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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99View PC Gaming Show Summer Game Fest TES4: Oblivion Elden Ring: Nightreign Recommended reading Handheld Gaming PCs 'This is an Xbox' says Microsoft of its new handheld but, let's be honest, it's a PC Handheld Gaming PCs Microsoft is reportedly prepping a handheld Xbox for later this year with new consoles coming in 2027 Handheld Gaming PCs Leaked pics of a supposed Asus ROG Ally 2 show an Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC that is very peculiar to behold Handheld Gaming PCs Apparently a new 'advanced' Zotac Zone will be announced at Computex and it looks like it might use a bespoke Linux OS Handheld Gaming PCs Microsoft is finally rolling out its controller-friendly virtual keyboard for a better Windows handheld gaming PC experience Handheld Gaming PCs One of our favourite last-gen handheld PCs is getting a Ryzen AI HX 370 upgrade and a native landscape display Handheld Gaming PCs Best handheld gaming PC in 2025: my recommendations for the best portable powerhouses Handheld Gaming PCs Xbox is headed to handhelds but its gaming-first UI will also land on existing ROG Ally and ROG Ally X and 'other Windows handhelds starting next year' Jacob Ridley 9 June 2025 You won't need to buy an Xbox-branded handheld to benefit from the new UI on Windows devices. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Microsoft) There are two Xbox handhelds on the way, the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally, except they're not really an Xbox at all. They're Windows PCs—respins of existing ROG Ally X and ROG Ally handhelds with new controls, processors, and a fresh, gaming-first Xbox UI enabled. If you're feeling a little left behind on existing handheld gaming PCs, don't be, as this Xbox experience is headed to other Windows-powered handheld devices from next year. The fresh Xbox UI is really the Xbox PC app and Game Bar, incorporated into a new full-screen mode. If you're thinking of Steam and 'Big Picture Mode', you're likely not far off. This is absolutely Microsoft taking a leaf out of Valve's playbook, in order to stave off competition from SteamOS and Linux in the growing handheld gaming PC market, but I'll try and stay on message here. The new UI looks the part. It has a large, simple interface with a menu down the left-hand side and your game library front and centre. It's not strictly just an overlay on regular Windows 11, either. In an interview with The Verge, VP of experiences at Xbox, Jason Beaumont, claims the new UI is more than a reskin of Windows. Related articles 'This is an Xbox' says Microsoft of its new handheld but, let's be honest, it's a PC Microsoft is reportedly prepping a handheld Xbox for later this year with new consoles coming in 2027 Leaked pics of a supposed Asus ROG Ally 2 show an Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC that is very peculiar to behold "When the player boots into the full-screen experience, there is a whole bunch of Windows stuff that doesn’t get loaded. We’re not loading the desktop wallpaper, the taskbar, or a bunch of processes that are really designed around productivity scenarios for Windows." That's a good thing, as our own initial testing shows that Windows-powered handhelds are held back by Windows. Our Lenovo Legion Go S running Windows and then a fresh install of SteamOS showed the latter outperforming Microsoft's OS, likely due to a lack of bloat in the background. SteamOS is light for its Arch-based Linux distro designed for gaming. (Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft told The Verge it saw around a 2 GB memory saving using the full-screen mode versus standard Windows in early testing. Power efficiency and idle/sleep power draw are also reportedly set to improve. So, that's all good news for owners of the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally. Though currently, a large proportion of handheld gaming PCs run Windows. Those updates sure sound like something we'd be interested in seeing headed to those devices, too, and the good news is that it is, eventually. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Microsoft says it's working on getting the full-screen experience on the regular ROG Ally X and ROG Ally first off, following by further support for other Windows handhelds: "similar full-screen Xbox experiences will be rolling out to other Windows handhelds, starting next year," Roanne Sones, corporate VP of gaming devices and ecosystem at Xbox, says. Looks like it'll be next year when we'll see more of a head-to-head with Valve's SteamOS for control of your handheld gaming PC. But Valve's OS got off to a slow start too, largely only existing on Steam Deck devices before recently breaking free with official support on Lenovo's Legion Go S, and unofficial support on my boss' Framework gaming laptop and mini PC mod. Best handheld gaming PC: What's the best travel buddy? Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve's handheld. Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out. Jacob Ridley Managing Editor, Hardware Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog. From there, he graduated to professionally breaking things as hardware writer at PCGamesN, and would go on to run the team as hardware editor. He joined PC Gamer's top staff as senior hardware editor before becoming managing editor of the hardware team, and you'll now find him reporting on the latest developments in the technology and gaming industries and testing the newest PC components. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 'This is an Xbox' says Microsoft of its new handheld but, let's be honest, it's a PC Microsoft is reportedly prepping a handheld Xbox for later this year with new consoles coming in 2027 Leaked pics of a supposed Asus ROG Ally 2 show an Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC that is very peculiar to behold Apparently a new 'advanced' Zotac Zone will be announced at Computex and it looks like it might use a bespoke Linux OS Microsoft is finally rolling out its controller-friendly virtual keyboard for a better Windows handheld gaming PC experience One of our favourite last-gen handheld PCs is getting a Ryzen AI HX 370 upgrade and a native landscape display Latest in Handheld Gaming PCs Switch 2 teardown shows that Nintendo hasn't learned a single lesson from the OG Switch when it comes to repairing it 'This is an Xbox' says Microsoft of its new handheld but, let's be honest, it's a PC AMD's baffling 'new' Ryzen Z2 APUs for handheld gaming PCs include a premium 'AI' model with an NPU and seemingly the ancient chip from Valve's Steam Deck A Gamestop store has reportedly been stapling customer receipts to Switch 2 boxes and puncturing holes in the screens Linux enjoys a small usage uptick with Steam users, though at 2.69% it still has a long way to go to topple Windows GeForce Now finally gets a native app for the Steam Deck, solving what was our biggest complaint with the streaming service on Valve's plucky handheld Latest in News Of course, Team Cherry didn't deign to tell anyone that Hollow Knight: Silksong is arriving before Christmas in a weekend of showcases—but via a random Discord message The Witcher 3 once had a suicide mission ending 'inspired by Mass Effect 2,' a quest where Geralt joined the Wild Hunt, and a version of its vampire-focused Blood and Wine DLC without vampires Switch 2 teardown shows that Nintendo hasn't learned a single lesson from the OG Switch when it comes to repairing it PSA: Dune: Awakening's sandworm is 'currently missing', says Funcom, but 'we're working on it and he'll soon be back prowling the sands' (Update: the worms are back) Yep, you can be 'dumb' in The Outer Worlds 2, and it even comes with some benefits: like 'banging on a machine to get it to work' Starfield fans despair after it's a complete no-show at the Xbox Games Showcase: 'This game is done' HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I've held in these hands Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I've tested Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG gaming monitor review Corsair Nautilus 360 RS review Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Core II review Corsair iCUE Link Titan 360 RX LCD review NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) review PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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