We’re big fans of the Lenovo Legion Go, a Windows 11 gaming handheld that offers a strong alternative to the likes of the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. Unlike the latter, which got a battery life upgrade with the ROG Ally X, the Legion Go isn’t going to enjoy super long-lasting gaming sessions, especially as it eats through battery with its more demanding 1600p resolution.
The Legion Go’s specs list reveals that it offers a 49.2Whr battery, which is a little more than the Steam Deck OLED for comparison. Even so, Windows 11 is more bloated than SteamOS and the Legion Go packs much more powerful hardware. So, what’s the solution? Well, you can try out this ‘fix’ which involves using an external power bank.
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Give the Legion Go a longer battery life for $80 with a power bank
The key ingredient of this setup is the power bank, acting as a portable battery pack if you will. We came across this solution thanks to a video on YouTube by Handheld Horizon which details the process, using the following components:
To put it simply, you can attach the power bank to the rear of the device without hindering ergonomics or (importantly) the air intake vents. We recommend watching the video below, which details the process. They say the “battery life is 2x” and the solution costs just $80.
Is this worth doing?
While it does come with a couple of drawbacks, it looks to be a nice little fix if you’re less than satisfied with the battery life of the Legion Go. We can’t say that we’ve done it ourselves, but it’s a neat solution nonetheless. It’s probably not for everyone, but maximizing the battery life of your Legion Go by charging it on the go may be a no-brainer for some. Plus, you can easily remove the battery from the back of your device once it has plenty of charge.
The benefits are obvious, but there is the drawback of a heavier device – “quite a bit heavier” according to Handheld Horizon. The suggested power bank sits at 16.7oz (~1lb) / 475g; for reference, the Legion Go itself is 1.88lb / 854g with the controllers attached. Whether this bothers you or not is a matter of preference and we can imagine it might be a little too heavy for some.