Lenovo’s Legion C700 cloud handheld arrives in August with a 120Hz display and pro‑grade thumbsticks
But it may not come to the US
🆕 Lenovo is launching a brand new cloud gaming handheld
👀 The Legion C700 will feature a 7.82-inch 120Hz IPS screen and goodies such as TMR thumbsticks and Hall effect triggers
🤔 We don’t know its processors, RAM, storage, or battery capacity, though
📅 The device releases in August as a collaboration with Tencent, which may indicate it’s a Chinese exclusive handheld
Lenovo is launching a new cloud gaming handheld, and the specs we’ve got so far look rather tasty for a more humble device.
Named the Lenovo Legion C700, the device has been made in collaboration with Tencent and will be released in August.
As per NotebookCheck, Lenovo has shared more details of the device on the official Legion Weibo account, noting that the handheld has a large 7.82-inch 120Hz IPS screen, which is slightly smaller than the 8-inch screen on the Legion Go S.
Furthermore, we know the device will feature TMR thumbsticks and Hall effect triggers, plus four customizable buttons with two further shoulder buttons and two back buttons. There will also be an omnidirectional D-pad.
We don’t know anything else just yet, such as its processor, RAM, storage, and battery capacity, and it seems like the device is being released in white only at first.
With this in mind, Lenovo is positioning the Legion C700 as a cloud gaming device, similar to the Logitech G Cloud. The collaboration with Tencent means it’ll come with Tencent’s Start cloud gaming service that allows users access to a vast library of games without the need for downloading them.
It seems like this is going to be a China-exclusive handheld as a result, as Tencent Start is only available in China.
However, as NotebookCheck points out, if the device runs Android underneath and has a powerful enough SoC, then running emulation apps could make it viable as a more traditional gaming handheld.
Cloud gaming handhelds are a different beast compared to more fully fledged PC handhelds, such as a Steam Deck, MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, Lenovo Legion Go 2, or Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, as they can only play games from the cloud via Wi-Fi from supported services, be it something like Tencent’s Start or Nvidia GeForce Now.
It means these handhelds tend to be more affordable, as powerful hardware isn’t needed, since no games are running on the device itself, though cloud services are often pay-walled behind monthly subscription costs.
By contrast, PC handhelds are more powerful and expensive, as games are designed to run natively on the hardware. There’s also the option to run games via the cloud, but they aren’t reliant on a constant Wi-Fi connection or subscription.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.