Microsoft is combining ‘the best of Xbox and Windows together’ for handhelds

Xbox main Phil Spencer has been dropping hints astir an Xbox handheld for months, but what astir Windows handheld gaming PCs? Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of “Next Generation,” tells The Verge that we should expect to spot the Windows handheld gaming acquisition alteration wrong this almanac year.

Ronald was a roundtable panelist this evening astatine an AMD and Lenovo event titled “The Future of Gaming Handhelds,” which was mostly a coming-out statement for Lenovo’s caller Legion Go S. But he did hint connected shape that Microsoft plans to bring the Xbox acquisition to Windows PCs, alternatively than the different measurement astir — and expanded connected that considerably aft we caught up pinch him later.

“We’ve been really innovating for a agelong clip successful the console space, and arsenic we partner crossed the manufacture it’s really astir really do we bring those innovations that we’ve incubated and developed successful the console abstraction and bring them to PC and bring them to the handheld gaming space,” said Ronald.

After we caught up pinch him aft the event, he confirmed that Microsoft is looking astatine combining Xbox and Windows experiences together — and that we should spot changes this very year, alternatively than needing to hold for an Xbox handheld that mightiness still beryllium years away.

“I would opportunity it’s bringing the champion of Xbox and Windows together, because we person spent the past 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s really locked to the console,” says Ronald. “What we’re doing is we’re really focused connected really do we bring those experiences for some players and developers to the broader Windows ecosystem.”

Right now, Windows sucks connected handhelds, to put it alternatively bluntly, to the constituent that a community-created fork of Valve’s SteamOS experience tin beryllium a acold amended measurement to prime up and play games. Ronald is intelligibly alert of the issues. “We’re focused connected really simplifying that and making it overmuch much for illustration a console experience. Our extremity is to put the subordinate and their room astatine the halfway of the acquisition and not each the [Windows] activity that you person to do today.”

Microsoft has done compact modes for Xbox apps connected Windows that are focused connected improving the handheld experience, but it’s a batch for illustration putting lipstick connected a pig alternatively of addressing the halfway experience. “I deliberation we’ll person a batch much to stock later this year,” teases Ronald. “I deliberation it’s going to beryllium a travel and I deliberation you’ll spot a batch of investments complete clip that you’re starting to spot already, but we’ll person a batch much to stock later this year.”

How Microsoft goes astir this merging of Xbox and Windows will beryllium key, but it doesn’t sound for illustration the institution is abruptly going to larboard a civilization Xbox operating strategy to Windows. It sounds much for illustration Microsoft wants to make Windows each up amended astatine gaming pinch an Xbox acquisition connected apical truthful the pesky desktop, notifications, and bequest of Windows is hidden away.

“I think, astatine the extremity of the day, our extremity is to make Windows awesome for gaming connected immoderate device,” says Ronald. “The reality is the Xbox operating strategy is built connected apical of Windows. So there’s a batch of infrastructure that we built successful the console abstraction that we tin bring to the PC abstraction and really present that premium gaming acquisition connected immoderate device.”

Specifically, Microsoft has to tackle a batch of the very basics of making Windows much friends to controllers and getting that Xbox acquisition to really thrust things alternatively of the taskbar, Start menu, and different elements. “There’s conscionable definite things successful Windows that were not designed for if you don’t person a keyboard and mouse, for illustration thumbstick support aliases joypads and worldly for illustration that,” Ronald admits.

“There’s basal relationship models that we’re moving connected to make judge that sloppy of the operating strategy specifications it feels very natively for illustration a gaming-centric instrumentality and a gaming-centric experience.”

Ronald says the extremity is to put an Xbox acquisition astatine the halfway — “not the Windows desktop that you person today.”