When the Steam Deck launched in 2022, it was hardly the first PC gaming handheld to hit the market. The Nintendo Switch had already categorically proven that large-screened handheld gaming systems were what people wanted five years prior, and other manufacturers had seen minor success with Windows-based devices. However, the Steam Deck was the first thing to come along and set the bar for what a PC gaming handheld could and should be. Now, all other gaming handhelds must meet that bar, or they will be dead in the water.
Keeping that in mind, Lenovo is in a unique position with its line of Legion handhelds. At CES earlier this year, the company announced the market’s first true Steam Deck competitor, meaning third-party hardware running the same Linux-based Steam OS that comes with the Steam Deck. It is officially called the Lenovo Legion Go S — Powered by Steam OS. That device has yet to hit retail, but in the meantime, Lenovo has a stop-gap product that is almost the same but running good ol’ Windows 11. That’s the one this review is about.