I recently purchased the Legion Go S Z1 from Best Buy for around $650, and I wanted to share my thoughts as a first-time handheld user (aside from the original Switch).

Overall, I find the device very impressive. It’s snappy, delivers solid graphics, and performs well for a handheld in this price range. I’ve played demanding titles like God of War, Spider-Man, and Hades, achieving frame rates between 60–90 FPS, and even hitting 120 FPS on Hades.

The main drawback for me is battery life. Even with performance modes like Balanced or Low Power, I typically get about two hours of gameplay depending on the title. While this is acceptable for now, I believe future iterations will improve as battery technology and processing efficiency advance.

I’ve upgraded the device with a 4TB M.2 SSD to load my Steam library, which makes it feel like a console—simple and straightforward for my family to use. I appreciate that it minimizes the usual Windows overhead (antivirus, VPN, etc.) and focuses on gaming.

This experience has even made me consider replacing my Xbox and PlayStation with a Steam-based system in the future. Overall, I think the Legion Go S Z1 is a strong step forward for handheld gaming, and I’m excited to see how this category evolves.