We simultaneously love and hate Windows 11 on the Legion Go. Having a full-fledged Windows desktop operating system on a handheld device is extremely convenient, mainly due to the fact that it’s simple to install whatever programs you desire. This is opposed to SteamOS on the Valve Stem Deck, which can become a frustrating experience when you move outside of Steam’s curated ecosystem. In this regard, the Legion Go is much more flexible, and right out of the box, you get three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which launches without any muss or fuss. The same goes for the Steam, Epic Game Store, Humble Bundle, GoG Galaxy, or even the much abhorred Uplay and EA apps.
What’s not so great is Windows 11, which is clunky and irritating to use on a touchscreen device like this. Lenovo does have their custom launcher called “Legion Space” which is meant to help smooth out the wrinkles in Windows 11, and the settings sidebar is very useful. Both have their own dedicated button on the controllers. However, they feel rushed and underdeveloped, so while we frequently brought up Lenovo’s settings menu to adjust the RGB lighting, resolution, etc., we rarely used Legion Space.
By comparison, SteamOS on the Steam Deck provides a smooth, console-quality experience complete with optimized ready-to-play “Deck-verified” games. We hope Lenovo will keep improving Legion Space to someday provide a similar experience to SteamOS, but one in which all game storefronts are highly accessible.
