In late 2024, Microsoft Gaming’s Phil Spencer confirmed that the company has plans to produce an Xbox handheld in the coming years. While there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the prospect of Microsoft entering the handheld gaming hardware arena, I’ve got one simple request, if Spencer is listening. Please, please don’t make me use Windows 11.
My biggest issue with even some of the best handheld consoles out there, including the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, is the Windows 11 operating system. It’s clunky, there are too many pop-ups, and, at least in my experience, games tend to crash more often than they do on my Steam Deck. While the Steam Deck OLED might not have as powerful a processor as some of the more recent portable gaming PCs, SteamOS is an absolute breeze to use, which is the main reason I keep coming back to the Valve handheld after trying out the various Steam Deck alternatives.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Why wouldn’t Microsoft use its own operating system software when developing a new handheld? Well, I think I might have a reason (outside of how frustrating using Windows 11 with a joystick is). Since the Xbox 360 era, Microsoft’s consoles have had a discernible user experience and minimalist aesthetic. You know when you’re playing an Xbox from the moment it loads up.
If Microsoft were to go the other way and launch the handheld with a plain old PC operating system, it would take something away from the experience. It also wouldn’t do much to help discern the console from the countless Windows-based handhelds already available, and in an ever-growing market, unique selling points are only going to become more crucial.
It’s worth noting that the portable gaming landscape could be very different by the time the Xbox handheld arrives. Just last month, Lenovo revealed it’s releasing two different versions of the upcoming Legion Go S, one with Windows 11 and the other with SteamOS. According to Valve, that’s just the start, with SteamOS rolling out to more handhelds this year, though we don’t have a definitive list of which at the time of writing. I’d love to see the SteamOS come to the Asus ROG Ally X, but we’ll have to wait to find out if that’s a possibility.
It’s also possible by the time the Xbox handheld is in my hands – and surprise, I’ll be getting it no matter the operating system, I just like to complain – Microsoft could have optimized its latest version of Windows for portable consoles. Even still, SteamOS has helped the Steam Deck continue to dominate the handheld landscape, making some of the other handhelds look bad just by being easier to navigate and use. Unless Spencer and the rest of the team want their handheld to suffer the same fate, a custom Xbox operating system feels to me like the only way to go.
If you’re more concerned with tech you can likely get your hands on this year than speculation surrounding the Xbox handheld, be sure to check out our Nintendo Switch 2 and Lenovo Legion Go 2 hubs while you’re here, with all the latest details on both upcoming consoles. Or, if you’re willing to broaden your horizons when it comes to portable play, see our guides to the best gaming phones and the best gaming tablets.