CES 2026: Lenovo Quietly Announced the Most Powerful Steam Deck to Date.
2025 has been a great year for handheld gaming : the Nintendo Switch finally got a sequel, and older handhelds like the Nintendo DS received unofficial successors from companies like AYN and Ayaneo . Steam Deck fans suffered a bit at the end of the year when Valve announced the discontinuation of the $400 Steam Deck LCD , but for gamers in a different price range, Lenovo just announced the most powerful handheld console running SteamOS.
Technically, this isn’t a new device, but a reissue of last year’s portable console. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 features an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. It also features detachable controllers, similar to the Nintendo Switch, and a unique feature: an 8.8-inch OLED display. And now it’s available with SteamOS pre-installed (last year’s version only came with Windows).
If it’s anything like the Legion Go S with SteamOS pre-installed , that means launching and navigating games will feel just like a Steam Deck, which is great news for anyone who’s a fan of Valve’s lightweight, easy-to-use operating system, but which is starting to feel outdated. Not only should it be easier to use than last year’s Legion Go 2 with Windows pre-installed, but the more powerful chip will allow the portable device to run games much smoother and at higher resolutions than any other official SteamOS device. The hardware isn’t made by Valve, but it’s essentially a new, super-powered sequel to Steam Deck, capable of boosting frame rates by tens of frames per second under certain conditions. To put the scale of the change into perspective, installing SteamOS on the Legion Go S transformed it from one of my least favorite portable gaming PCs into my top choice for most users.
Even those who already have the Windows version installed may notice a performance boost, as SteamOS typically uses fewer resources than Windows, which can result in a smoother gaming experience. You can read more about this in my Legion Go 2 review with Windows , where I compare it to SteamOS devices. Combined with this hardware and operating system, it’s arguably the most powerful portable gaming PC you can buy right now.
The only catch? It’s still a bulky device, and while the SteamOS version of the Legion Go S was cheaper than the Windows version (likely because Valve doesn’t charge a licensing fee like Microsoft), the SteamOS version of the Legion Go 2 is initially more expensive than the Windows version—$1,199 instead of $1,099. This could be due to shortages of key components like RAM , but it’s disappointing that the already high price is getting even higher when the precedent for SteamOS versions of these devices is to lower prices.
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However, the cheapest Legion Go 2 Windows model is currently quite difficult to find anywhere other than the official Lenovo store , so it’s entirely possible that the price for this model could increase in the near future as supplies dwindle. And when it comes to models costing more than four figures, it’s arguable that quality is more important than the extra $100.
Of course, you can purchase the Windows version and install SteamOS on it yourself , but this is quite labor-intensive and can result in an awkward button layout. The version with SteamOS already installed comes with a dedicated Steam button layout. Choosing this will avoid unnecessary hassle and provide a more intuitive setup.
Aside from that button and the operating system, everything else about the device is identical to the Windows version, but that’s not a drawback. I called it “redundancy” in my review, but that large OLED screen is gorgeous and perfect for gamers who want the best graphics on the go. The original Legion Go 2 was my favorite premium portable gaming console last year, and the SteamOS model promises to be even better.
Valve gamers who find the Steam Deck OLED or Legion Go S lacking in luxury should keep an eye on the official release date, which is tentatively expected in June. This could be the premium portable gaming PC they’ve been waiting for, combining the convenience of SteamOS with modern specs that even a similarly priced Xbox portable console can’t match. Finally, a “Steam Deck” for the top 1% is here.