The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is fresh on the scene, but we're apparently getting a Steam Deck flavor at CES 2026. By that, I mean a SteamOS version of the best gaming handheld contender could make an appearance during the January tech showcase, but I'm hoping it's a chunk less than the Windows 11 model.
These early CES leaks come courtesy of Windows Latest, who claim the SteamOS Lenovo Legion Go 2 will be the company's "most powerful handheld yet. It's a bit of a strange comment to make, given it'll seemingly boast the exact same AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset, up to 32GB RAM, and 2TB storage, but that will make it technically the beefiest portable with Valve's handheld pre-installed.
In case you missed the memo, the Steam Deck OLED and its LCD sibling are no longer the only handhelds out there using Valve's console-like operating system. The 7-inch SteamOS Lenovo Legion Go S debuted as the first third-party SteamOS device back in February, and that pretty much opened the door to more devices using the Linux platform.
The larger 8.8-inch Legion Go 2 will serve as the second third-party SteamOS handheld, one that is more of an ROG Xbox Ally X rival than a Steam Deck competitor. That's largely because it's likely to cost way more than Valve's in-house portable, given that the current Windows 11 model starts at a staggering $1,099 (roughly £1,000 if you're in the UK).
The good news is that, if Lenovo uses the same blueprint for its flagship as its Legion Go S model, the rumored SteamOS version should be cheaper. Using the 32GB/2TB version as an example, there's $100 of a difference between MSRPs, so I'd hope that'd translate to the SteamOS Legion Go 2 being under $1,000. That's still way more than I want to see any handheld costing in 2026, but alas, the handheld industry is still preoccupied with pumping out premium models.
Here's the thing - premium handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 AI+, the aforementioned Xbox Ally X, and the Legion Go 2 S are pretty punchy. That is to say that they're pulling off pretty impressive frame rates natively at higher resolutions than a Steam Deck, but I do think their price tags look unreasonable now that the Nintendo Switch 2 is around for under $400. Yes, Ninty's console does leverage AI upscaling to pull off 1080p 120Hz in handheld mode and 4K 60fps while docked, but that's still perceivably better performance than you'll get out of many portable PCs.
The keyword there is perceivably, as since the Switch 2 is a console, its games come with baked-in settings that might be dialled back compared to on a portable PC. Ultimately, $1,000 handhelds are catering to enthusiasts who want to boost fps with plenty of fancy settings enabled, but I'm frustrated for the more casual players who want top-end performance and storefront versatility for the same price as the OG Asus ROG Ally.
Ideally, I would have loved to see a ROG Ally with SteamOS included and chipset that packs more of a punch than the last-gen Z1 Extreme. Instead, Microsoft decided to use a Ryzen Z2 A in its "cheaper" white ROG Xbox Ally, which means it feels less like an upgrade. Lenovo's SteamOS Legion Go S with a Z1E APU within is probably the closest thing out there to what I'm describing, but it comes in at $750.
The TL;DR here is that if a SteamOS Legion Go 2 does show up at CES 2026, it'll need to boast a much lower price tag to actually matter. I'm holding onto hope that it'll kickstart a trend of more approachable handhelds in the New Year, even if I would still take the leak with a massive grain of salt. It'll also make for a nice escape from Windows 11, even if the new Xbox Full Screen Experience mode does make it more console-like.
Even if Lenovo's SteamOS handheld is a no-show, 2026 will be a big year for Valve, given that the Steam Machine is on the way, and its price could either make or break the spirit of players across the board as we set sail into RAMagedon.
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