Microsoft is looking to improve its Windows operating system on handheld PCs such as the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go by making the software more like an Xbox console.
Microsoft vice president of Next Generation Jason Ronald said at a CES 2025 panel this shift is planned for 2025 and told The Verge it looks to bring "the best of Xbox and Windows together." This comes ahead of Xbox releasing its own dedicated handheld in a few years.
Ronald said during the event: "We’ve been really innovating for a long time in the console space and, as we partner across the industry, it’s really about: 'How do we bring those innovations that we’ve incubated and developed in the console space and bring them to PC and bring them to the handheld gaming space?"
He expanded on this to The Verge, saying Microsoft has spent "the last 20 years building a world-class operating system" that's "locked to the console." It's therefore now working out how to bring that experience to Windows.
"We’re focused on really simplifying that and making it much more like a console experience," Ronald said. "Our goal is to put the player and their library at the center of the experience and not all the [Windows] work that you have to do today."
It's unclear when specific details will come, but Ronald insisted it will be in 2025. "I think we’ll have a lot more to share later this year," he said. "I think it’s going to be a journey and I think you’ll see a lot of investments over time that you’re starting to see already, but we’ll have a lot more to share later this year."
The handheld gaming PC market has erupted over the last few years, perhaps inspired by the incredible success of the Nintendo Switch. Valve paved the way for PC developers with the Steam Deck, though others such as Asus and Lenovo soon followed.
The industry is currently waiting with bated breath for Nintendo to announce the Switch successor, which appears to spawn a new leak or rumor every day. A mockup even appeared at CES 2025, though the extent of its legitimacy is still unclear. Check out every other announcement from the tech convention here.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
