Lenovo G02 retro handheld allegedly comes preloaded with thousands of copyrighted games, including Nintendo ROMs — company confirms that it’s an officially white-labeled device meant for the Chinese market

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Image credit: Lenovo

Device details

A Lenovo‑branded G02 retro handheld launched in China earlier this month, priced at about $63.56 on AliExpress. A Lenovo employee in the Product and Licensing department confirmed to Retro Dodo that the device is an official, white‑labeled product intended solely for the Chinese market.

“The G02 device is produced through a regional brand licensing agreement meant for the China market only and is not part of Lenovo’s official global product portfolio,” the company told the publication. “As such, products developed through these agreements may differ from Lenovo products sold through authorized channels.”

The handheld is essentially a third‑party console that carries the Lenovo name under a licensing deal. Its AliExpress listing does not mention any preinstalled games.

Legal concerns

Investigations revealed that the G02 ships with thousands of copyrighted titles, the majority of them Nintendo ROMs. It is unclear whether these games are licensed; Nintendo is known for aggressively protecting its IP and has a history of pursuing legal action against unauthorized distribution — see, for example, a recent settlement against a Switch modder here.

Because the device carries Lenovo’s branding, the company could face legal repercussions despite the hardware being produced by an external manufacturer. Potential responses include recalling the units or attempting remote removal of the infringing content, though the feasibility of such actions is uncertain. The presence of unlicensed Nintendo games on a product bearing Lenovo’s name may attract attention from Nintendo’s legal team.