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Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Microsoft to Improve Windows Handheld Consoles With the ‘Xbox Experience’: Report


CES 2025 has seen the launch of recent handheld gaming consoles, such because the Lenovo Legion Go S and the Acer Nitro Blaze 11. While there isn’t any signal of Microsoft’s rumoured gaming handheld, a senior government dropped a touch of the corporate’s plans to enhance the consumer expertise for Windows-based consoles that would arrive as early as this 12 months. The firm upcoming enhancements might see the standard Windows desktop parts and take a backseat, in favour of an interface designed to be used with controllers.

In an interaction with The Verge at CES, Microsoft VP (Xbox Gaming Devices & Ecosystem) Jason Ronald mentioned that the corporate was seeking to deliver enhancements that have been developed for consoles to PCs and the hand held gaming sector. He added that the Redmond-based firm was seeking to “mix” the Xbox and Windows experiences.

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Running Windows on a gaming handheld could be a irritating expertise

 

“I might say it is bringing the very best of Xbox and Windows collectively, as a result of we’ve got spent the final 20 years constructing a world-class working system, but it surely’s actually locked to the console,” the manager informed the publication.

We’ve reviewed a handful of Windows-based gaming handhelds at Gadgets 360, and probably the most widespread complaints we have had is said to the working system. Windows nonetheless lacks an optimised UI for smaller screens — most handheld consoles have a 7-inch show — whereas you may also run into requests to put in drivers and may additionally be disturbed by system notifications.

On the opposite hand, Valve’s SteamOS provides a way more intuitive expertise that appears like a miniaturised model of bigger, in style consoles. It additionally works very easily on the corporate’s gaming handheld, the Steam Deck.

On Windows-based handhelds, customers are at the moment restricted to utilizing their Game Pass subscription contained in the Xbox app, which has been up to date with improved assist for these units. 

Ronald informed The Verge that Microsoft is engaged on enhancing the expertise of utilizing Windows on units that use controller buttons, as an alternative of a mouse. He additionally identified that numerous the corporate’s expertise for the Xbox will be integrated into Windows, as the corporate’s console was constructed on the identical working system.

Gamers may not have to attend for very lengthy to see all of those enhancements arrive on handheld gaming units, based on the manager, who informed the publication that bulletins associated to adjustments to Windows for smaller units are anticipated to reach later this 12 months.

It’s at the moment unclear whether or not these enhancements will probably be accessible on present units, or whether or not solely upcoming fashions — such because the Lenovo Legion Go 2 — will arrive with an improved interface. We can anticipate to listen to extra particulars of the corporate’s plans to deliver the Xbox expertise to Windows within the coming months.

Catch the newest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2025 hub.



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