Want a Steam Deck 2? This leaked Lenovo Legion Go 2 variant could be for you

The Lenovo Legion Go 2 gaming handheld was first showcased at the CES 2025 conference, but it didn’t make it to the market as late as the October. So, an upgraded version makes little sense. However, Lenovo may be looking to expand options for potential buyers by offering another variant that runs SteamOS instead of Windows.

As per a recent leak, Lenovo may be gearing up to reveal this new variant of the Legion Go 2 at CES 2026, exactly a year after the first reveal. Windows Latest says the step to introduce a new variant stems from the unoptimized Windows experience on the small screen. While Lenovo had the option to choose the Xbox full-screen experience (FSE), as did with the 2025 variants of ASUS ROG Ally and Ally X. However, it appears to have gone with SteamOS for its advantages, including lower hardware requirements, better power management, greater stability, and a truly optimized console-like experience.

Despite changes to the software experience, Lenovo does not appear to be working on newer hardware specs. The Legion Go 2 is expected to rock the same AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU (though we hope there’s a Z2 variant too), up to 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, and 2TB of PCIe storage. The handheld is also expected to feature the same design with its 8.8-inch 144Hz OLED.

Windows has peeved many owners of gaming handhelds, such as the Lenovo Legion Go 2. In addition to the issues mentioned above, certain Windows-based handhelds have experienced unreliable sleep and excessive Windows bloatware that drains resources in the background. These issues have also prompted some users to explore alternatives, such as Bazzite, a Linux distro that very closely resembles SteamOS and is specifically designed for gaming handhelds like the Legion Go or ROG Ally. The same could be installed on the Legion Go 2 unofficially, though we don’t anticipate Lenovo offering an official means for existing users to transition to SteamOS.

This wouldn’t be the first time Lenovo officially sidelines Microsoft for Valve’s operating system. Earlier this year, Lenovo launched the Legion Go S — essentially, a cheaper Legion Go — with Windows and followed it up with a SteamOS variant. With much better specifications on the Legion Go 2, we might witness an uptick in demand for the specific model. It could also be a more powerful alternative to the Steam Deck until Valve officially releases its successor.