Lenovo defends Legion Go 2's high price, says enthusiasts will invest regardless

Lenovo recently unveiled the Legion Go 2 (check out our hands-on video linked below), the successor to its Legion Go handheld from almost two years ago. The new device comes with a significantly higher price tag compared to the original, and even when considering other, more recent handhelds. Fans looking forward to the Legion Go 2 were outraged by the $1,100 starting price but Lenovo seems to be standing behind what it’s asking for the handheld.

For reference, the Legion Go 2 comes in two models, one powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 and the other with the Z2 Extreme SoC. Both have an 8-inch 2K OLED display that refreshes at 144 Hz, and detachable controllers. The Ryzen Z2 Extreme model is priced at $1,350, and it comes with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. In comparison, the MSI Claw A8 with the Z2 Extreme, 24 GB of RAM, and a 1,200p non-OLED display (with lower refresh rate) is priced at £850 (roughly $1,151 USD).

Lenovo is reportedly backing the high price tag, even though it reaches gaming laptop pricing. Several Lenovo executives participated in a group interview with PC Watch in Japan where they were asked about the price and if users will be deterred from purchasing the Legion Go 2. They responded (machine translated) saying that the handheld is targeted towards “enthusiast gamers who are willing to invest in their hobbies.” Even though the market for these types of products is relatively small, it is still an important market, they added.

Lenovo also said these high-performance parts like the SoC and OLED are what make the Legion Go 2 as expensive as it is. Those who are looking for a more handheld gaming experience should go for the Legion Go S (buy on Amazon).

According to The Verge, the Legion Go 2 will also be the first handheld outside the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X that will run the Xbox full-screen experience (FSE). It won’t be available at launch but will arrive sometime in spring 2026. This experience free’s up some resources, theoretically improving gaming performance. That being said, other relatively cheaper handhelds like the ROG Ally X will also get the Xbox FSE, eventually.