Lenovo makes the right choice by offering SteamOS on the Legion Go 2, but the price ruins everything

• Lenovo revealed a new version of the Legion Go 2 at CES 2026
• The new handheld runs SteamOS and launches in June 2026
• The starting price is $1,119, which is $100 more than the base MSRP of the Windows 11 version.

We’re deep into CES 2026 and we finally got our first major announcement for a new portable gaming PC launching later this year, although that’s admittedly using a liberal definition of the word “new.”

As reported by VideoCardz, Lenovo revealed a SteamOS version of the Legion Go 2 at CES 2026. This new version of an existing portable formula is expected to launch in June 2026, starting at $1,119 / around £829 / AU$1,660. This is an addition to the already available Legion Go 2 models that run Microsoft’s Windows 11 (and follows in the footsteps of the Lenovo Legion Go S).

Of course, this launch isn’t much of a surprise as this move was already rumored, and it appears that the leaked image of the Legion Go 2 apparently using SteamOS (before the Windows version even arrived) was indeed legit.

The same configurations will be available with this new SteamOS model, meaning you’ll be able to run with up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and an AMD Ryzen Z2 or Z2 Extreme SoC. This is a hardware spec that is more than capable of delivering excellent performance for most portable gaming scenarios.

However, unsurprisingly, Lenovo ran into the same problem it did when launching Windows 11 models of the Legion Go 2, namely price.

While pricing and the tough hardware market (due to the RAM crisis) are aspects to consider, it will be difficult for most consumers to justify spending over $1,000 on a portable device, and not a full-fledged gaming PC.

For the Windows 11 version, the MSRP for the Legion Go 2 Z2 is $1,099 in the US, while the Z2 Extreme model is $1,349 (which is close to the price of the most powerful handheld on the market, the GPD Win 5).

This means that Lenovo increased the base starting price by $100 for the SteamOS model. This is a turnaround from the Legion Go S, where the Windows version was the more expensive option.

In that case, we can expect the Legion Go 2 with SteamOS using the Z2 Extreme chip to cost at least $1,449, and I don’t think many gamers will even consider a handheld that costs that much and doesn’t offer much of an improvement in performance over much cheaper devices.

Analysis: All credit to SteamOS support, but that price stinks

As I’ve said many times, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, whether powered by Windows 11 or SteamOS, doesn’t cost more than $1,000 (and the Ryzen Z2 Extreme models reach particularly ridiculous levels in terms of price).

I am well aware of the challenging component market conditions that currently make it difficult to control the cost of PCs and the high-end hardware built into Lenovo’s handhelds, such as the OLED display.

However, the processor used hardly represents a significant improvement over its predecessor, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, and if you save just a little more money, you can land on a handheld built around the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 – the most powerful AMD APU in existence.

I’ve argued before that prices like these for “mainstream” handhelds effectively push them away from the mainstream and back into the niche category they resided in before the arrival of Valve’s Steam Deck. Unfortunately, it looks like Lenovo and its other manufacturers won’t budge on this, and I don’t see that changing.

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Isaiah is a writer for TechRadar’s IT channel. He has spent over two years writing about all things tech, particularly PC, console, and handheld gaming. He started at GameRant in 2022 after graduating from Birmingham City University the same year, before writing for PC Guide, which included work on deals articles, reviews, and news on PC products such as GPUs, CPUs, monitors, and more. He spends most of his time learning about cool new features in upcoming GPUs and is passionate about new PC game releases, hoping the ports aren’t a complete mess.