I got tired of running out of room on my Legion Go — Here's how I upgraded the SSD

A hand holding the new PNY SSD over the Lenovo Legion Go.

So, you've decided you want to upgrade your Legion Go SSD. I can tell you from my own upgrade experience that the process is relatively easy and doesn't take very long.

To help you out, I've included step-by-step instructions and pictures on this page to help you back up your SSD and then swap out your original Legion Go SSD for a better one. Let's dive in.

Legion Go SSD upgrade: What you need

These are the tools I used to open and install a new SSD into my Legion Go. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

At the very minimum, you're going to need a reliable SSD to upgrade to. I recommend going with the PNY 2TB Gen 4 PCIe NVMe M.2 2230 SSD that I used. It offers super-fast transfer speeds, making it ideal for gaming.

However, you will need to get an SSD Extender Adapter since the Legion Go has an M.2 2242 SSD slot.

Outside of that, you might need some tools, an anti-static wrist strap, or a clean mat if you don't have them already. These are the tools and parts I used:

NOTE: Unlike Steam Deck and ROG Ally, the Legion Go does not have cloud recovery, so you will need to backup your original SSD in order for the handheld to work properly. I recommend getting an SSD enclosure adapter and downloading the free 30-day Macrium Reflect Home Edition trial to do this.

How to backup your Legion Go SSD

I used a UGREEN SSD enclosure to clone my original Legion Go SSD onto my new PNY SSD. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

There are a few ways to back up your SSD data, but I find that using an SSD enclosure adapter and Macrium Reflect is one of the easiest methods. I'll show you how I did it:

NOTE: The backup process is easier if you connect a keyboard and mouse to the Legion Go, but you'll need a dock or USB hub for this. I personally just used my fingers and the touchscreen.

1. If you have a 2230 SSD, take a moment to connect an SSD Extender to it so it will fit the Legion Go's 2242 SSD slot.
2. Place the new SSD into the SSD enclosure. You'll need to make sure it's pushed into the connection area and then secure it with the rubber nub.

You will need to connect an SSD Extender to the SSD before you put it in the SSD enclosure. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

3. Close the SSD enclosure and then plug it into one of the Legion Go's USB-C ports.
4. Connect the power adapter into the Legion Go's other USB-C port.

Plug the UGREEN Enclosure into one USB-C port and the power cable into the other. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

5. On your Legion Go, go to the Macrium website (macrium.com/reflectfree).
6. Scroll down and click on the free 30-day trial for Macrium Reflect Home Edition.

Navigate to the Macrium Reflect 30-Day free trial online. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

7. Enter your information and then scroll down and press Register.
8. Next, check your email and click on the registration link.
9. Now, sign into your new Macrium account.

Enter your information and register for the free Macrium Reflect trial. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

10. The software will immediately start to download on your Legion Go. In the meantime, make sure you're on Marium's Overview tab and copy your Registration Code.

Make sure to copy your registration code before opening Macrium Reflect. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

11. When downloading finishes, go to your Downloads and install Macrium Reflect onto your Legion Go.
12. A window will pop up asking you if you want to allow the app to make changes to your device. Select Yes.
13. Select Next on the small window that pops up.
14. Now read through the terms and conditions, and if you agree with them, accept and select Next.

If you agree to the terms and conditionals tick the correct box and select Next. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

15. When the setup window shows up, enter the registration code you copied earlier (if it hasn't auto-filled it) and select Next.
16. Finish the installation process and then restart your Legion Go. It might take a few minutes to come back.

Enter your email address and the previously copied Registration Code. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

17. Once your Legion Go is back up, open Macrium Reflect. It will ask you what theme you want to see. Pick whatever you want, I went with Light.
18. Select Yes when the small window pops up.

Open Macium Reflect once the Legion Go boots back up. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

19. Select Clone this Disc.

Select Clone this disk in the Local Disks tab. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

20. In the window that pops up, click on Select a disk to clone to and choose the disk below that you want to use. In my case, I made sure it was the PNY 2TB SSD.

Click on Select a disk to clone to and then click on the disk you want to use. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

21. Next, select Copy Partitions.
22. Now click on Shrink or extend to fill the target disk.
23. Select Next twice to review the cloning process you're about to start
24. If everything looks right, select Finish followed by OK to get things rolling.

Choose to Shrink or extend to fill the target disk, and then press Finish to start the process. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

25. Leave the Legion Go alone while it clones your disk. This process took 35 minutes for me.

It took 35 minutes for my Legion Go SSD to finish copying. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

26. Once the process finishes, File Explorer will pop up. Verify that all of the files have transferred to the new SSD.

You might want to make sure that all of the important files were copied to the new SSD. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

27. Now unplug the SSD enclosure from the Legion Go.
28. Unplug the charging cable from the Legion Go.
29. Next, carefully remove the SSD from the enclosure.

Now it's time to open the Legion Go and put the newly prepared SSD inside it. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / windows Central)

With the Legion Go's SSD cloned to the new one, you're ready to actually install it into your PC gaming handheld.

How to upgrade your Legion Go SSD

Now that you've cloned the SSD, it's time to install the new one into the Legion Go. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

It was trickier for me to upgrade the Legion Go SSD than it was for me to upgrade the Steam Deck SSD or my ROG Ally SSD, largely because the case was harder to pry open and also because I needed to get an extension adapter for my 2230 M.2 SSD.

Here's how to install a new SSD into the Legion Go.

1. Completely power off your Legion Go.

To completely power off your Legion Go, tap the Start button, then the Power button, and select Shut Down. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

2. Detach the controller halves from the Legion Go. They are removed by pressing in the backside buttons near the bottom and pulling the controllers downward.

Press the buttons on the bottom of either controller half and then pull it down from the Legion Go to release it. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

3. Place the Legion Go screen down on a clean, dry surface.

I put my Legion Go on a green tech mat to keep it safe and clean during the SSD upgrade process. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

4. Use a PH00 screwdriver to remove the six screws on the back of the Legion Go. Place the screws somewhere safe.

Remove the six back screws from the Legion Go casing. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

5. Raise the kickstand and then use a plastic prying pick to gently lift the back casing off. You'll need to be careful while doing this so as not to damage anything.

Prying the casing open was tricky. I found it easier to lift the kickstand out of the way for this process. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

6. Place the back casing somewhere clean and safe. Then, carefully peel the black sticker off the SSD and battery cable.

Pull the black sticker away from the SSD and battery cable. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

7. Gently grab the battery cables and unplug them.

Gently unplug the battery cables. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

8. Use a PH1 screwdriver to unscrew the SSD. Place the screw somewhere safe.

Carefully unscrew the original SSD and then put it somewhere safe. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

9. Remove the original SSD by pulling upward and straight back from the connection area.

I used my fingernail to pull the SSD away from the contact area and then I had to lift it up from the back to get it over the screw hole. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

10. If you're using a 2230 M.2 SSD like the PNY, take a moment to slide the SSD into the extender adapter and then tighten the screw to secure the extender adapter to the SSD (if you haven't done this already).

I had to connect an extender to my 22.0 M.2 SSD in order for it to work with the Legion Go. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

11. Slide the new SSD in place and secure it with the PH1 screw.

Screw the new SSD into place. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

12. Plug the battery cable back in.

I used my prying tool to carefully press the battery cables back into position. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

13. Put the black sticker back in place over the battery cable and SSD.

I tried not to touch the battery sticker with my fingers so it could keep its stickiness. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

14. Gently press the Legion Go's back cover back into place and pinch the plastic back together.

Carefully press the back casing back into position. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

15. Screw the six PH0 back screws back into the casing.

Return the six back screws to their places on the back of the casing. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

16. When it's all back together, press the power button.

Press the power button on top of the Legion Go once the handheld has been reassembled. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

17. Allow the Legion Go to boot up. Since you've just unplugged the battery and replaced the SSD, the Legion Go will take a few minutes longer to boot up than usual.

It took three to five minutes for my Legion Go to boot back up after I completed the SSD install. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

With all of those steps completed, you now have the new SSD installed with your old data on it. You should be good to use the Legion Go like usual.

Legion Go SSD FAQ

The Legion Go is a fantastic PC gaming handheld with detachable controllers and a large LCD display. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What are the transfer speeds of the original Legion Go SSD?

In my own testing, the original Legion Go SSD reached a read speed of 5,016 MB/s and a write speed of 1,620 MB/s. These are decent results, but there are far faster M.2 NVMe SSDs for Legion Go out there.

Is a faster SSD better for gaming?

Yes. The faster the SSD, the more quickly your system can access and write data. In other words, an SSD with faster read and write speeds can lead to faster load times and faster saving times.

What is an image backup?

You can think of an image backup sort of like taking a picture. The backup makes a copy of everything on the system at the point that the image is taken.

What is a partition?

A partition is a section of a solid-state drive (SSD). Having partitions allows the device to better organize and access data. It also makes it easier for the SSD to treat each section differently.