The Lenovo Legion Go S is a balance of compromises, offering an affordable entry-level price, stellar audio, good ergonomics, and a great display, but with subpar gaming performance compared to its competitors.

Still, the Go S is built far better than the original Legion Go, whose flat-faced controllers felt awkward in my hands. The new portable has some of the best-sculpted grips I’ve felt on a handheld, though their smooth texture can feel a little slippery. I’d have gone with more aggressive stippling to help me hold its 1.61-pound weight.

The Lenovo Legion Go S is an extraordinarily comfortable handheld that seems poised to best compete against the cheaper Steam Deck OLED.

The Lenovo Legion Go S is an incredibly ergonomic handheld gaming PC that feels great in your hands, but Windows makes the whole experience feel awkward.

Lenovo's sleek Legion Go S gaming handheld falls behind the competition in performance and battery life... but costs just as much.

It’s been easy to close myself off to other handheld gaming PCs since I have the $649 Steam Deck OLED. After all, the OS is easy to use, it has a great screen, and most importantly, many games run well on it.