Microsoft may be working on a game mode for Windows 11 handhelds to please the growing portable market. Soon, users will seemingly be able to choose the system layout they want to see when turning their machines on, streamlining the experience and bringing it closer to consoles.
Windows 11 may soon look different on portable devices as folks at Windows Latest have spotted multiple references to gaming-centric changes in the OS preview build. Microsoft is apparently working on a new handheld UI, offering a fullscreen experience featuring customisable home apps and shortcuts. Supposedly, you can enable it in the OS settings to make it the default UI when launching the machine.
Mentioned as “Boot into the full screen experience at device startup” and “Choose your full screen experience,” these options sound a lot like Steam’s Big Picture mode and Steam Deck‘s default UI. As a reminder, you can go the other way with SteamOS, hiding the handheld mode to access the full capabilities of the underlying Linux system.
These changes will likely be integrated into the recently rumoured Xbox handheld as part of the new ‘Gaming Posture’ settings. If that’s the case, then we would end up with a Windows 11 machine instead of a ‘true’ portable Xbox, which will disappoint some. That said, this is likely the best move for Microsoft since it would help it leverage Windows’ strong hardware support, allowing each partner to configure its handheld as they see fit. Who knows, this may even bring some nice changes to desktop users.
As for how, part of the data gathered indicates that these new options are tied to the existing Game Bar, which is present on Windows 10 and 11. This overlay allows PC users to access gaming features such as chat, performance monitoring, and game recordings.
What is sure is that handhelds need a dedicated UI. Despite controller-oriented improvements and support, Windows prioritises keyboard and mouse interaction above all else. So, it’s a mandatory step in the operating system’s evolution, otherwise, Valve and its SteamOS may grab it all. Considering the convenience of Game Pass and Windows’ multi-store support, such a move would make Windows handhelds a prime choice.
While we are eagerly awaiting the final release of SteamOS, we can’t help but fear a monopoly. Microsoft could be the competitor who keeps Valve in check, at least until more Linux distros reach wider adoption.
