The Legion Go 2 is very expensive, and fans aren’t happy — Lenovo responds, "... for those looking for a more affordable product, we have the Legion Go S."

The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is official, and not everyone is celebrating.

A quick glance over Legion Go communities on Reddit and Facebook can offer a glimpse into how the community has taken the Legion Go 2 pricing, which was revealed during IFA 2025 to start at a whopping $1,349 for the Z2E model.

Microsoft and ASUS' own Z2E Xbox Ally handheld is expected to come in under $999 for the base model, although neither Microsoft or ASUS have broken ranks on the price yet, despite its October 16, 2025 launch date.

The Lenovo Legion Go 2 has more impressive specs than the Xbox Ally X on paper, though, with a larger OLED VRR screen, 32GB RAM, detachable joysticks, a mouse trackpad, and a kickstand. Internally, they are otherwise virtually identical, but the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will have some exclusive Windows 11 enhancements to improve gaming — with Lenovo expected to get the same features in early 2026.

In any case, despite the improvements and its premium feature set, many fans hoping to upgrade their aging Lenovo Legion Go models have been disheartened at the price tag. And now, Lenovo has responded.

In a new interview with PC Watch in Japan, Lenovo fielded a range of questions on its business during IFA 2025. The group interview included Lenovo execs, including Luca Rossi, Steve Long, Ouyang Jun, Eric Yu, and Johnson Jia. The IFA interview covered a range of topics on laptops, cloud, and beyond, but for gaming, fans might not feel placated by the response.

"The Legion Go 2 is priced close to a laptop in Europe, starting at 999 euros, but do you think this amount will be acceptable to users?" The interviewer asked. Lenovo noted that the Legion Go 2 targets "enthusiast" gamers that are "willing to invest in their hobbies."

The full response is as follows, translated by Microsoft Copilot. Some context might not be translated entirely accurately here, but the general thrust is it's aimed specifically at gamers with cash to splash. I'm working to get a fully human-verified translation, so bear with me.

"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."

Can the Lenovo Legion Go 2 find success at this price?

The community might be irritated by the price tag, but it's undeniable how fully-featured this device is. Perhaps Lenovo could have explored a Z2E model that didn't require so many custom parts, such as the detachable joysticks, but all of those features and bespoke tooling undoubtedly plays a large role here.

Conversely, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X uses the exact same display panel as the previous model, likely representing stock ASUS already had in-house. There's no moving parts on the chassis, nothing detaches and there is no kickstand, so no hinges. There's also no trackpad, or OLED panel. It's gaming-first above all else, whereas the full Lenovo Legion Go 2 is trying to be something more. Microsoft might also be subsidizing the Xbox Ally / X somewhat, but we won't know for sure just how affordable (or not) it is until they speak up about it.

Comment from r/LegionGo

People compare the pricing to that of a laptop as though it's a negative, but I've actually been using my Lenovo Legion Go as a laptop, replacing my Surface Pro X. It's a high-quality keyboard attachment away from being marketable as such.

I think for people who specifically want a gaming handheld should probably look at the Xbox Ally X, but if you want something that can actually be a travel laptop as well, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 is looking mighty fine to me — although that price tag is still a tough pill, even when you do consider all of its bells and whistles.