C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR Lenovo might release a new variant of its Legion Go 2 gaming handheld.
Instead of Windows 11 or an ROG Ally-style Xbox interface, this Legion Go 2 version is expected to run SteamOS.
SteamOS is likely to improve users’ experience with better power management and a console-like interface.
The Lenovo Legion Go 2 gaming handheld was first showcased at the CES 2025 conference, but it didn’t make it to the market as late as the October. So, an upgraded version makes little sense. However, Lenovo may be looking to expand options for potential buyers by offering another variant that runs SteamOS instead of Windows.
As per a recent leak, Lenovo may be gearing up to reveal this new variant of the Legion Go 2 at CES 2026, exactly a year after the first reveal. Windows Latest says the step to introduce a new variant stems from the unoptimized Windows experience on the small screen. While Lenovo had the option to choose the Xbox full-screen experience (FSE), as did with the 2025 variants of ASUS ROG Ally and Ally X. However, it appears to have gone with SteamOS for its advantages, including lower hardware requirements, better power management, greater stability, and a truly optimized console-like experience.
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Despite changes to the software experience, Lenovo does not appear to be working on newer hardware specs. The Legion Go 2 is expected to rock the same AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU (though we hope there’s a Z2 variant too), up to 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, and 2TB of PCIe storage. The handheld is also expected to feature the same design with its 8.8-inch 144Hz OLED.
Windows has peeved many owners of gaming handhelds, such as the Lenovo Legion Go 2. In addition to the issues mentioned above, certain Windows-based handhelds have experienced unreliable sleep and excessive Windows bloatware that drains resources in the background. These issues have also prompted some users to explore alternatives, such as Bazzite, a Linux distro that very closely resembles SteamOS and is specifically designed for gaming handhelds like the Legion Go or ROG Ally. The same could be installed on the Legion Go 2 unofficially, though we don’t anticipate Lenovo offering an official means for existing users to transition to SteamOS.
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