I’ve been writing for more than a year about how Microsoft needs to overhaul Windows on handhelds and use an Xbox OS UI on top, keeping the complexity of the Windows desktop hid

Last January at CES, Microsoft chief marketing officer Yusuf Mehdi declared 2024 the “year of the AI PC.” And whether you believe that prediction came true or not—many new PCs come with AI-accelerating neural processing units onboard, but far from all of them—you can't deny that Microsoft did try very hard to make it happen.

Just a few days ago, security researchers warned hundreds of millions of Windows users they’re at risk from a “ dangerous security fiasco .” Microsoft has now confirmed the same, proclaiming 2025 “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” And for 400 million users in particular, that means hitting the stores before it’s too late.

Jason Ronald, Microsoft's VP of Next Generation, wants to bring "the best of Xbox and Windows together" on existing gaming handheld PCs.

“I would say 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,” says Ronald. “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.”

Microsoft has said that it plans to bring the best of Xbox and Windows gaming experiences for handheld devices.

Microsoft is looking to improve its Windows operating system on handheld PCs such as the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go by making the software more like an Xbox console. Microsoft vice president of Next Generation Jason Ronald said at a CES 2025 panel this shift is planned for 2025 and told The Verge it looks to bring "the best of Xbox and Windows together.

Xbox has been surprisingly open about its plans for the next generation of the system. This includes a handheld device, which has been confirmed to be in the works for quite some time. While attending CES,