Microsoft wants to ditch Windows for future Xbox gaming handhelds

The Asus ROG Ally X sitting on a desk in a neon-lit gaming room.

(Image credit: Asus)

published 8 January 2025

Quick Summary

Microsoft is working on new software for gaming handhelds which will “put the player and their library at the center of the experience".

And we may not have long to wait, as Microsoft will reportedly share more later this year.

There’s good news coming out of CES 2025 for fans of PC gaming handhelds. Microsoft’s VP of Next Generation, Jason Ronald, offered hope to those frustrated with the Windows experience on these devices.

The Windows operating system on handhelds such as the Asus ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go and Ayaneo Flip DS is leagues behind when putting gaming front and centre compared to Valve’s console-centric, Linux-based software on the Steam Deck and newly announced Lenovo Legion Go S.

Speaking during the ‘The Future of Gaming Handhelds’ roundtable at the show, and then in more detail to The Verge, Ronald revealed Microsoft wants to combine the Xbox console operating system with Windows, saying: "Our goal is to put the player and their library at the centre of the experience.”

There appears to be a realisation at Microsoft that the current Windows operating system on a handheld gaming device is just too fussy and needs to change: “We’re focused on really simplifying that and making it much more like a console experience,” Ronald explained.

The end of Windows as you know it

While Microsoft isn’t ready to completely ditch Windows, Ronald emphasises that what it wants for handhelds going forward is “not the Windows desktop that you have today.”

Instead, Microsoft plans to adapt it by leveraging the Xbox OS and putting that interface front and centre on portable devices, resulting in a controller-friendly system which handheld gamers are familiar with.

“The reality is the Xbox operating system is built on top of Windows. So, there’s a lot of infrastructure that we built in the console space that we can bring to the PC space and really deliver that premium gaming experience on any device.”

And there’s more good news, as we’re not going to be waiting years to learn more about the vision. Ronald cheekily added: “I think we’ll have a lot more to share later this year.

“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.”

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John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s reported on pretty much every area of consumer technology, from laptops, tablets, smartwatches and smartphones to smart speakers, automotive, headphones and more. During his time in journalism, John has written for TechRadar, T3, Shortlist, What Laptop, Windows 8 magazine, Gizmodo UK, Saga Magazine and Saga Exceptional, and he’s appeared in the Evening Standard and Metro newspapers.

Outside of work, John is a passionate Watford FC and Green Bay Packers fan, enjoys a Sunday afternoon watching the F1, and is also a Guinness World Record Holder.