“Is Windows Gaming on the Chopping Block? SteamOS Takes a Bold Leap Beyond the Deck!”

Nearly precisely a year ago, we were openly hoping for the occasion when additional portable gaming PC manufacturers could abandon Windows in preference of SteamOS (without needing to use any finicky unofficial methods). Now, that moment has arrived, as Lenovo revealed the forthcoming Legion Go S as the initial non-Valve handheld set to include an officially sanctioned version of SteamOS preinstalled. Furthermore, Valve guarantees that it will soon distribute a beta iteration of SteamOS for users to “download and trial themselves.”

Positioned as Lenovo’s somewhat scaled-back successor to 2023’s considerable Legion Go, the Legion Go S will forgo the detachable controllers seen in its forerunner. However, the new portable gaming system will be available in two separate versions: one featuring the now-common Windows 11 installation and another variation that is the inaugural to display the (recently leaked) “Powered by SteamOS” label.

The absence of a Windows license appears to result in a reduced initial cost for the “Powered by SteamOS” version of the Legion Go S, which is expected to commence at $500 upon its release in May. Lenovo indicates that the Windows variant of the device—launching this month—will start at $730, with “additional configurations” available in May beginning at $600.

Both the Windows and SteamOS variants of the Legion Go S will weigh 1.61 lbs, boasting an 8-inch 1200p 120 Hz LCD display, up to 32GB of RAM, and either AMD’s latest Ryzen Z2 Go chipset or an older Z1 core.

Beware, Windows?

Valve mentioned in a blog entry on Tuesday that the Legion Go S will utilize the same version of SteamOS currently available on the Steam Deck. The company noted that its efforts to integrate SteamOS onto the Legion Go S will also “enhance compatibility with other handheld devices,” and that Valve “is working on SteamOS support for a broader range of devices in the future.”