Breaking: SteamOS Comes to Lenovo Legion Go S Gaming Handheld

Lenovo made history at CES 2025 by announcing Legion Go S, the first officially licensed third-party handheld that runs on SteamOS. This breakthrough device features an AMD Z2 Go APU with higher TDP capabilities than the Steam Deck’s processor. The hardware includes 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a large 55Wh battery. Lenovo priced it competitively at $499. The partnership with Valve lets gamers access thousands of games on SteamOS. Players can use features like quick suspend/resume and easy system updates. The device launches in May, marking a key milestone in portable gaming development.

Lenovo Unveils First Third-Party SteamOS Device

Lenovo introduced two versions of its Legion Go S handheld gaming device at CES 2025. The company made history with one model becoming the first non-Valve device to run SteamOS. The SteamOS variant comes in ‘Nebula Violet’ color and costs $499, marking a key moment in portable gaming.

The Legion Go S keeps most physical features you’ll find in its Windows version. Players get an 8-inch touchscreen display with 1920 x 1200 resolution that runs at 122Hz refresh rate. The device’s Hall Effect joysticks and adjustable trigger switches give players precise control over their games.

Modern connectivity options define the Legion Go S. The device has WiFi 6e support, two USB4 ports, and a microSD card reader. Players can naturally switch between their handheld and computer thanks to cloud save features.

The SteamOS model offers big advantages compared to the Windows version. Players save $100 when choosing this model over its Windows counterpart. Valve has promised that the Legion Go S will get updates at the same time as other SteamOS devices, which keeps features consistent across all devices.

AMD’s exclusive Z2 Go processor powers the Legion Go S with its Zen 3 architecture. The chip delivers quick gameplay through four CPU cores and eight threads. AMD Radeon graphics, built on RDNA 2 architecture, drive 1200p gaming performance. The visual experience gets better with Radeon Super Resolution and FidelityFX Super Resolution technologies.

Lenovo packed impressive hardware into this device. A 55.5Whr battery with Rapid Charge Pro keeps players gaming longer. The PureSight display shows 100% sRGB colors and reaches 500nit brightness, making games look vivid and clear. Lenovo’s ColdFront technology uses large heat sinks and 3D fans to keep everything running cool.

The SteamOS-powered Legion Go S launches in May 2025. This release starts SteamOS’s expansion beyond Valve’s hardware. Lenovo leads the way as the first third-party manufacturer to adopt SteamOS, which could alter the map of handheld gaming.

Steam Deck Alternative Packs Powerful Hardware

The Legion Go S packs an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor that’s built specifically for affordable gaming handhelds. This processor builds on the Rembrandt die and comes with four Zen 3 cores plus eight threads. It runs at 3.0 GHz base clock and can boost up to 4.3 GHz. The chip’s cache setup is solid with 2MB L2 and 8MB L3 cache.

The graphics side looks great with 12 RDNA 2 GPU cores. You get cool features like AMD Radeon Super Resolution and FreeSync Technology. Users can tweak the processor’s power between 15-30W to find their sweet spot between performance and battery life.

Memory gets a big upgrade here. The Legion Go S ships with 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 memory. That’s twice what you’ll find in a Steam Deck, so you can run bigger games and keep more stuff running at once.

Storage starts with a nice 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The screen is an 8-inch IPS display running at 1920×1200 with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Games look great on this thing.

Battery life changes a lot based on what you’re doing. The 55.5Whr battery beats both Steam Deck models – the LCD’s 40Whr and OLED’s 50Whr. Real-world battery life depends on your games though. Push it hard in performance mode and you’ll get about 1.5 hours. Lighter games and streaming can stretch that to 3-4 hours.

The benchmark numbers tell an interesting story. The Legion Go S scored 2,489 in 3D Mark Time Spy. Real gaming performance looks good too – it hits 33 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1900×1080. That’s pretty solid for a handheld at this price point.

SteamOS Beta Transforms Gaming Landscape

Valve has made a game-changing decision to expand SteamOS beyond its own hardware. The company plans to release a beta version of SteamOS that works on handheld devices before April 2025. This will let users try out the operating system themselves.

AMD-powered devices will be the main focus of the beta release, especially those with Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipsets. The company will start with handheld gaming systems instead of desktop computers. While Intel and Nvidia support might be limited when it launches, Valve plans to add more compatibility as time goes on.

Steam Deck’s lead designer Pierre-Loup Griffais stresses the need for a unified platform. “We want to ensure we have a good pathway to work together on firmware updates and access to boot managers and BIOS in a semi-standardized fashion,” he explains.

Valve released detailed branding guidelines in December 2024 to make this expansion work smoothly. Devices with ‘Powered by SteamOS’ certification will boot straight into SteamOS and use official system images created with Valve. This standard approach will give consistent performance across different hardware setups.

The operating system comes with clear benefits:

• Linux-based architecture that supports most Steam library games through Proton compatibility layer
• Smooth gaming experience while keeping PC flexibility
• Direct access to Steam’s extensive game distribution platform
• Regular system updates and improvements

Valve shows steadfast dedication beyond its original support, with plans to boost compatibility and user experience. The company works closely with manufacturers to ensure proper firmware updates and system access.

This expansion brings a fundamental change to the gaming industry. Manufacturers now have an economical alternative to Windows licenses. Players get access to a gaming-optimized operating system that blends console-like simplicity with PC versatility.

Lenovo’s Legion Go S launches in May 2025, but the beta release comes earlier. This gives early adopters a chance to try SteamOS on their existing hardware. Through this project, Valve wants to build a rich ecosystem of gaming devices that fit different priorities while keeping the user experience consistent.

Conclusion

Lenovo’s Legion Go S represents a major milestone that brings SteamOS beyond Valve’s hardware ecosystem. This game-changing collaboration delivers premium gaming through AMD’s Z2 Go processor with 16GB RAM and multiple storage options. The device costs $499, making quality portable gaming more available than ever.

Powerful hardware combined with SteamOS creates an impressive package for gamers. Users get smooth game compatibility, fast system updates, and improved performance with adjustable TDP settings. On top of that, Valve’s dedication to firmware parity across SteamOS devices will give long-term support and reliability.

The cooperative effort between Lenovo and Valve opens a new chapter in portable gaming. Legion Go S’s release in May 2025 will set the foundation for future third-party SteamOS devices. Gamers will have more choices while enjoying the efficient experience they expect from Steam’s ecosystem.