Xbox full screen mode on original Asus ROG Ally boosts gaming handheld performance, but with caveats

The Xbox full-screen experience promises to streamline Windows 11 for gaming handhelds. Showcased with the upcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally, some gamers have installed the new UI on other devices. Windows Central found noticeable performance gains using the mode on a first-generation ROG Ally. However, the differences are largely a result of the launcher disabling background apps.

Zac Bowden ran the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark with the new gaming handheld mode active. The result was an average frame rate of 38 fps. After booting back into the standard Windows desktop configuration, that mark fell to 29 fps. Even so, the optimization is not a product of Microsoft making fundamental changes to its OS.

When running the Xbox full-screen experience, background apps and some tasks are disabled. That frees up valuable memory on a handheld gaming PC like the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Xbox Ally. Even so, there is nothing stopping gamers from making these tweaks on existing Windows 11 devices. Bowden achieved the same benchmark results in desktop mode after manually toggling off apps.

Other compromises with the barebones Windows 11 experience

Identical circumstances apply to battery life, which Microsoft advertises as another benefit of its new interface. Gamers will enjoy longer playtime without recharging only if they sacrifice background processes.

The Xbox app boots games from several marketplaces, but usage scenarios could impact ROG Ally performance. If a title requires Steam or another launcher to load, it will negate some of these advantages. The modified Asus gaming handheld and upcoming ROG Xbox Ally also have a more singular focus. As a result, multitasking with productivity apps will consume more resources.

Despite these drawbacks, Bowden believes that the new mode provides a more console-like experience. Windows Insiders can already test how navigating the OS with analog sticks and buttons becomes less painful. The new interface should officially launch on other Windows 11 handhelds, like the Lenovo Legion Go series, by spring 2026.