Lenovo cancels Legion Go 2 pre-orders, quoting high demand despite gaming handheld's steep price

Frustration continues to mount over the rocky Lenovo Legion Go 2 launch. Some gamers originally had a ship date of September 16th for the gaming handheld. After having that time pushed back by more than a month, Lenovo made another unwelcome announcement on its subreddit. It claims to have increased supply for approved retailers. Unfortunately, buyers who purchased directly from the manufacturer may see their pre-orders cancelled.

Lenovo invited fans to ask any questions about its new gaming handheld in a Reddit thread. However, it has become a place to update buyers on the status of pre-orders. On September 17th, the company apologized for the confusion surrounding the Legion Go 2 release date. The more affordable model costs $1,099.99, but demand surpassed expectations regardless, leading to shipping delays.

The news was worse when Lenovo updated gamers again on September 19th. It explained that it wasn’t comfortable processing payments without enough stock. As a result, the company will cancel some orders made at Lenovo.com. On the other hand, retailers expecting shipments should not be affected. Despite promises to learn from its mistakes, customers are voicing their displeasure.

Some buyers believe that Lenovo is selectively choosing orders to fulfill. In certain cases, customers were able to use discount codes, which reduced the Legion Go 2 price. Also, they argue that buyers who are willing to wait for a later release date should have the option.

Many Ryzen Z2 gaming handhelds remain elusive

As a VideoCardz.com article discusses, the pre-order problems with gaming handhelds aren’t limited to the Legion Go 2. Most of the issues are with newer devices that include AMD Ryzen Z2 and Z2 Extreme processors. Buyers can only reserve the MSI Claw A8 in certain regions. Meanwhile, Microsoft has still not confirmed the price for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.

Uncertainty surrounding tariffs and the economic climate is likely causing manufacturers to hesitate. Still, with the Legion Go 2, buyers seem willing to pay a premium for specs headlined by an 8.8-inch OLED screen.