Microsoft talks about combining 'best of Xbox and Windows' for gaming handhelds

It's no secret that Microsoft is currently working to introduce an Xbox gaming handheld, but the device may just be a few years away from now. Before it becomes a thing, the company wants to bring together the "best of Xbox and Windows" for currently available handhelds.

Of course, it's not like you can't play the Xbox titles on a Windows gaming handheld. It's been made possible with Game Pass and the dedicated app. While that does offer access to Xbox games, it's not a native experience, and there's no denying that Windows can't really provide a console-style gaming experience. Well, things are set to change.

In an interview with The Verge, Microsoft's VP of Next Generation, Jason Ronald, talked about what the company has in plans for Windows gaming handhelds in 2025. Ronald hinted about some major improvements, and in short, the company wants to try out an integrated approach.

Ronald shares that Microsoft is currently working to bring its console innovations to the broader Windows space. The VP of Next Generation at the company acknowledged the current state of Windows on gaming handhelds and assured that the company is working to simplify the experience.

Beyond simplifying things, Ronald says that Microsoft wants to make it "much more like a console experience," where the user and their library remain "the center of the experience." The company is also said to be working to improve the controller support on Windows handhelds and offer a redesigned interface for players without a keyboard and mouse.

For those wondering, Microsoft's VP of Next Generation made it quite apparent that these improvements won't come in the form of a custom Xbox operating system that gets ported to gaming handhelds. Instead, these improvements will come as Xbox-centric features for Windows gaming handhelds (Z1 Extreme ROG Ally curr. $499.99 on Amazon).

Even though Ronald didn't share the exact timeline, he assured gamers that these planned changes are on the horizon. As a matter of fact, the recent UI overhaul of the Xbox app for Windows gaming handhelds may just have been the start of this entire plan.