handheld gaming

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 latest update reshapes the Xbox PC app from a Game Pass storefront into a unified, controller‑friendly hub that aggregates installed games from multiple PC storefronts, adds a dedicated My Apps shelf for quick launcher access, and promises cross‑device play history and cloud...

Windows handheld owners who’ve been frustrated by Windows’ desktop baggage can try Microsoft’s new Xbox‑focused, controller‑first “Xbox mode” today — without waiting for the retail 25H2 release — by enrolling in the Xbox Insider previews and switching on the compact/full‑screen Xbox UX in the...

Microsoft has quietly transformed the Xbox app on Windows 11 from a Game Pass storefront into a unified, controller‑friendly game hub that now aggregates installed PC titles from multiple storefronts—bringing Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net and your Xbox/Game Pass library into a single, searchable...

Microsoft’s new handheld-focused Windows 11 “Xbox full‑screen” experience — the controller‑first launcher being trialed on the ROG Xbox Ally family — can be shoehorned onto older hardware like the original ASUS ROG Ally, and the early hands‑on results make clear where the performance wins...

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...

Microsoft’s Xbox app for Windows has quietly evolved into a single‑surface launcher that pulls installed games from Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net and other PC storefronts into one “My Library” — and with the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds arriving in October, the timing could reshape how many Windows...

Microsoft’s Xbox PC app has quietly shed the role of a one‑trick Game Pass storefront and evolved into a genuine, controller‑friendly hub that now aggregates your installed Windows games across multiple launchers — Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Battle.net and Microsoft’s own libraries — and...

Microsoft has quietly reshaped the Xbox app on Windows 11 into an aggregated game launcher that can show and launch titles from multiple PC storefronts — Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Battle.net and more — and it now includes a dedicated “My apps” area for third‑party clients and utilities, with...

Microsoft’s continued migration of legacy Control Panel features into the modern Settings app has taken another step forward: recent Windows 11 Insider preview builds contain hidden, in-progress pages that surface longstanding keyboard controls and a redesigned haptic touchpad panel inside...

Microsoft’s latest Xbox app update for Windows 11 and handhelds finally stitches scattered PC game libraries into a single, controller‑friendly hub that promises smoother launches, cross‑device continuity, and a new “My apps” launcher — but it also raises important questions about DRM handoffs...

Windows 11 Insiders on the Dev Channel are getting a small but significant usability upgrade: Dev build 26220.6682 introduces a new three‑state behavior for the Xbox (Guide) button on connected controllers — a quick tap opens the Xbox Game Bar, a long press now brings up Task View, and a...

Microsoft is quietly turning the Xbox button on controllers into a small but consequential multitasking shortcut in Windows 11: a long press now opens Task View so gamers can switch between apps and games without leaving the controller, while a short press still opens the Game Bar and a...

Microsoft’s quiet tweak to the Xbox controller on Windows 11 — making a long press of the central Xbox button open Task View while preserving a tap for Game Bar and a sustained hold to power the controller off — is small in code but large in intent, signaling a deliberate push toward...

Microsoft is testing a small but meaningful change in Windows 11 that lets the Xbox button on controllers do more: a long press will open Task View so gamers can quickly switch between apps and games, while a short press still opens the Game Bar and a sustained hold continues to power off the...

Microsoft has quietly begun remapping the Xbox controller’s central Guide button in recent Windows 11 Insider builds so that a short tap still opens the Game Bar, a long press now opens Task View, and a sustained hold continues to power the controller off — a small input-change that signals a...

Microsoft’s Xbox app on Windows 11 has quietly evolved from a Game Pass storefront into a genuine, controller-friendly gaming hub capable of listing and launching installed titles from Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net and more — and the company is now rolling key pieces of that work out to wider...