CES 2025 has seen the launch of recent handheld gaming consoles, such because the Lenovo Legion Go S and the Acer Nitro Blaze 11. Whereas there is no signal of Microsoft’s rumoured gaming handheld, a senior government dropped a touch of the corporate’s plans to enhance the consumer expertise for Home windows-based consoles that would arrive as early as this 12 months. The corporate upcoming enhancements may see the standard Home 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 Units & Ecosystem) Jason Ronald stated that the corporate was seeking to convey 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 Home windows experiences.
Working Home windows on a gaming handheld could be a irritating expertise
“I’d say it is bringing the very best of Xbox and Home windows collectively, as a result of we’ve 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 have reviewed a handful of Home windows-based gaming handhelds at Devices 360, and one of the crucial common complaints we have had is expounded to the working system. Home windows nonetheless lacks an optimised UI for smaller screens — most handheld consoles have a 7-inch show — whereas it’s also possible to run into requests to put in drivers and may also be disturbed by system notifications.
However, Valve’s SteamOS gives a way more intuitive expertise that seems like a miniaturised model of bigger, widespread consoles. It additionally works very easily on the corporate’s gaming handheld, the Steam Deck.
On Home windows-based handhelds, customers are presently restricted to utilizing their Recreation Move 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 bettering the expertise of utilizing Home windows on units that use controller buttons, as a substitute of a mouse. He additionally identified that lots of the corporate’s know-how for the Xbox will be included into Home windows, as the corporate’s console was constructed on the identical working system.
Avid gamers won’t 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 modifications to Home windows for smaller units are anticipated to reach later this 12 months.
It is presently unclear whether or not these enhancements shall be accessible on current units, or whether or not solely upcoming fashions — corresponding to the Lenovo Legion Go 2 — will arrive with an improved interface. We will anticipate to listen to extra particulars of the corporate’s plans to convey the Xbox expertise to Home windows within the coming months.
Catch the most recent from the Client Electronics Present on Devices 360, at our CES 2025 hub.
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