At today’s Xbox launch event, Microsoft and ASUS jointly unveiled the PC game handheld console previously code-named “Project Kennan” – Xbox Ally and the performance-enhanced version Xbox Ally X.
Windows Central, a media outlet, published an article stating that even more astonishing than handheld consoles is that Microsoft’s Xbox and Windows teams are reconfiguring the underlying game architecture of the operating system. This innovative solution not only significantly enhances performance but also paves the way for the future ecosystem of new gaming devices.
The Xbox Ally series will exclusively have a batch of new features of Windows 11 (Note: It will be first adapted to the ROG Ally series by the end of 2025 and expanded to existing Windows handheld consoles such as Lenovo Legion Go by the beginning of 2026). Microsoft’s goal is to enable these devices to have a complete experience close to that of handheld consoles. Previously, the biggest controversy point of products such as ASUS ROG Ally was precisely the Windows system itself, but Microsoft is clearly well-prepared this time.
Over the past year, Microsoft has continuously created a dedicated game mode for Windows 11. The most groundbreaking improvement lies in the operation logic: Now you can log in to the device directly by entering the password with the controller buttons just like using the Xbox console. But this is only the beginning of the change.
Although it still supports PC platforms such as Steam (and can even be set as the default), the brand-new Xbox PC application will offer a full-screen mode and optimize the controller operation by following the Steam large-screen mode. This is not only an interface modification. When running in this mode, the system will automatically shut down all processes unrelated to the game (including the desktop environment). It is expected to free up to 2GB of memory and reduce the standby power consumption of Windows 11 by two-thirds, all of which will be converted into an improvement in battery life.
The strength of Windows 11 was originally its multi-functionality, but the cost was often a compromise between performance and battery life. Microsoft emphasized that these new features, while suppressing power consumption, have instead further expanded the system’s possibilities through dedicated controller optimization.
The Xbox Ally series will feature a revolutionary Alt+Tab interface: Its multitasking interaction logic is closer to iOS/Android (or Windows Phone). Players can directly call up the floating keyboard with the controller and quickly switch applications such as Twitch/YouTube, Discord or WhatsApp in the Edge browser. Bid farewell to the cumbersome operations of touchscreen fingerprint and desktop mode completely.
Microsoft specifically stated that the current demonstration is still an early version. In the coming months, as features are iterated, performance will continue to be optimized.
Although it’s too early to assert the actual in-game gains, Microsoft has clearly heard the voices of users when it comes to SteamOS ‘energy efficiency far exceeding that of Windows 11 on such devices.
Just like the Proton technology of SteamOS, game optimization for Windows 11 will be a long-term battle. Microsoft still needs to solve a fundamental problem: how to attract developers to natively support the Xbox PC Store (currently, the vast majority of publishers still prefer Steam due to the advantage of revenue sharing).