This simple accessory turns an Android tablet into a powerful gaming handheld – there's just one catch

There's no doubt about it, the market for gaming handhelds has grown massively in just a few years, with 100s of Linux and Android devices available for all budgets. Then there are the PC handhelds, with the Steam Deck prompting a huge shift in how many game on a daily basis.

Lenovo is one of the companies that has attacked this trend with aplomb – its Legion Go devices, especially the Legion Go S with SteamOS installed, provide excellent alternatives to home consoles. It's also one of the few manufacturers persisting with gaming-centric Android fare, such as its Legion Tab series of tablets.

On that front, it is thought to be bringing a successor to the Legion Tab (Gen 3) to other markets outside China, and there could be a device to follow that has the potential of making it one of the best Android gaming handhelds around.

Available in China right now is the Lenovo Legion Gamepad G9 (2026), which is a case for the Chinese version of the Legion Tab (Gen 5) – launched as the Legion Y700 in the last few days. Rather than just be an expandable controller, like a Backbone or Razer Kishi, you clip in your 8.8-inch device and it gives you a Legion Go-style experience.

That includes Hall effect joysticks and triggers, dual rumble motors, a D-pad, ABXY buttons, and RGB lighting. There's also a USB-C port to charge your tablet when inside.

Sadly, and this is the catch, it's only compatible with the Legion Y700 for now – it needs to connect via the tablet's USB port. It's also seemingly exclusive to China at present (priced at 499 yuan – around £55 / $72).

You can get a version of the Gamepad G9 for the Legion Tab (Gen 3) – the tablet released globally last year – but again need to order it from China.

We're also getting the Lenovo Legion Tab (Gen 5) this summer, as the global version debuted during MWC and runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Let's hope the new Gamepad G9 becomes available too.

It'd also be great if there was a similar, more universal accessory for mini tablets – such as the RedMagic Astra. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and up to 24GB of RAM, it's a stunning Android gaming tablet that is also a retro gaming powerhouse.

I'd love to be able to use its 9.06-inch 165Hz display as my primary handheld.

We can only dream.