“Unleashing the Future: Microsoft’s Handheld Gaming PC Merges Xbox and Windows Magic!”

The outlook for Microsoft’s portable gaming ambitions entails a fusion of the finest elements from Xbox and Windows.

This comes from Xbox hardware expert Jason Ronald, who hinted that the company will reveal “much more later this year” about what its handheld vision powered by Windows may encompass.

“We’ve been consistently innovating in the console arena for quite some time,” Ronald stated to The Verge in an interview this week at CES 2025, “and our collaboration throughout the industry is fundamentally about how we can bring those innovations we have nurtured and crafted in the console domain and transfer them to PC and the handheld gaming sector.”

Ronald is particularly addressing Microsoft’s vision for portable gaming on Windows platforms, which seems likely to materialize before Xbox’s often-discussed gaming-specific handheld.

Indeed, Xbox leader Phil Spencer – known for his recurring aspirations for Microsoft to produce an Xbox handheld – mentioned in November that such a device is probably still a few years off.

“It’s about uniting the best of Xbox and Windows, since we have dedicated the last 20 years towards creating a top-tier operating system, but it’s largely confined to the console,” Ronald elaborated, referring to the Xbox console interface. “Our focus is on how we can deliver those experiences to both gamers and developers within the broader Windows ecosystem.”

“Our emphasis is on streamlining that process to make it much more similar to a console experience. Our objective is to center the player and their library within the experience, rather than all the [Windows] tasks currently required.”

This includes eliminating the necessity for PC-specific inputs like a keyboard and mouse, and moving away from Windows’ dependence on traditional user interface elements such as the taskbar and Start menu.

As we anticipate more details on Microsoft’s handheld initiatives, additional leaks regarding the Switch 2 continue to present what appears to be an accurate depiction of Nintendo’s forthcoming portable console.