Lenovo Responds To Backlash Over Legion Go 2's Premium Price
Lenovo was quite the busy body at IFA 2025 last week, having announced a barrage of gaming related PC products, as well as a bunch of ThinkPads and ThinkBooks, including a nifty ThinkBook VertiFlex concept. Among the mix was a new generation handheld, the Legion Go 2, and early listings at Best Buy reveal that it's coming with a comparatively high price tag.
While not slated to release until October 31, 2025, you can preorder the base model featuring a Ryzen Z2 SoC, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. There's also a listing for a higher end configuration kitted with a Ryzen Z2 Extreme SoC and 32GB of RAM (with the same 1TB of storage), but Best Buy isn't taking preorders just yet.
Here's how pricing shakes out...
- Lenovo Legion Go 2 (Ryzen Z2, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD): $1,099.99
- Lenovo Legion Go 2 (Ryzen Z2 Extreme, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD): $1,349.99
The obvious comparison is to the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X that is a joint collaboration between ASUS and Microsoft. No official pricing has been announced, but Best Buy has listings for those handhelds as well. Initially, Best Buy listed the ROG Xbox Ally at $599.99 and the ROG Xbox Ally X at $899.99, but the prices have since been removed.
- ASUS ROG Xbox Ally (Ryzen Z2, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $599.99?
- ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X (Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD): $899.99?
Presuming the prices are accurate, Lenovo's base Legion Go 2 is $500 more expensive than the ROG Xbox Ally, while the higher-end config costs $450 more than the ROG Xbox Ally X. And according to a Reddit post, there will also be a $1,479.99 variant of the Legion Go 2 with a Ryzen Z2 Extreme SoC, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage.
"The price is actually insane tbh, even for a 'premium' handheld PC.
Makes me sad because I was pretty excited for the Legion Go 2 but I can’t justify $1350 when I can get a pretty loaded laptop with much better performance for the same price," one user wrote.
Another one stated, "Well, I guess I am not getting the Legion Go 2, I really wanted it, but that price is absurd."
That's the general sentiment throughout the thread and others on Reddit. Lenovo's response? It's worth the price premium, according to translated remarks from an interview with the folks at PC Watch (as spotted by WindowsCenteral). During the interview, it was brought up that the Legion Go 2 is priced close to what a laptop costs in Europe.
Here's the full statement (via translation):
"The fact is, the Legion Go 2 uses high‑performance processors, an OLED display, detachable controllers, and an ergonomically designed body—all of which are expensive components. As a result, the price inevitably ends up being high.
That’s why the Legion Go 2 is aimed at so‑called 'enthusiast gamers' who are willing to invest in their hobby. These users value building their own setups and customizing hardware, and they will choose such products even if they are expensive.
It’s true that the market for enthusiast‑oriented products may not be huge, but we see it as an important segment for enhancing our brand’s value. For those seeking a more affordable option, we offer the Legion Go S series. The Legion Go S focuses on an experience where you can start using it straight out of the box, and we also provide a SteamOS model." - Lenovo
Additionally, Lenovo told The Verge that the Legion Go 2 will have access to the same Xbox full-screen experience (FSE) as the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, albeit in spring 2026.
We don't necessarily agree that it's fair to compare pricing between a handheld and laptop as even though they're related, they're still separate product categories. However, it is fair to question whether gamers will embrace a high-end handheld that starts north of a grand and scales to nearly $1,500 before taxes. The fact of the matter is, Valve spoiled us with the Steam Deck's pricing, and the onus has been on other companies to come out with aggressively-priced hardware. Adding to the challenge is an uncertain global economy (read: tariffs) that have prompted price hikes on certain products, like the entire PlayStation 5 range.
The good news is, the handheld market continues to expand. So even if you plan on skipping the Legion Go 2 because of its pricing, there are plenty of other worthy options to consider.
