Lenovo Legion Go S + SteamOS: Best Performance Tips & Game Recommendations

Tom's Guide

Steam OS on Lenovo Legion Go S: Best Tips, Settings & Games to Start With! Picking up the Lenovo Legion Go S running SteamOS—or just curious if SteamOS is actually worth it over Windows 11?  @PaulAntill  dives into everything you should know to get the best experience out of this gaming handheld. From navigating Steam’s Gaming Mode to installing third-party launchers like Epic and GOG, here's how you can unlock more from your Legion Go S. We’ll also break down the biggest limitations (like Xbox Game Pass and anti-cheat issues) so you know exactly what you’re getting into. And once you’re all set up, we're sharing five of the best games you should play first on SteamOS, all of which run great on the Legion Go S. SteamOS is fast, clean, and seriously console-like—but it’s not for everyone. So before you make the switch, here’s what you should know.

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00:00If you just picked up the new Lenovo Legion Go S running SteamOS, or you're debating

00:04between this and the available Windows 11 version, this guide is for you.

00:08I love SteamOS.

00:09Unlike Windows 11, SteamOS gives you a snappy, distraction-free interface that gets you into

00:14your games fast.

00:15Here's why it's better for gaming handhelds.

00:18Right out of the box, it boots directly into gaming mode, giving you a very console-like

00:22experience.

00:23No desktop, no taskbar, just your game library front and center.

00:27Navigation is fully optimized for the touchscreen and physical controls, so you won't need

00:32a keyboard or mouse, unless you want to jump into some more advanced stuff, which we'll

00:36get into.

00:38When you put this to sleep, it actually goes to sleep, preserving battery life so you can

00:42play longer.

00:43Also got really great resume times.

00:45Unlike Windows 11, this only takes a few seconds to jump into your games.

00:48And another big plus, there's no Windows bloat or background tasks hogging up precious system

00:53resources.

00:54Therefore, we get more performance and battery optimizations that's tailored for gaming.

01:00Altogether, SteamOS delivers the best console-like experience that I've tried on any handheld,

01:04and it's consistently getting better.

01:07Even though you can access the Steam store on other operating systems, here's why it's

01:10so great on SteamOS.

01:12When you boot up, you're dropped right into your game library.

01:16Games and drivers automatically update in the background.

01:19Steam even has a great on-deck category in its store.

01:23If a game is Steam Deck verified or marked as playable, you know it's going to run well

01:28on the Legion GO OS, which actually has more power than the Steam Deck if you get the more

01:32powerful AMD's Z1 Extreme model.

01:35That being said, sometimes other game stores like Epic have better sales, or if you've got

01:39a backlog on GOG or Ubisoft, unfortunately SteamOS doesn't support installing these directly.

01:44But, you can get them running with a few extra steps.

01:47Here's how.

01:48Start by switching to desktop mode.

01:50Hit the Steam button.

01:53Power.

01:54Switch to desktop.

02:00Open Discover.

02:01This is SteamOS's app store where you can find some familiar options like Discord, Spotify,

02:06and VLC.

02:07Next, you can quickly access your virtual keyboard by holding the Steam plus X button.

02:13Here you're going to want to search for and install Lutris, which supports Epic Games, Amazon,

02:18Ubisoft Connect, EA Play, and a few more.

02:22Once that's installed, you can log into your game accounts and download games from your library.

02:34Once you're done, you can leave the desktop mode by clicking on the Return to Gaming Mode

02:38icon.

02:40If you're a Game Pass subscriber and you've been playing on Windows handhelds like the

02:44ASUS ROG Ally, you'll miss native support here.

02:48Games like Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Oblivion can't really be

02:52installed locally through your Game Pass subscription.

02:55You're stuck with Xbox Cloud Gaming, which can be fine if your internet is rock solid, but

03:00it's not the ideal choice for offline play or visual fidelity.

03:05But if you still want to play them, here's a faster way to access these titles.

03:08Start by opening desktop mode.

03:10Install Microsoft Edge via Discover.

03:12Yes, it needs to be Edge as it has controller support.

03:17Add Edge to Steam as a non-Steam game.

03:24Right-click Properties and paste this code into Launch Options.

03:27I'll also drop the code in the description for you to copy quickly.

03:31Next, rename Edge to something like Xbox Cloud so you know what it is.

03:35Back in gaming mode, navigate to the non-Steam tab in your gaming library and you'll see

03:39this new shortcut we just created.

03:42Launch it and then sign in to your Game Pass account and you'll be able to quickly access

03:47these Xbox Cloud Gaming titles.

03:50You'll now be able to stream games like Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Starfield and a lot

03:55more.

03:56Just remember, no offline play and visual quality heavily depends on your internet connection.

04:02So it might be worth buying these games on another supported store so you can play them

04:06locally.

04:07Now that I've shown you how to get the most out of SteamOS, here are some awesome games that

04:11will run great on your new Lenovo Legion Go S.

04:14Swinging through NYC never gets old and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 brings even more action.

04:21It looks stunning on the Go's display with tight controls and dynamic visuals.

04:24You can easily hit 40 to 50 frames per second in performance mode and this is a must play.

04:30For a brutal throwback, there's Doom the Dark Ages.

04:34This is extremely well optimized, delivering high frame rates, fast load times, and when combined

04:39with its iconic metal soundtrack, it's hard to put down.

04:44Still a jaw-dropping showcase for what handhelds can do, Night City glows in Cyberpunk 2077.

04:50And with its built-in Steam Deck graphics profile, it balances visual fidelity and performance

04:55better than ever.

04:57Virtua Fighter 5 is a lightweight brawler that runs buttery smooth.

05:02Fights load fast and the controls feel really great on the Go S, especially with its haptic feedback.

05:06Finally, you've got dimension shifting in your hands with Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart.

05:12Even at lower resolutions, the game looks incredible as you're jumping between rifts and nothing misses a beat here.

05:17With SteamOS on the Lenovo Legion Go S, you're getting a better console-like handheld experience

05:26with the flexibility of a full desktop just a click away.

05:29You'll miss on some of the freedoms that Windows 11 offers, but in exchange, you get smoother performance,

05:34better battery life, and a bloat-free game-first interface.

05:37So if you want a Steam Deck-like experience with extra performance, the Lenovo Legion Go S is absolutely worth checking out.

05:44We've got more handheld reviews and content coming soon, so if there's a device, game, or setup that you want me to try next,

05:50drop a comment or reach out.

05:52You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide, and you can follow me to see what other cool tech I'm reviewing.

05:56So until the next one, I'll catch you later.

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