Lenovo's ordering page for the Windows 11 Legion Go S is still hanging out with a "coming soon" banner, but having the page itself is a step in the right direction. More good news is that many models of the new Lenovo Legion Go S will be more affordable compared to the $749.99 price of the current Lenovo Legion Go.

SteamOS is slowly becoming an alternative to Windows for handheld gaming devices. After launching the Steam Deck with SteamOS, its own operating system, Valve is now partnering with third-party manufacturers so that they can release gaming handhelds with SteamOS support.

Lenovo is trying an experiment. In May, it will officially become the very first company outside of Valve to ship a handheld gaming PC with the Steam Deck’s wonderfully pick-up-and-play SteamOS instead of Microsoft Windows. And at $499, it’ll be a true Steam Deck rival, joining it as one of the lower-priced PC handhelds you can buy.

The Lenovo Legion Go S with Windows or SteamOS also joins a prototype for the Lenovo Go 2, now with controllers you can comfortably hold.

Lenovo Legion Go S pre-orders just went live at Best Buy, and you can now reserve the Windows 11 version for $729. There's no sign of the SteamOS model yet, which just so happens to the the handheld I'm most hyped for so far. However, if you'd rather embrace the versatility of Microsoft's PC operating system, this is the version for you.

The Windows version of the Legion Go S is up for preorder ahead of its imminent release, while the SteamOS version is expected to arrive in May.

The SteamOS Legion Go S model is the most interesting of the two since it's the first non-Steam Deck handheld that utilizes Valve’s operating system. If you’ve read any of our handheld reviews, then you know Windows 11 has been a major sore spot for these systems since Microsoft’s OS doesn’t work well on these systems.

Lenovo's Legion Go S is the first third-party handheld PC to come with SteamOS out of the box, heralding a new era in PC gaming-the one where Windows might become increasingly optional. The Legion Go S boasts AMD's exclusive Z2 Go processor and Zen 3 architecture,

The Steam Deck is no longer the only SteamOS-based gaming handheld on the market. A more expensive Windows version of the Legion Go S will be available first.

Lenovo has finally announced a new line of Legion Go handheld PCs, with one that will come installed with SteamOS out of the box. The new model is called the Legion Go S, and it's the world's first handheld PC from a third-party manufacturer using Valve's operating system.

Valve is making a notable shift with its portable gaming strategy as Lenovo debuted a new edition of its Legion Go gaming handheld that runs Valve’s custom operating system.