windows handhelds

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...

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’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...

Microsoft’s push to make Xbox the gaming platform that follows players across consoles, PCs, and handhelds is now measurable—and exposed by a practical problem: some of the biggest publishers still aren’t playing ball with Xbox Play Anywhere, and that gap risks turning Microsoft’s cross-device...

Helldivers 2 can be launched and played on a Steam Deck, but the reality is far messier than a simple “works” or “doesn’t work” label — performance is uneven, requires compromise, and Arrowhead’s leadership says formal handheld support isn’t a near-term priority while the studio focuses on...

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...

When Valve launched the Steam Deck in early 2022, skepticism was rampant. PC gaming had, until then, been a world deeply rooted in desks, massive rigs, and the never-ending chase for ever-more powerful graphics cards. Yet, Valve’s handheld wasn’t just a curiosity—it quickly became the benchmark...

Handheld PC gaming has, for years, existed in a strange no man's land—a collision of desktop power and portability, but too often hamstrung by software that wasn’t designed for life beyond the desk. Microsoft’s latest move aims to rewrite this dynamic: the long-anticipated “Xbox full-screen...

In a move that could reshape the rapidly maturing Windows-based handheld gaming market, Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Microsoft have officially unveiled a collaborative leap forward: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. These exclusive handheld gaming systems, developed through close...

Microsoft has announced plans to extend the "Xbox full screen experience," currently exclusive to the ROG Xbox Ally series, to other Windows handheld devices starting in 2026. This initiative aims to unify the gaming experience across various platforms by integrating Xbox's user interface and...

If the Nintendo Switch 2 has caught your eye—thanks to its rumored hardware leaps—but you’re weighing other options in the fiercely competitive world of handheld gaming, you’re not alone. The surge of powerful Windows-based handhelds and custom Linux devices has fundamentally reshaped what...

For years, speculation about Microsoft entering the gaming handheld market has captivated both tech insiders and the Xbox community at large. Official hints from Xbox executives, coupled with industry leaks, have further fueled these rumors, suggesting Microsoft was actively developing a...

Speculation about Microsoft’s future in the handheld gaming market has reached fever pitch, thanks to a fresh wave of credible rumors. The expectation is palpable: after years of sidestepping direct engagement with portable gaming hardware, is Xbox finally ready to put its name on a device you...