handheld compatibility program

Microsoft’s new handheld-focused “Xbox mode” for Windows 11 is already being run on existing Windows handhelds — in some cases by users who have forced the mode early via Insider/Release Preview builds and system tweaks — giving owners of devices like the original ASUS ROG Ally and other Windows...

Microsoft’s new Xbox “Full Screen Experience” for handheld Windows PCs is no longer just marketing copy on a press release — enthusiasts are already running it on older hardware, and early tests show real, measurable gains and equally real caveats that matter for anyone who owns a handheld...

Microsoft’s new full‑screen Xbox experience for Windows handhelds—sold as a controller‑first, console‑style shell—has begun appearing on existing Windows handheld PCs ahead of the ROG Xbox Ally family’s retail debut, with enthusiasts enabling the interface via Windows 11 25H2 preview builds and...

Microsoft's new handheld-focused, full‑screen Xbox interface for Windows 11 can already be unlocked on many in‑market Windows handhelds thanks to a Release Preview of the Windows 11 25H2 update and a handful of community-discovered switches — meaning you don't have to wait for the ROG Xbox...

Microsoft’s new Xbox Full screen experience for Windows handhelds can already be forced onto existing devices — but early testers warn that getting it running is only the first step; making it stable, usable, and genuinely advantageous is another matter entirely. Background Microsoft and ASUS...

Microsoft and ASUS have accelerated the handheld-PC arms race by shipping the ROG Xbox Ally family with a purpose-built Xbox full‑screen experience layered on Windows 11 — and, crucially, that same console‑like launcher is already being enabled on many existing Windows handhelds via the Windows...

Microsoft’s new handheld-focused Xbox Mode — the full-screen, controller-first Xbox experience layered on Windows 11 — is already being run on a wide range of in-market Windows handhelds, and community ports plus an Insider-channel push mean owners of existing devices can try the experience now...

The community has already started peeling back the seams of the ROG Xbox Ally’s new “Xbox Mode,” and hobbyist modders have managed to run the console-style, full‑screen Xbox experience on a range of other Windows handhelds — a development that short-circuits manufacturer timelines, accelerates...

Microsoft’s handheld push has taken a new turn: the Xbox-style, full‑screen “Xbox Mode” that will ship as the default experience on the ROG Xbox Ally family is already appearing on other Windows 11 handhelds — in community builds and hacks — ahead of the Ally’s retail launch, forcing a rapid...

Microsoft’s console-first pivot for small screens lands in a surprisingly usable form, and testing Windows 11’s new Handheld Gaming Mode on an OG ROG Ally shows both what’s changed and what still needs work for real-world handheld PC owners. Background / Overview Windows 11’s new Handheld Gaming...

Lenovo's next flagship handheld, the Legion Go 2, arrives as a strikingly ambitious — and expensive — attempt to redefine what a Windows portable can be, pairing a large 8.8-inch OLED, AMD's new Z2 family silicon, and headline-grabbing battery and memory choices that put it squarely in premium...

Asus and Microsoft have taken the wraps off the ROG Xbox Ally family — two Windows 11 handhelds that marry ASUS’ ROG hardware design with an Xbox‑layered, controller‑first Windows experience — and they arrive on store shelves on October 16, 2025, positioning themselves as direct rivals to...

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X arrive as a decisive pivot for handheld PC gaming: ASUS hardware meets Xbox branding and a newly consolized Windows 11 experience, with both devices slated to reach stores on October 16, 2025. Background / Overview The ROG Xbox Ally family is the product of...

Microsoft and ASUS have set a firm retail date for their jointly developed handhelds — the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X — and they arrive not as simple third‑party devices but as the first mainstream proof that Microsoft intends to use Windows 11 as the foundation for a console‑like...

Microsoft’s Xbox handheld arriving as a Windows-powered device is less an endgame than the first real, public proof that Microsoft intends to use Windows itself as the foundation of a next-generation, cross-device Xbox experience. Background / Overview Microsoft and ASUS announced the ROG Xbox...

The ROG Xbox Ally X I tried shows genuine promise as a portable Windows gaming platform — but its success depends almost entirely on how far Microsoft and OEMs can push Windows 11 out of its desktop mindset and into a controller‑first, battery‑smart handheld experience. Background Handheld PCs...

Microsoft and ASUS have set a firm calendar for the next chapter of handheld PC gaming: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will arrive in stores on October 16, 2025, and launch alongside a new Handheld Compatibility Program designed to classify and optimize thousands of PC games for true...