Microsoft Unveils Xbox-Windows Hybrid Handheld

What about Windows handheld gaming PCs? Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has been hinting about an Xbox handheld for months. Microsoft’s VP of “Next Generation,” Jason Ronald, tells The Verge and Gadgets360 that they may anticipate changes to the Windows portable gaming experience this year.

Windows on gaming handhelds, which are made for gadgets with controller buttons and smaller screens, may eventually provide a more seamless experience.

New mobile gaming consoles like the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 and Lenovo Legion Go S were introduced at CES 2025. A senior official hinted at Microsoft’s intentions to enhance the user experience for Windows-based consoles that might be released as early as this year, even if there is no sight of the company’s rumoured gaming handheld. Future developments from the firm may side-line the classic desktop components of Windows in favour of a controller-friendly interface.

Ronald participated in a roundtable discussion at an AMD and Lenovo event called “The Future of Gaming Handhelds,” which served primarily as a launch party for Lenovo’s recently released Legion Go S. He did, however, allude onstage to Microsoft’s intention to extend the Xbox experience to Windows PCs instead of the other way around. He went into great detail about this when The Verge spoke with him later.

During CES, Microsoft VP (Xbox Gaming Devices & Ecosystem) Jason Ronald told The Verge that the company wanted to bring console-developed enhancements to PCs and the mobile gaming market. He went on to say that the Redmond-based business wanted to “combine” the Windows and Xbox experiences.

David Delima, a writer with Gadgets360 also said they have spent the last 20 years creating a world-class operating system, but it’s really locked to the console, so he would say it’s bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together,” the executive told the outlet.

Gadgets360 also evaluated a few gaming handhelds that run Windows, and one of the most frequent grievances we’ve seen is with the operating system. The majority of handheld consoles have a 7-inch screen, and Windows currently lacks a user interface optimized for tiny screens. You may also get driver installation requests and system notifications.

However, SteamOS from Valve provides a far more user-friendly experience that resembles a scaled-down version of more well-known, larger consoles. Additionally, it functions flawlessly on the Steam Deck, the company’s gaming portable.

The Xbox software, which has been updated to better support Windows-based handhelds, is presently the only way for consumers to use their Game Pass subscription on these devices. 

Microsoft is trying to make Windows more user-friendly on devices that employ gamepad buttons rather than a mouse, Ronald told The Verge. Additionally, he noted that since the Xbox was developed on the same operating system as Windows, a large portion of the company’s Xbox technology may be integrated into Windows.

“As we collaborate with other industry partners, it’s really about how we take those innovations that we’ve developed and nurtured in the console space and bring them to the PC and handheld gaming space,” Ronald stated. “They have been really innovating for a long time in the console space.”

After the presentation, TheVerge spoke with Ronald, and he confirmed that Microsoft is considering merging the Xbox and Windows experiences. Instead of waiting for an Xbox portable, which may still be years away, we should see improvements this year.

The executive informed the outlet that announcements on updates to Windows for smaller devices are anticipated later this year, so gamers may not have to wait long to see all of these enhancements emerge on handheld gaming devices.

Whether these improvements will be available on current devices or if only future models, like the Lenovo Legion Go 2, would have an enhanced interface is still unknown. In the upcoming months, everyone should expect to learn more about the company’s intentions to bring the Xbox experience to Windows.

Since they have spent the previous 20 years creating a top-notch operating system, yet it is essentially console-specific, Ronald explains, “he would say it’s bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together.” “What we’re doing is they are really focused on how we bring those experiences to the wider Windows ecosystem for both developers and players.”

To put it frankly, Windows is now so bad on handheld devices that a community-developed version of Valve’s SteamOS can be a much superior way to download and play games. Ronald is well conscious of the problems. The goal is to make that considerably simpler and more akin to a console experience. Instead of all the [Windows] labour you have to perform now, we want the player and their library to be the focal point of the experience.

Microsoft has created Windows-based Xbox software compact models aimed at enhancing the handheld experience, but they are essentially cosmetic changes rather than improvements to the core experience. Ronald teases, “he thinks they will have a lot more to share later this year.” “they will have a lot more to share later this year, and he thinks it’s going to be a journey and you’ll see a lot of investments over time that you’re starting to see already.”

Although it doesn’t seem like Microsoft will suddenly move a special Xbox operating system to Windows, how the corporation handles this Xbox and Windows merger will be crucial. It sounds more like Microsoft wants to hide the annoying desktop, alerts, and legacy of Windows in order to improve Windows’ gaming capabilities with an Xbox experience on top.

Ronald states, “he believes that our ultimate objective is to make Windows excellent for gaming on any device.” In actuality, Windows serves as the foundation for the Xbox operating system. In order to provide that high-end gaming experience on any platform, we have developed a lot of infrastructure in the console area that we can transfer to the PC space.

In particular, Microsoft needs to address many of the fundamentals of making Windows more controller-friendly and ensuring that the Xbox experience takes precedence over the taskbar, Start menu, and other components. Ronald acknowledges that there are some features in Windows, such as joypads and thumbstick support, that were not intended for use with a keyboard and mouse.

“We’re working on basic interaction models to ensure that it feels very naturally like a gaming-centric device and an experience, regardless of the operating system details.”

According to Ronald, the objective is to prioritize the Xbox experience rather than “the Windows desktop that you have today.”