Gaming News

Windows Handheld Mode Is Made for Devices Like the Steam Deck.

Microsoft is working on a special version of Windows for handheld console users.

In several previous posts, I have spoken about the Steam Deck. I’ll link those stories at the end of this post. In this post, I’ll be talking about recent news on Microsoft’s upcoming version of Windows for handheld consoles.

What Is A Handheld Console?

A handheld console is a portable video game console designed to be held in the hands and operated using buttons or a touchscreen. These devices allow users to play video games on the go, without the need for a TV or computer.

Handheld consoles have been around since the late 1970s, but their popularity really took off in the 1990s with the release of the Nintendo Game Boy.

Handheld consoles typically feature a built-in screen, speakers, and rechargeable batteries. Some consoles also have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi or cellular networks, allowing for online play and access to digital game stores. Many handheld consoles have a clamshell design that allows them to be folded and easily carried in a pocket or bag.

One of the most popular handheld consoles of all time is the Nintendo DS. Released in 2004, the DS featured dual screens, one of which was a touchscreen.

It also had Wi-Fi connectivity and a built-in microphone, allowing for voice chat in online games. The DS was succeeded by the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, which added 3D capabilities to the top screen and improved online functionality.

Sony has also been a major player in the handheld console market with its PlayStation Portable (PSP) and PlayStation Vita devices. The PSP was released in 2004 and was the first handheld console to use optical discs for game storage. The Vita, released in 2011, featured a touchscreen and touchpad on the back of the device, as well as front and rear cameras.

In recent years, the market for handheld consoles has become more competitive with the rise of mobile gaming. Smartphones and tablets have become increasingly capable of playing high-quality games, and many game developers have shifted their focus to mobile platforms.

However, handheld consoles still offer a unique experience that cannot be replicated on a touchscreen device.

One advantage of handheld consoles is that they are designed specifically for gaming, with physical buttons that provide more precise control than a touchscreen. They also often have longer battery life and more storage space for games than a smartphone or tablet.

Handheld consoles also offer a wider selection of games than mobile platforms, with many exclusive titles that cannot be played on other devices.

Windows Handheld Mode

Microsoft is reportedly exploring early concepts around a Windows handheld mode for devices like the recently announced Steam Deck. A leaked video posted on Twitter by h0x0d shows early prototype work for an optimized Windows 11 UI for handhelds, including a launcher and a Windows gaming shell designed for touchscreens and controllers.

According to reports, the video is part of a hackathon project inside Microsoft from September, where employees regularly present ideas or projects that sometimes end up getting support from Microsoft executives and ultimately end up shipping.

Although it is not clear who is narrating the video, they do a good job of highlighting all the current issues of running Windows on a handheld gaming device like the Steam Deck.

Valve, the developer behind Steam Deck, offers drivers for Windows, but the Windows UI is difficult to navigate with touch or a controller, and there is no dedicated launcher as SteamOS has.

The video references some prototype handheld work created by Dorothy Feng, a senior UX designer at Microsoft. The prototype includes a launcher that can open games from different stores like Steam, PC Game Pass, EA Play, Epic Games Store, and more.

This handheld gaming prototype also includes a keyboard optimized for the Steam Deck that can be navigated using a controller, and even a floating taskbar that we’ve seen Microsoft tease before. The team working on this hackathon project also started working with a developer that created a way to use Steam Deck controls across Windows.

There’s even a gaming shell customized for Windows and created by Hayden McAfee, a senior software engineer at Microsoft who works on gaming experiences for Windows.

The hackathon project resulted in a setup experience where drivers and services are installed, the controller works, and there’s a launcher to quickly launch games from different stores.

However, it looks like super early work and there’s a long list of issues and optimizations that would be needed in Windows and the Xbox app for Microsoft to make this a reality.

At the end of the video, there’s a call to action for fellow Microsoft employees to “get serious about handheld gaming on Windows” which can help improve Microsoft’s image and credibility in the PC gaming community.

Although this project may never ship, it’s encouraging to see Microsoft employees pushing for it to happen. Microsoft was quick to support Xbox Cloud Gaming on the Steam Deck, but we’ve heard little about its Windows ambitions for handheld gaming outside of this leaked presentation.

A number of Switch-like handheld gaming devices from GPD and OneXPlayer or even the Ayaneo 2 have been relying on Windows without an optimized UI from Microsoft. That means companies have to build their own interfaces and launchers to make Windows more controller and handheld-friendly.

There are signs that we’ll also start to see even more Windows handheld devices soon. Asus just announced its ROG Ally, which aims to go head to head with the Steam Deck and is powered by a customized Ryzen APU from AMD and Windows 11. A Windows handheld mode certainly makes a lot of sense right now.

Final Words & Takeaways

Microsoft is reportedly exploring an early concept for a Windows handheld mode for devices like the Steam Deck.

A leaked video shows prototype work for an optimized Windows 11 UI for handhelds, including a launcher and a Windows gaming shell designed for touchscreens and controllers.

Although the project is in its early stages, it’s encouraging to see Microsoft employees pushing for it to happen.

This Windows handheld mode would certainly make sense for the growing number of Windows-based handheld gaming devices like the Steam Deck and the Asus ROG Ally.

It would be interesting to see how this project would progress and whether it would ultimately be supported by Microsoft executives and end up shipping to the market.

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