Leaked footage has revealed that Microsoft has been experimenting with optimizing a Windows 11 user interface for handheld devices like the Steam Deck. Despite the rise of the Xbox as one of the major competitors in video game hardware, Microsoft has never ventured into the handheld console space. Unlike the company’s direct rivals, Nintendo and Sony, the tech giant has instead focused on expanding into PC and cloud gaming.
However, playing video games on portable devices has always been appealing to people, and the launch of Valve’s Steam Deck in February 2022 revived interest in handheld gaming for those who perhaps weren’t lured in by the Nintendo Switch. The idea of playing PC games on the go, on a device powerful enough to handle the graphical and other processing demands, is very attractive.
A video recently shared on Twitter by _h0x0d_ has revealed that Microsoft has internally been toying with the idea of a Windows Handheld Mode or, in other words, adjusting the Windows 11 UI so that it can comfortably run on handheld devices. The footage is the result of a hackathon project dating back to September 2022. Microsoft employees often throw around ideas and work on prototype projects that can occasionally gain the attention of company execs and become reality.
What’s notable about this particular hackathon project is that some of the prototyping was worked on by Dorothy Feng, a senior UX designer at Microsoft, and a senior software engineer named Hayden McAfee, who works specifically on Windows gaming experiences. It includes a launcher for playing games from the Epic Games Store, Steam, EA Play and, of course, PC Game Pass, and the interface was designed for ease of use on touchscreen devices or with a controller.
Of course, this is just a prototype project and will probably never see the light of day, and the video mentions just a few of the issues that would need to be addressed in order to run Windows acceptably on a handheld gaming machine. However, it’s encouraging that there are apparently high-level employees interested in the idea of adapting Windows for portable devices. From the video, it seems that the project focused more on installing Windows 11 on existing hardware, rather than developing a dedicated Xbox-branded handheld.
Undoubtedly, if Microsoft ever did announce a handheld gaming device, it would mark another key moment in gaming history. In the meantime, there are plenty of other portable gaming systems entering the market besides the ubiquitous Switch and the instantly popular Steam Deck. Sony is reportedly working on a handheld device, code named Q Lite, which will take advantage of PlayStation’s Remote Play feature. And the powerful Asus ROG Ally, rumored to be launching sometime at the end of the year, is expected to directly challenge the Steam Deck’s position in portable PC gaming.
Source: The Verge