Friday, August 18th 2023

Lenovo Legion Go Handheld Leaks Powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 APU

Aug 18th, 2023 07:39 Discuss (31 Comments)

After a couple of speculations, rumors, and leaks, the latest one confirms that Lenovo is indeed working on a handheld gaming console, the Legion Go, and it could be launching pretty soon. The latest leak shows it powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 APU and featuring detachable JoyCon-like controllers. It will run on Windows 11 OS and could be paired up with the Legion AR Glasses.

Unfortunately, the leak over at Windowsreport.com show does not include specifications, but according to pictures, it will feature dual speakers, two mics, microSD card reader, a couple of USB-C ports, dedicated FPS switch, a mouse wheel, integrated kickstand, and AMD Ryzen Z1 APU, same as the ASUS ROG Ally. Unfortunately, it is not clear if it will be the Ryzen Z1 or the Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU.

The source of the leak also suggests that the Lenovo could also launch the Legion AR Glasses, that could be a standalone device but also possibly be paired up with the Legion Go. There are still a lot of unknowns, but it appears that Lenovo is making a device that is a mix between the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Nintendo Switch, which could be a winning combination if done right. While there is no info on the price or the launch date, rumors point to IFA 2023 show, which kicks off on September 1st, in Berlin, Germany. Hopefully, we will hear more about it soon.

Sources: Windows Report, via Videocardz

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31 Comments on Lenovo Legion Go Handheld Leaks Powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 APU

john_

AMD's APUs and gaming, could be a new chance for Windows to have a reason of existence on tablets. Maybe Microsoft should start considering a gaming version of their OS.

Space Lynx

Astronaut

i just can't do a big handheld like this with the right analog stick in the lower placement, my hand will cringe having to arch down/thumb stretching out

steam deck got the placement exactly right, feels so good in my hands

AnarchoPrimitiv

I think this is a harbinger of AMD's future with respect to graphics....or at least of what I believe AMD should focus on. APUs are quickly becoming powerful enough to finally launch a serious offensive against low tier dGPU, and I think AMD could use its leverage in this area to regain marketshare against Nvidia. Rumors have the upcoming, top of the line APUs at 40CUs! The current 780m only has 12, and those 40CUs will be improved RDNA3.5 IP, so the performance bumb should be serious to say the least.

I think the next gen of APUs can definitely dominate the 1080p market and pose a serious challenge to Nvidia's xx60 series and below. The Achilles heal is of course memory bandwidth, but with Nvidis limiting their own cards to 128bit and AMD developing better infinity cache and the use of LPDDR5X, this can be mitigated. Either way, it would be a pretty peculiar turn of events if Radeon finally toppled Nvidia's xx60 cards and did so without even using a dGPU, ha. Then of course there's the ever growing handheld market that for all intents and purposes is AMD's to lose, so it's definitely a very important moment and opportunity for AMD and radeon.

Chrispy_

Having had a week of hands-on time with Windows 11 on the Steam Deck, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Windows is unsustainable for handheld like this.

Reviews of the ROG Ally echo my own feelings that Windows is trying to do too much for a device that is resource-limited and needs barely 2% of the features, functionally, and service bloat that Windows encumbered the hardware with.

Where are we with that handheld gaming OS Microsoft Devs showed off six months ago?

Gooigi's Ex

I’m so glad more manufacturers are stepping into the handheld market. Got the Asus ROG ALLY and it has been a blast to play games while on the couch or bed. I know that the OneXPlayer exists with its detachable controllers, but this seems well more thought out with a twist of Lenovo quirks. I can’t wait for more manufacturers to join.

TechLurker

This is what the Nintendo Switch 2 should be. Here's to dreaming that Nintendo could work out a deal with Lenovo for some of their Legion Go handhelds and do a custom OS while also now being easier to develop games for, since it would now be the lowest common denominator as all 3 console makers would be use the same GPU maker.

trsttte

Chrispy_Where are we with that handheld gaming OS Microsoft Devs showed off six months ago?

It was just a launcher, not that they couldn't make it the base of a new stripped down version of windows, but that'll take 2 or 3 years in coorporate time :D

TechLurkerThis is what the Nintendo Switch 2 should be. Here's to dreaming that Nintendo could work out a deal with Lenovo for some of their Legion Go handhelds and do a custom OS while also now being easier to develop games for, since it would now be the lowest common denominator as all 3 console makers would be use the same GPU maker.

One can always dream, but no, nintendo won't give up their ecosystem control. You'll get a locked down console that will be underpowered and overpriced during the majority of it's tenure and you won't even be able to backup any of the data without paying nintendo for a subscription to one of their services :nutkick:

john_could be a new chance for Windows to have a reason of existence on tablets

They just won't do it. They already schedulled the event to release the new iteration of surface devices in september and from the current leaks it will be just more of the same underpowered and power hog intel processors. Even the surface go that has been stupid expensive for the ridiculous low performance and that could be a place to play with a mid range Snapdragon that they could target towards education will get the same shitty intel cpu as always

john_

TechLurkerThis is what the Nintendo Switch 2 should be. Here's to dreaming that Nintendo could work out a deal with Lenovo for some of their Legion Go handhelds and do a custom OS while also now being easier to develop games for, since it would now be the lowest common denominator as all 3 console makers would be use the same GPU maker.

If Nvidia was caring about gaming this period or wasn't at 80% but 30% in the discrete GPU market and was fighting for market share, a current Nvidia SOC with modern ARM cores and Lovelace or Blackwell based GPU, could be making fun at Sony and MS. Nvidia could offer such chip to Nintendo for minimal margins in an effort to attract the interest of MS or/and Sony.
Just a fantasy scenario.

trsttteIt was just a launcher, not that they couldn't make it the base of a new stripped down version of windows, but that'll take 2 or 3 years in coorporate time :D

One can always dream, but no, nintendo won't give up their ecosystem control. You'll get a locked down console that will be underpowered and overpriced during the majority of it's tenure and you won't even be able to backup any of the data without paying nintendo for a subscription to one of their services :nutkick:

They just won't do it. They already schedulled the event to release the new iteration of surface devices in september and from the current leaks it will be just more of the same underpowered and power hog intel processors. Even the surface go that has been stupid expensive for the ridiculous low performance and that could be a place to play with a mid range Snapdragon that they could target towards education will get the same shitty intel cpu as always

I am thinking that MS wouldn't want to offer a strip down OS in any way, to avoid that version getting used also elsewhere, meaning, losing the chance to gather user data for advertising purposes. Also these handheld consoles are also competition for Xbox, so, it's also that.
But if EVERYONE (meaning Dell) starts offering gaming handheld devices, MS might have to do something about that or end up with manufacturers, after having suffer enough with Windows 11, to start migrating to Steam OS. And that could start looking as a threat for the Windows ecosystem which will be bad for MS and might push them to offer something.
As for Surface, well it seems Intel and MS have a contract for that line, so these devices will keep being an example of how a huge brand name can also be a huge trap for the consumer.

Franzen4Real

Space Lynxi just can't do a big handheld like this with the right analog stick in the lower placement, my hand will cringe having to arch down/thumb stretching out

steam deck got the placement exactly right, feels so good in my hands

Definitely with you on that one.

#10

Gmr_Chick

trstttenintendo won't give up their ecosystem control. You'll get a locked down console that will be underpowered and overpriced during the majority of it's tenure and you won't even be able to backup any of the data without paying nintendo for a subscription to one of their services :nutkick:

Underpowered and Overpriced, yet it's STILL selling like hotcakes? I grew up on consoles, back when games were both fun - and more importantly, released as finished products - and Nintedo's always delivered when it comes to fun, quality content. Sure it doesn't have PC-class graphics, but maybe people could give two shits about ray-tracing and "realism" level graphics (honestly, y'all want real-life caliber graphics, just fucking go outside) and instead just wanna play a game because it's fun/has a great story, isn't a buggy shitshow full of microtransactions, on a system they can pretty much fit in their bag and take anywhere?

I just got the OLED Switch the other day, after wanting a Switch for the longest time. And, having owned every Nintendo system up to the Wii, I'm honestly blown away by how small the thing is and just the overall design of it. The Micro SD cards for it really ARE micro sized (able to fit on my thumb) and the game cards are even smaller than DS/3DS cards. :eek:

#11

Space Lynx

Astronaut

@Gmr_Chick not sure what your local library is like, but mine rents out Switch games for free. Alternatively, you could do Gamefly for games, $20 a month subscription gets you two games out at a time, and after you mail one back to get the next game in your que, they immediately mail you the next game as soon as tracking number shows the other was mailed back.

Sorry worded that weird, tired. Anyways, have fun, OLED Switch is nice I agree. I'm emulating some old ps1 games on my Steam Deck. Good times indeed.

#12

trsttte

Gmr_ChickUnderpowered and Overpriced, yet it's STILL selling like hotcakes? I grew up on consoles, back when games were both fun - and more importantly, released as finished products - and Nintedo's always delivered when it comes to fun, quality content. Sure it doesn't have PC-class graphics, but maybe people could give two shits about ray-tracing and "realism" level graphics (honestly, y'all want real-life caliber graphics, just fucking go outside) and instead just wanna play a game because it's fun/has a great story, isn't a buggy shitshow full of microtransactions, on a system they can pretty much fit in their bag and take anywhere?

I just got the OLED Switch the other day, after wanting a Switch for the longest time. And, having owned every Nintendo system up to the Wii, I'm honestly blown away by how small the thing is and just the overall design of it. The Micro SD cards for it really ARE micro sized (able to fit on my thumb) and the game cards are even smaller than DS/3DS cards. :eek:

One doesn't negate the other. It still sells very well and the games are fun, but Nintendo is a terrible company for consumers trying to lock them down into their subscription and the Switch uses the same hardware as a mid range tablet from 2016 and still sells for pretty much the same price, the hardware is basically garbage. There's many examples of people comparing a game running on the switch and then running the same game emulated and the differences are night and day.

#13

Gmr_Chick

trsttteOne doesn't negate the other. It still sells very well and the games are fun, but Nintendo is a terrible company for consumers trying to lock them down into their subscription and the Switch uses the same hardware as a mid range tablet from 2016 and still sells for pretty much the same price, the hardware is basically garbage. There's many examples of people comparing a game running on the switch and then running the same game emulated and the differences are night and day.

All companies are guilty of this practice though. But people still support 'em.

#14

Unregistered

I think a 6c/12t with maybe more GPU CUs or power is better for this format.

#15

chrcoluk

Given how easily their laptops fall apart I think I will pass, still waiting for a steam deck to actually come in stock.

#16

kapone32

When is TPU going to expose the Elephant in the room? There is no need to use a DGPU to get 1080P performance. The only thing holding these back is how ridiculous the upmark is for the handheld format. I have been advocating for months for a Ryzen APU with RDNA and as far as these handhelds go it delivers. The thing that is the Elephant for me is when these are released for AM5 desktops they will completely dominate budget, especially if they put a 105 Watt TDP on the Chip vs the 45 that is the Max for these handhelds.

#17

Gooigi's Ex

kapone32When is TPU going to expose the Elephant in the room? There is no need to use a DGPU to get 1080P performance. The only thing holding these back is how ridiculous the upmark is for the handheld format. I have been advocating for months for a Ryzen APU with RDNA and as far as these handhelds go it delivers. The thing that is the Elephant for me is when these are released for AM5 desktops they will completely dominate budget, especially if they put a 105 Watt TDP on the Chip vs the 45 that is the Max for these handhelds.

They are not because they are focus on the performance of the handheld based on being on battery and not when plugged in or “docked”. We both know the dGPU market for low end GPUs is about to get heated but as long as we keep viewing handheld performance based on JUST being on battery, it will never be addressed. The only way for to happen is to have the performance of the 7840u at 30 watts to be at 5 watts and on battery. That’s the only way the public will finally acknowledge that the low end dGPU market is ending.

Until that point, I’ll go enjoy that future now and while everyone is playing on Steam Deck.

#18

ToTTenTranz

kapone32When is TPU going to expose the Elephant in the room? There is no need to use a DGPU to get 1080P performance. The only thing holding these back is how ridiculous the upmark is for the handheld format. I have been advocating for months for a Ryzen APU with RDNA and as far as these handhelds go it delivers. The thing that is the Elephant for me is when these are released for AM5 desktops they will completely dominate budget, especially if they put a 105 Watt TDP on the Chip vs the 45 that is the Max for these handhelds.

The 780M is "enough for 1080p" (or rather 720p upscaled) if you lower the settings and if it's paired with LPDDR5 6400 and up.
There's plenty more to get at 1080p even if we don't consider raytracing (which is nonsense in handhelds for the moment). Phoenix is still a CPU-first chip for laptops, unlike Van Gogh for example.

#19

enya64

A good portion of laptop users buy exclusively for portable gaming. This new wave of manufacturers producing gaming handhelds is long overdue. Whichever company solves the battery life/gpu power problem and can produce 6 hours of of gaming at full power will open the floodgates.

#20

ToTTenTranz

enya64A good portion of laptop users buy exclusively for portable gaming. This new wave of manufacturers producing gaming handhelds is long overdue. Whichever company solves the battery life/gpu power problem and can produce 6 hours of of gaming at full power will open the floodgates.

No one's getting 6h on moderns games anytime soon, unless performance gets dwarfed.

#21

enya64

ToTTenTranzNo one's getting 6h on moderns games anytime soon, unless performance gets dwarfed.

Maybe you want to reread my statement again, especially the part about the "battery life/ gpu power problem to solve". No one said it would be anytime soon, hence problem to solve. Couldn't have been any clearer.

#22

ToTTenTranz

enya64Maybe you want to reread my statement again, especially the part about the "battery life/ gpu power problem to solve". No one said it would be anytime soon, hence problem to solve. Couldn't have been any clearer.

No one's going to make a successful handheld with 6h worth of battery life. Adequate performance is a moving target, so by the time you get 780M performance at 5W or less, things will have moved on and more performance is required.
No one's made a handheld with 6h of gaming battery life since the Gameboy advance. Reaching that kind of longevity on one charge really isn't a priority for handheld makers and the overwhelming majority of their clients.

#23

enya64

ToTTenTranzNo one's going to make a successful handheld with 6h worth of battery life. Adequate performance is a moving target, so by the time you get 780M performance at 5W or less, things will have moved on and more performance is required.
No one's made a handheld with 6h of gaming battery life since the Gameboy advance. Reaching that kind of longevity on one charge really isn't a priority for handheld makers and the overwhelming majority of their clients.

Switch OLED...6hrs of battery life. Original Switch...3.5 hrs of battery life. And yes I have used the OLED Switch for about 6 hours without a charge. We are not talking about "Handheld makers". APUs (especially from AMD) are advancing a rate to make all of this possible since last year and Computer manufacturers with decades of experience making everything from beefy gaming pcs to ultrabooks (with larger screens and 12+hr battery life) are getting in on the designing handhelds for a reason. Sorry if I don't take your word for it. I'll just watching the fabs keep getting smaller year after year and the battery to performance ratio keep improving.

#24

ToTTenTranz

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1693943151973847373

2560×1600 (16:10) screen, 7500MT/s memory confirmed. Still hoping for that to be a VRR panel.

enya64Switch OLED.

The switch OLED uses the GPU equivalent of a modern mid/low-end smartphone. It does 200GFLOPs in handheld mode. The 780M is some 15x faster at 15W on a much more efficient architecture and it can't run many of the latest AAA games without bringing the settings down.
You're just further proving my point.

Handheld makers and AMD are focusing on providing a handheld AAA experience with 1-3h battery life, and people who want more than that are free to use powerbanks or just plug it to the wall.

Also, there's a possibility AMD can't do sub-10W APUs due to a non-compete over Samsung's Xclipse deal.

#25

trsttte

ToTTenTranz2560×1600 (16:10) screen

That wasn't very smart, at this size you're not able to benefit from the increased resolution but it will be much harder to run at a decent fps and waste more power (both gpu and to drive the panel itself).

In my opinion smart play will be to run games at half res (1280x800 - same as steam deck btw) for higher fps and less power consumption

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Lenovo Legion Go Handheld Leaks Powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 APU

31 Comments on Lenovo Legion Go Handheld Leaks Powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 APU

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