Android tablet for console gaming: Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 shines in console and x86 game emulation

We remarked in our review of the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 that the device is “an expensive but very high-quality and cleverly equipped gaming tablet”. This was due to the tablet’s speedy Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of expandable storage, and a high-resolution 165 Hz IPS display. ETA Prime has now shown that the Legion Tab Gen 5 is not only a powerful Android gaming tablet but can also double as a capable emulation machine.

ETA Prime tested the Legion Tab Gen 5 for emulation of the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, and Nintendo 3DS/Wii U/Switch, and found that the tablet can handle games at up to 4x resolution scale. Emulating GameCube games like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Metroid Prime, the Legion Tab Gen 5 played the former at a locked 30 FPS and the latter at 60 FPS. Both games were running at 2,560 x 2,122 in the Dolphin Emulator.

For PS2 emulation,  the Legion Tab Gen 5 proved capable enough to run Metal Gear Solid 3 at a locked 30 FPS and God of War 2 at 60 FPS. The tablet was using the Nether SX2 emulator with a 4x resolution scale.

Finally, ETA Prime also reports that the Legion Tab Gen 5 can run Nintendo Wii U games at 1080p, Nintendo Switch games at 1080p, and Nintendo 3DS games at 4x to 5x resolution scale.

Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 x86 game emulation

While not extensively, ETA Prime also tested x86 game emulation on the Legion Tab Gen 5 using GameHub. The tablet managed to play Cyberpunk 2077 quite well at 40+ FPS at 720p/low. This is an impressive result, especially given that we are talking about an Android tablet with a mobile SoC.

So, lighter AAA PC games and indie titles will run much better, making the Legion Tab Gen 5 a true contender for a portable gaming console that can do it all.

Sadly, Lenovo’s decision of not having any active cooling in the Legion Tab Gen 5 has handicapped the tablet when it comes to sustained performance. The Legion Tab Gen 5 gets hot, as shown by ETA Prime. We also noted similar behavior in our review, where the Legion Tab Gen 5 throttled under load due to high operating temperatures. A dedicated active cooler would help a lot here.

All things considered, the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 is quite powerful, enough to handle console and x86 gaming emulation. If the tablet tickles your fancy, the coupon codes BUYMORELENOVO and EXTRAFIVE, which were active at the time of writing, can be used to get the price down to $649.99 from $849.99 on Lenovo's official store.