Bringing a Steam Deck-style handheld-optimized user interface to Windows is something Microsoft has been experimenting with internally since at least 2022, when employees at an internal hackathon identified most of Windows’ handheld deficiencies in a slide deck about a proposed “Windows Handheld Mode.”
Hopefully, any version of this interface that also rolls out to generic Windows PCs would be able to save system resources by shutting off the traditional Windows UI entirely.
The risks of lateness Microsoft has been slow to respond to SteamOS and the Steam Deck.
But Microsoft’s tardiness has also left more room for the Steam Deck and SteamOS to flourish—software that allows you to run a wide range of Windows games without actually requiring Windows itself.
But for decades, a key part of the pitch for Windows has been wide compatibility with new and old Windows apps and games.
The fact that Valve’s SteamOS and Steam Deck gaming handheld will only run Windows games from Steam that are compatible with the platform’s Proton compatibility layer (plus the selection of games that run natively on Linux) by default is one of their weaknesses. Proton’s compatibility is generally impressive, and alternative game stores can be installed, but SteamOS is still not a complete Windows replacement.
By putting a new Xbox-branded user interface on top of standard Windows, Microsoft and Asus’ co-developed ROG Xbox Ally aims to provide PC gamers with a more complete compatibility solution while maintaining a handheld UI akin to SteamOS. Microsoft informed The Verge that although the ROG Xbox Ally will be the first to receive this interface, other Ally handhelds will follow, and that something “similar” will begin rolling out to other Windows handhelds the following year. “.
Since at least 2022, when staff members at an internal hackathon discovered the majority of Windows’ handheld flaws in a slide deck regarding a proposed “Windows Handheld Mode,” Microsoft has been experimenting internally with bringing a Steam Deck-style handheld-optimized user interface to Windows. “,”.
It’s unclear if the new Xbox interface is a direct result of that slide show, but it offers a tile-based Switch-style gamepad user interface that superficially resembles what Microsoft unveiled yesterday. The “optimizations for your handheld’s touch screen to improve touch points and visibility” and Windows’ “lack of controller support” outside of the Steam app and actual games would have also been included in this hypothetical Handheld Mode.
The ROG Xbox Ally’s new full-screen interface totally replaces Windows’s old desktop-and-taskbar interface, saving what Microsoft claims is a couple of gigabytes of RAM in addition to consuming less power and other system resources. In order to bridge the functionality gap between SteamOS and Windows, these handhelds currently require additional overhead from programs like Asus’ Armoury Crate software, which joins the overhead of Windows on a handheld running the standard version of the operating system, such as the standard ROG Ally.
The ROG Xbox Ally will reportedly still have a traditional desktop user interface (UI), similar to SteamOS, but you will need to choose to launch it. It would be ideal if this interface, which is also available for generic Windows PCs, could save system resources by completely turning off the classic Windows user interface.
the dangers of being late.
Microsoft has been sluggish to react to the Steam Deck and SteamOS. It wasn’t initially apparent if the bulky, rough-around-the-edges handheld would be successful at all; additionally, these handhelds pose little threat to the much more powerful traditional gaming PCs. Additionally, Microsoft has prioritized AI—and possibly security—over other significant initiatives for the majority of the past two years.
Microsoft’s tardiness, however, has also given the Steam Deck and SteamOS—software that lets you run a variety of Windows games without actually needing Windows itself—more space to thrive. SteamOS is gradually spreading to other non-Steam Deck gaming handhelds and PCs, including some of Asus’ own ROG Ally hardware, and Proton (and underlying projects it depends on, like Wine) has steadily improved with the extra focus and development resources.
Although Linux’s market share has been steadily increasing and surpassed 4 percent for the first time last year, SteamOS hasn’t yet caused a mass migration away from Windows on consumer PCs. However, extensive compatibility with both new and old Windows apps and games has been a major selling point for Windows for decades. For more than forty years, Windows has been the path of least resistance for PC users. Proton and other projects that allow users to run that software without running Windows itself run the risk of ending this cycle of lock-in and inertia, especially if Windows is also getting harder to install and use.
