Microsoft is Working on Console-Like Experience For Windows-Based Gaming Handhelds

As Lenovo’s Legion Go S has just been revealed as the first officially licensed third-party handheld powered by SteamOS, Microsoft doesn’t want Windows to be left out of the gaming handheld conversation. During a Lenovo/AMD CES event about the future of gaming handhelds yesterday, Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s new VP of Next Generation teased some important UX changes coming to Windows-based gaming handhelds later this year.

In a post-event interview with The Verge, Ronald said that Microsoft aims to bring a console-like experience to gaming handhelds that go beyond the new compact mode for the Xbox app for Windows that shipped last year. And after Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming recently said that an Xbox handheld was likely years away, Microsoft’s current priority seems to be leveraging its experience with the Xbox OS to improve Windows on these new handheld form factors.

“I think, at the end of the day, our goal is to make Windows great for gaming on any device,” says Ronald. “The reality is the Xbox operating system is built on top of Windows. So there’s a lot of infrastructure that we built in the console space that we can bring to the PC space and really deliver that premium gaming experience on any device.”

Ronald also said that “Our goal is to put the player and their library at the center of the experience and not all the [Windows] work that you have to do today.” The exec added that Microsoft will have “a lot more to share later this year,” and the timing seems right because the company is now facing serious competition from Valve’s SteamOS.

If the SteamOS version of the Lenovo Legion Go S won’t ship until May 2025, Valve announced at CES yesterday that it’s doing work to improve the compatibility of SteamOS with other Windows-based gaming handhelds. “Ahead of Legion Go S shipping, we will be shipping a beta of SteamOS which should improve the experience on other handhelds, and users can download and test this themselves. And of course we’ll continue adding support and improving the experience with future releases, the company said yesterday.

Valve’s SteamOS is a Linux-based operating system that anyone can install for free, and it also has a desktop mode that lets enthusiasts users install other game launchers and software. Over time, companies making gaming handhelds may prefer SteamOS over Windows 11 as Valve’s OS is optimized for gaming and provides a console-like experience. When you consider the price of a Windows license, it’s also not surprising that the SteamOS version of the Legion Go S will be cheaper than the Windows version with a $499.99 starting price.