
- Much more expensive.
- Contradicts typical handheld desires for thinner, lighter, quieter, and cheaper devices.
The Steam Deck's Impact on the Handheld Market
- Released in 2022 at $400.
- Deemed an affordable product with decent performance.
- Valve's advantage: Owns the Steam store, allowing them to sell devices at a lower margin as a vessel for game sales.
- Other companies must compete on performance and unique features because they lack Valve's economic model.
Legion Go 2 Features and Performance
- Supports different modes for gaming, media, and productivity.
- New mouse mode with redesigned buttons and controller shape offers improved comfort.
- FPS mode functions as a usable mouse when needed.
- New 8.8-inch OLED screen offers great viewing angles and is suitable for media consumption.
- Lower resolution (1200p instead of 1600p) but enhanced visual experience due to OLED.
- Good scaling down to 800p, still looks good.
- Better battery life than the first generation, but still not super long-lasting due to the large OLED screen.
- Top-end performance: 10-15% improvement over the previous generation.
- Significant gains at lower wattages (10-15W range): 25-40% increase in performance, sometimes up to 60%.
The Growing Problem in the Handheld Industry
- Current trend: Devices are becoming super expensive, bordering the price of 16-inch gaming laptops.
- Exemplified by the Legion Go 2's $1,500 price point.
- Handhelds are becoming thicker, heavier, and louder.
- The original Legion Go 1 now retails for $700, offering solid hardware for the price.
- The Legion Go 2 is more than double the price of its predecessor for a "mild improvement in performance."
- Concerns that Z3 Extreme devices could cost $2,000, deviating from what handhelds were historically designed for.
- Desire for the industry to focus on optimizing existing chips for better, cheaper, thinner, and lighter experiences instead of solely chasing hardware upgrades and higher prices.
Summary:
The video reviews the Lenovo Legion Go 2, highlighting its premium features like the Z2 Extreme chip, OLED display, and enhanced ergonomics, while also noting its drawbacks: increased size, weight, noise, and significant cost. The reviewer attributes this trend of escalating prices and specifications in the handheld market to the Steam Deck, explaining that other manufacturers struggle to compete with Valve's ecosystem advantage and thus focus on raw performance and unique features. While the Legion Go 2 offers performance improvements, especially at lower wattages, and boasts a great screen and improved controls, its $1,500 price tag is identified as a major pain point, leading to a broader discussion about the industry's unsustainable trajectory toward increasingly expensive, larger, and louder devices that contradict the traditional appeal of handheld gaming. The reviewer advocates for a shift in focus from chasing hardware power to optimizing existing technology for more affordable, compact, and efficient devices.