Microsoft to merge Xbox and Windows features for better gaming on handhelds

TL;DR: Microsoft is looking to bring the Xbox experience to PC and portable gaming. Speaking at the AMD and Lenovo event at CES 2025, Microsoft VP of Next Generation Jason Ronald said that the combined Xbox and Windows experience could be realized before the end of this year. But isn’t this just a reactionary move? SteamOS Coming Soon after computer games?

Speaking to The Verge after the event, Ronald lamented that while the Xbox operating system is “world class”, it is currently locked to the console. He said it makes sense for the company to provide the same robust experience to both players and developers in the Windows ecosystem.

Ronald added that Microsoft expects the addition of Xbox-specific features to provide an improved gaming experience on Windows devices. He also noted that because the Xbox operating system is built on Windows, “a lot of the infrastructure that we’ve built on console” can be brought to PC relatively easily.

To improve the gaming experience on Windows portables, Microsoft is looking to simplify the user interface and make it more console-like. According to Ronald, the company plans to “put the player and its library at the center of the experience” without letting the Windows user interface get in the way. He declined to say anything more about the company’s plans, but said Microsoft would share more details later this year.

The admission that something needs to be done about Windows portables comes just months after Xbox chief Phil Spencer confirmed that Microsoft is working on an Xbox portable console. According to Spencer, it will be a true standalone device like the ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go or Steam Deck, rather than something like the PlayStation Portal.

If Microsoft succeeds with its plan, future Windows handhelds could prove more efficient and user-friendly than existing ones, which suffer from usability issues associated with what is essentially a desktop operating system designed for use with a mouse and keyboard.

This is in direct contradiction with Steam deck. Gamers and reviewers consistently call Valve’s PDA the best gaming PDA on the market, mostly because its operating system is SteamOScreated specifically for games.

Although Windows laptops are technically more versatile, they are often criticized for offering a subpar gaming experience despite high-quality hardware. Gamers around the world will be glad to know that Microsoft is taking notes and solving their problems.