Lenovo's Legion Go launched in 2023 to compete with other popular gaming handhelds, including the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally.
While it delivers the same general idea as its competitors — convenient PC gaming on the move — the Legion Go arrived with a controller setup unique to the PC handheld world.
Much like the Nintendo Switch, by removing the controllers and deploying the small kickstand on the back of the gaming handheld, the Legion Go could essentially become a mini PC.
Seeing an opportunity afforded by the removable controllers, a modder has now transformed the Legion Go into a mini laptop with a 3D-printed frame and additional hardware (via PCWorld).
The result? An impressively compact little gaming PC with a full keyboard, extra batteries, and a few other nice little features. Better yet, the modder returned to designing and created a slimmer version without the extra battery.
Meet the custom Legion Go gaming laptop
This modded Lenovo Legion Go comes courtesy of Reddit user MysteriousAlarm897.
After removing the controllers from the Legion Go, they printed a chunky case to fit around the remaining display and performance hardware portion. Hinges attach to a base chassis that the modder has filled with a 190Wh battery.
That's nearly four times as much capacity as the Legion Go's built-in 49Wh battery, which is still in use since it's built into the system behind the display. Next to the large battery pack is a small bank of ports, containing dual USB-C and dual USB-A.
The battery and USB PCB are covered with a full-size wireless Lenovo keyboard that snaps into the printed casing. And for the Legion Go itself, there are quick-remove clasps for easy in and out.
The 3D-printed shell's lid has cutouts for the Go's air intake and Legion branding, and it all folds down into a chunky little package. The modder says they added latches "like in old Dells" to keep the system folded up when in transit.
The modding experiment has received more than 230 comments since it was first posted about a month ago, with many responders noting the Go laptop's thickness.
This evidently spurred the modder to return to their designing software to cook up a new, slimmer version. They removed the battery pack and the USB bank, but kept the keyboard and case latches.
The result? A much more attractive Legion Go laptop that can be used for work (the handheld runs Windows 11) or for play.
When pressed about why they didn't just buy something like the GPD Pocket 4 — an evolution of the original GPD Pocket we reviewed in 2017 — the modder cites price as the main obstacle.
I bought a used Legion for $250. In laptop form, I mainly use it at work and for games that I can’t imagine without keyboard and mouse. When I want to play something on the couch, I disconnect it in a second and connect gamepads. Charging happens at maximum 65W power, the protocol recognizes without problems, the board from AliExpress didn’t cause any issues. I just need to add a charging indicator (that’s why the additional hole in the front).
MysteriousAlarm897
Many replies to the OP's post are asking for shared links and blueprints. The modder has stated that they'll "think about selling or sharing the files."
Lenovo's Legion Go received an official successor at IFA 2025
Reddit user MysteriousAlarm897 created this Legion Go case about a month ago, and in the meantime, Lenovo launched an official successor in the Legion Go 2. Due to the Legion Go 2's larger dimensions, the old mod won't work for the new model.
Nevertheless, I went hands-on with the device at IFA 2025, and I came away impressed with how comfortable it was to hold despite having removable controllers.
👉 Related: Lenovo Legion Go 2 vs. Lenovo Legion Go
The Legion Go 2 has the same size 8.8-inch display as its predecessor, but it's dropped the resolution to 1920x1200 (FHD+) from the Go's 2560x1600 (QHD+).
However, the Go 2's display now uses an OLED panel for much better color and contrast. It also now supports variable refresh rate (VRR) to go along with its 144Hz refresh rate.
The biggest changes have to do with performance hardware. The Legion Go 2 employs up to an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-8000 RAM and up to a 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.
The Legion Go 2 will compete with the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally X, expected to launch on October 16, 2025. You can check out how the two handhelds stack up in our ROG Xbox Ally X vs. Lenovo Legion Go 2 comparison.
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