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.

It’s worth noting that Lenovo has other Legion Go S configurations coming later this year. In May, it plans to release a $599.99 variant that has the same specs as the model I’m reviewing, but with half the RAM (16 GB versus 32). It will also debut a Z1 Extreme-powered model in April, but there’s currently no price attached to that version.

I've been using the Lenovo Legion Go S (with Windows), and I hate to say it, but Lenovo has a real dud on its hands.

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.

With so many meaningful improvements, the Legion Go S is a gorgeous and comfortable handheld. But does its high price and middling performance hurt it?

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

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

There's never been a better time to be interested in PC gaming on the go, because the state of gaming handhelds has never been better. And right now you can get one of the best for a sweet discount.

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.