Microsoft finally wants to make gaming on handhelds less of a chore

By Willow Roberts Published January 8, 2025

The Digital Trends website on the Asus ROG Ally. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Whispers about an Xbox handheld have been circulating for a while now, but it looks like the project is still in the very early stages. At an AMD and Lenovo event this week at CES, however, Xbox chief Phil Spencer spoke to The Verge and dropped hints about Microsoft’s plans to combine the Xbox and Windows gaming experiences together.

It seems this phrasing refers to bringing the strengths of the Xbox operating system to existing and future Windows gaming handhelds. Working on a handheld version of the XboxOS is part of the work the company will need to do to create an Xbox handheld, but it looks like we’ll get to see ongoing developments way before that hardware is ready to come out. Spencer said that we should expect to see changes to the Windows handheld gaming experience at some point this year.

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This should be welcome news to anyone with a Windows gaming handheld because it’s no secret that Windows in its current form is not ideal for handheld gaming. Over the years, the OS has received just about every complaint you could think of: It pushes Microsoft products and data sharing too much; it’s not optimized for gamepad controls; the onscreen keyboard is no good; and it can’t handle the “sleep and resume” functionality that is essential for any gaming handheld. Many say it’s a lot less intuitive than Valve’s SteamOS.

Elden Ring running on the Asus ROG Ally X. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The problem with Microsoft’s sudden plans to improve, however, is the timing. Just as everyone knows that Windows is not great on gaming handhelds, they also know that SteamOS is the current gold standard. Until now, it’s been firmly locked to the first-party Steam Deck handheld — but all of that changed this week. Lenovo revealed its third-party handheld running SteamOS, and Valve confirmed its plans to partner with many more manufacturers.

In other words, if Microsoft doesn’t hurry up and get these promised improvements out the door, Valve could start convincing handheld manufacturers to switch from Windows to the Linux-based SteamOS. If Valve makes it easy enough to switch, it should be a tempting offer for plenty of manufacturers.

Computing Writer

Willow Roberts has been a Computing Writer at Digital Trends for a year and has been writing for about a decade. She has a…

Topics

Computing

I put the new ROG Ally X up against the original ROG Ally

Elden Ring running on the Asus ROG Ally X.

Asus is making the ROG Ally better. Although the original ROG Ally is one of the best handheld gaming PCs you can buy, the new ROG Ally X improves on the original design in almost every way. It sports better specs, better ergonomics, a larger battery, and a new black colorway -- but Asus is also asking for more money. The ROG Ally X comes in at $800, while you can often find the original for less than $600.

We've tested both handhelds extensively, as you can read in our Asus ROG Ally review and Asus ROG Ally X review. The updated ROG Ally X is certainly a better handheld overall, but it struggles to justify its premium over the original design.
Specs

Computing

This new gaming handheld has a chance of dethroning the Steam Deck OLED

The Zotac Zone handheld gaming console running Steam.

Computex 2024 was a gateway for new handheld gaming consoles, but there was one in particular that truly stood out. The new Zotac Zone is the company’s first attempt at making a handheld console, and early impressions are quite positive. Not only does it come with some unique features but it is also one of the only handhelds on the market that features an AMOLED panel.

The only other device that comes close to offering such a display is the Steam Deck OLED. But how do these two handheld consoles fair when compared to each other? Let’s have a look.
Price and availability
The Steam Deck OLED was launched in November last year, and unlike its LCD version, it is available in only two configurations: a 512GB model for $550 and a 1TB model for $650. Notably, the higher-storage model features an etched glass display that is said to be more resistant to glare.

Computing

Zotac’s handheld console is promising — when it actually works

The Zotac Zone handheld gaming console running Horizon Forbidden West.

It’s a promising year for handheld consoles. In addition to the refreshed MSI Claw 8 AI+ and the Asus ROG Ally X, Zotac is set to debut its first Windows-based handheld gaming console. While the company is renowned for its Nvidia graphics cards, it also has substantial expertise in manufacturing mini PCs. This background likely contributed to its confidence in developing a handheld console of its own, which is essentially a mini PC paired with a display and controllers.

Unveiled at this year’s Computex, the new Zotac Zone positions itself against the current range of handheld gaming consoles. Despite still being in the preproduction stage, Zotac provided me with early access to the device, allowing me to spend some time testing it out.
Like the Steam Deck, only better
Zotac’s new handheld seems inspired by the Steam Deck, featuring similarly parallel joystick placement and dual trackpads. Despite being marginally larger on paper, it feels compact and comfortable to hold. The design showcases light gray aesthetics, consistent with Zotac’s graphics card lineup, and includes gold accents beneath the joysticks and on the Zotac logo along the right edge. The all-plastic casing has a smooth matte finish, with a subtle texture in the grip area for added comfort.