Lenovo’s Foldable Gaming Laptop Is Too Cool to Remain Just a Concept.
The portable gaming console market is currently struggling. The Nintendo Switch 2 is significantly more expensive than its predecessor , the Steam Deck is out of stock in most regions , and the Xbox portable console is prone to bugs . Plus, they’re all huge.
Lenovo has been one of the best companies in this space lately, releasing two of my favorite portable gaming consoles , but it seems the company isn’t done with portable devices just yet. At Mobile World Congress, Lenovo unveiled its latest concept—the Legion Go Fold, a modular portable console. It attempts to solve virtually all the problems of portable gaming consoles with one interesting twist: it’s also a foldable tablet.
It’s essentially a tablet with an 11.6-inch OLED screen that folds in half, but it comes with two controller halves that can be attached to it in a variety of ways. You can use the entire screen horizontally, with one controller half on each side, or vertically for dual-screen use. Or you can fold it vertically for a more compact 7.7-inch screen. There’s also a stand and Bluetooth keyboard that can be used to turn the tablet into a laptop-like device, and you can even connect the controller halves with a connector to turn it into a standalone controller that doesn’t require being attached to the tablet. I tested all of these configurations, and in most cases, I found them comfortable, though I must admit that in dual-screen mode, the early prototype I tested felt a little unstable.
Lenovo even brought back “FPS mode,” allowing you to take the right half of the controller and insert it into a dedicated dock to use it as a mouse. Essentially, this device can be used in virtually any orientation or form factor, meaning you no longer need to buy multiple portable devices for different tasks. The tablet also runs Windows, promising greater app compatibility than Android. One half of the controller even has its own tiny OLED screen for tracking important performance metrics.
What’s the catch? Like many of Lenovo’s more interesting devices , the Legion Go Fold is still just a concept. If you want to see it in action, you’ll have to express your opinion via email or social media—Lenovo has a history of successful concept cars , so you never know if the company is simply testing the market to gauge interest.
Unfortunately, since it’s a concept, there’s no word yet on pricing for the Legion Go Fold, though the prototype I saw was equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Based on Lenovo’s other gaming portables , I’d guess it’ll start at least $600 and could reach $1,100—which is obviously more expensive than the Switch 2 or Steam Deck, but perhaps worth it given all the features this device offers.
Lenovo also showed off a competitor to the Framework.
The Lenovo Legion Go Fold certainly stands out among the devices unveiled at MWC, but there are several other gadgets worth noting.
Along with updated versions of existing laptops and consumer tablets coming to market later this year, Lenovo also showcased the ThinkBook Modular AI PC concept, which appears to be the company’s take on the Framework Laptop . At first glance, this device resembles a regular laptop, but the keyboard can be replaced with a second display. This display can then be used for touch input or continue using the detached keyboard wirelessly. There’s also a built-in stand, allowing you to mount the second display as an external monitor and insert it into the laptop lid to use the device as a tablet when closed.
There’s nothing particularly special about this laptop yet that resembles the Framework, but the key feature is that the ports on this concept are modular, allowing you to mix and match the number of USB or Ethernet connections. We haven’t seen this from any other company besides the Framework, so it seems Lenovo has decided to evaluate this laptop’s potential and improve it.
Lenovo Workmate is an unusual device with artificial intelligence.
In the enterprise segment, there’s the Lenovo AI Workmate—a concept that essentially attaches an AI chatbot to an animated touchscreen and places it on an articulated robotic arm. It’s supposed to be able to perform common computer tasks, like scanning documents or even creating PowerPoint presentations, but judging by its appearance, the idea is to make you greet your new robot overlords with a smile.
Additionally, though I didn’t get to see them, Lenovo also showed off concepts for the AI Work Companion, which is more focused on scheduling and looks like a retro alarm clock, and a wireless Yoga webcam that can stream 4K video to a computer remotely.
Finally, the company demonstrated a concept laptop with 3D capabilities that allows for glasses-free shooting, called the Yoga Book Pro 3D. Similar devices have become commonplace among creative professionals in recent years, but this model is unique in that it comes with magnetic pucks that can be placed on it to access specific tools in editing programs.
Again, there’s no guarantee these concepts will make it to market, but they certainly bring some much-needed unconventional energy at a time when other major companies are sticking to tried-and-true designs . Hopefully, the RAM crisis won’t keep them in the lab longer than necessary.