Microsoft is aiming to combine Xbox and Windows for better handheld gaming experience

Years after fans requested Microsoft to merge the Xbox and Windows ecosystem, the company has finally decided to do so. Microsoft’s VP of ‘Next Generation’, Jason Ronald revealed that the company is working on enhancing the handheld gaming experience by planning to combine the best of both OS. This comes after Phil Spencer previously teased an official Xbox handheld.

This was revealed in an interview with The Verge during his visit to the AMD and Lenovo event at CES 2025. Lenovo recently launched the ‘Legion Go S’ and one of the variants uses the Windows operating system as usual. To elevate that experience, Microsft is planning to bring the simplicity of Xbox and the functionality of Windows into one operating system.

“We’ve been really innovating for a long time in the console space, and as we partner across the industry it’s really about how do we bring those innovations that we’ve incubated and developed in the console space and bring them to PC and bring them to the handheld gaming space,” Ronald said.

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Microsoft working to improve handheld Windows experience

Windows on handheld devices, for lack of a better word ‘suck’. It’s one of the main reasons why Handheld gaming in general was dominated by Nintendo. However, SteamOS changed a lot of things and it’s time Microsoft did the same with the rising popularity of handheld gaming.

“It’s bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together because we have spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s really locked to the console. What we’re doing is we’re really focused on how do we bring those experiences for both players and developers to the broader Windows ecosystem,” he added.

How or when Microsoft plans on doing this isn’t yet revealed, although, Ronald did say they have ‘a lot more to share later this year’. There is a lot of competition income in the handheld gaming market so it’ll be interesting to see their game plan. If this year a few years earlier, Microsoft would likely be dominating the space.