I finally acquired an original Lenovo Legion Go, and of course, I had to put Linux on it and get rid of Windows. That gave me a chance to see what all the fuss over Bazzite was about. As I teased in my recent Bazzite update article, I have plenty more to say about it now.
Here’s the thing: I love the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck OLED, especially, is genuinely one of the best PC handhelds ever made, and Valve’s support is basically unmatched in the PC handheld space. As a Linux fan, sticking with Valve’s hardware always made sense. But times move on. I wanted something with just a bit more power that didn’t come at a huge cost—something to keep me going until, perhaps, we finally see a Steam Deck 2.
Another reason for my switch is that the smaller vendors often put out high-priced new devices, then move on entirely from their older models. A bigger vendor like Lenovo seemed a bit more trustworthy if I ever encountered hardware problems. So, the Legion Go it was! Thankfully, I found one with the official dock at a ridiculous price, so I grabbed it at the first chance I got.
### Setting Up Linux with Bazzite
Thanks to Linux distributions like Bazzite, getting Linux on various PC handhelds is quite easy. There are, however, a number of quirks—as I unfortunately found out—which I’ll get into shortly. Overall, now that things have settled, my experience has been awesome.
The first problem came right from the beginning: the initial download linked on the Bazzite website (when selecting the option for the Legion Go) was for the previous release. Quite annoying. I didn’t even realize it at first, expecting the download link to be the latest. So, I ended up installing Bazzite 42 instead of 43, then wondered why ARC Raiders kept crashing. After a system upgrade brought the new Mesa graphics drivers, everything went back to normal.
### Installation Woes
To go back a step, the actual installation was a bit of a nuisance, too. It took longer than I expected, and at one point, I seriously thought it had frozen. The Bazzite installer could definitely use more rolling feedback on exactly what it’s doing behind the scenes.
After installation, I eventually reached a SteamOS screen with what looked like a blank loading bar. It was weird—nothing was happening. I could bring up a menu with power and help options but nothing else. Once again, thinking it was frozen, I did a force reboot, and it then loaded into Steam Big Picture properly so I could log in to Steam. This isn’t limited to Bazzite—actual SteamOS seems to do this on some devices as well, from what I’ve seen posted on Reddit.
### Using the Legion Go (With Linux!)
Once I got it working as a handheld, it was just great. Holding it in my hands and resting it on my lap while chilling on the sofa has been wonderful. You definitely feel the weight more than the Steam Deck—it’s so damn big. Yet it’s still rather comfortable to hold, just not for longer sessions. You’ll probably want a gaming pillow, or at least a cushion on your lap to rest your wrists for those extended gaming marathons.
### The Docking Drama
The biggest issue? Docking it. What a pain this was at first. The official dock initially gave no HDMI output. I had to go into the Steam display settings and enable “External display safe mode”. Voila! It worked and seems to keep working ever since. Odd, but Valve’s own Steam Deck still has lots of docking issues too—something they really need to sort out before launching the new Steam Machine. So, I’m kind of used to the docking quirks of handhelds by now.
I only have the one Legion Go Dock, which is attached to my main TV. I needed something for my desk and bedroom without having to constantly unplug cables. After going through several docks, I experienced repeated issues—Legion Go not charging, HDMI disconnecting, and so on. Turns out, some docks that advertise 100W pass-through power just don’t deliver, and some USB-C cables are utter junk. It’s really the wild west regarding reliability, especially with angled connectors that can fail when you need higher power pass-through.
For example, with the BenQ GR10 that I previously reviewed, I found that the angled connector kept forcing the incoming power down to a static 3.5W with the Legion Go (it worked fine with the Steam Deck). Once I removed the connector, charging jumped up to over 60W—but then HDMI began acting up. Just not enough power going through. Oh dear.
### Finding the Perfect Dock
Eventually, after plenty of trial and error, I settled on the JSAUX 11-in-1 Docking Station (HB1101), which has been an absolute workhorse. JSAUX sent it to me a long time ago, and I never ended up covering it—likely due to hardware overload at that time. To make things right, I have to say: it’s fantastic. Not a single issue, even after some pretty intense multi-hour sessions. It may not have a built-in stand, but the Legion Go has its own. The HB1101 just works, and that’s all I need. I might even buy another for a different room—it’s that good.
### The Power of AMD Z1 Extreme
I’m thoroughly impressed by the AMD Z1 Extreme. Yes, the Legion Go uses more power, and battery life suffers because of it, but the performance gain is worth it for me. Where the Steam Deck struggles, the Legion Go just purrs—well, a little bit more, but to the point that some unplayable games on Steam Deck now work well enough to be enjoyable on the Legion Go. It’s given me a glimpse of a potential future where a Steam Deck 2—with, say, the Z3 Extreme—absolutely kicks ass.
### Final Thoughts
This is really just the start of my journey with Bazzite and with a PC gaming handheld that isn’t the Steam Deck. But it’s fun to see what’s on the other side. Aside from the early hiccups, the Legion Go absolutely rocks. It also feels like a perfectly timed purchase—the prices of everything are going up, and with the original Legion Go now a great companion device (especially given the eye-watering price of the Legion Go 2), it’s perfect for both me and my fiancée to game together whenever we want.
So now you can expect even more hands-on testing with Bazzite from me, since I have a dedicated machine for it. And of course, if a Linux version ever comes along to take the Linux handheld crown from Bazzite, I’ll be there to test it too.
Stay tuned!
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/01/the-legion-go-with-bazzite-is-an-excellent-machine-for-gaming/
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