Leaked images reveal Lenovo’s Steam Deck competitor that may connect to AR glasses

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Image: Windows Report

Valve’s Steam Deck might be getting more competition. Last month, Windows Central reported that Lenovo is working on a handheld gaming PC that runs Windows called the Legion Go. On Wednesday, Windows Report published what appear to be the first images of the upcoming device. And on Friday, Windows Report shared more leaked photos — including one showing AR glasses that might work with the device.

Based on the images from Wednesday, Lenovo’s take on a PC gaming handheld looks similar to devices such as the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally, but it also has a lot in common with the Nintendo Switch. According to Windows Report, the Legion Go has an eight-inch screen, images show two Joy-Con-like controllers that can be removed, and it even appears to have a wide Switch OLED-like kickstand that you can pop out for tabletop gaming.

Image: Windows Report

The Legion Go’s controllers appear to be a blend of the Switch’s flat but removable Joy-Cons and the Steam Deck’s contoured but attached grips. There looks to be one touch pad on the right controller — by comparison, the Steam Deck has touch pads on both sides — but the back of that right controller also apparently has a wheel. And since the controllers can be removed, Windows Report speculates that the screen is a touchscreen.

Perhaps the most important takeaway from these apparent images of the device (there are more, and you can see them all in Windows Report’s two articles) is that Lenovo isn’t shying away from making the Legion Go thick. Asus steered away from thickness and heft with the ROG Ally, which wound up with middling battery life, but we’re beginning to see portables like the upcoming Ayaneo Kun pointed towards beefier batteries.

As for those AR glasses, Windows Report says they’ll be part of an “ecosystem” Lenovo plans to launch alongside the Legion Go. In what appears to be a leaked promotional image, you can see a person wearing glasses connected to the Legion Go so they can play a Star Wars game on a screen projected in the air. But Windows Report doesn’t know if the glasses will be standalone or bundled with the Legion Go.

Image: Windows Report

Windows Report says Legion Go will run Windows 11, meaning you should be able to play any Windows games that support the device’s specs. Windows Central previously reported it would use AMD Phoenix processors, which are also found in the ROG Ally and other recent and upcoming Windows handhelds.

Lenovo didn’t immediately have a comment.

Lenovo has dabbled with handheld gaming devices in the past, showing the “LaVie Mini” concept in partnership with NEC at CES 2021 and building an unreleased Android-based device called the Legion Play. If it’s real, the Legion Go seems like a much more serious effort — and I hope it’s real, because I want to see how it stacks up to the likes of the Steam Deck.

Update August 18th, 12:52PM ET: Added details about AR glasses from a new Windows Report article.