Windows 11's handheld mode spotted in testing, and I'm seriously excited for Microsoft's big bet on small-screen gaming

• Windows 11's rumored handheld mode has been spotted in testing
• It's still hidden in the background of preview builds, though
• This is a hint that Microsoft is stepping on the gas with development, perhaps to get this mode ready for the launch of the Asus Xbox Ally

Windows 11's handheld mode could arrive sooner than we thought, based on clues dug up in a recent preview build of the operating system.

A handheld mode would be designed for using Windows 11 on a portable gaming system – such as the inbound Asus ROG Xbox Ally – morphing the interface into something more convenient for a compact display (and gamepad controls rather than the mouse).

A regular leaker on X, PhantomOfEarth, just spotted what appears to be the initial setup experience for Windows 11 on a handheld, as you can see in the below post.

This was found in preview build 26100.4762 of Windows 11, which arrived in the Release Preview channel last week (the final stage before the finished version of the OS).

Windows Latest spotted the above post, and also did some digging of its own in other preview builds (in the Dev channel, an earlier testing outlet), uncovering references to a gamepad-optimized interface. (As well as a 'cloud host environment' for a 'gamepad-based device', which triggers said interface to be used, catering for pad-based controls and buttons).

Another denizen of X in that thread also observes that there are references in the code for Windows 11 to 'gaming handhelds', all of which indicate that there's a lot of work currently being plumbed into the guts of the desktop OS to facilitate a new handheld experience.

Analysis: stepping on the gas

There's been a lot of dissatisfaction around gaming handhelds that use Windows 11, because the design of the OS often doesn't suit a smaller screen, as mentioned. Elements which are fine and work well on a large desktop monitor can be plain fiddly on a handheld display, and overall, Windows 11 can be painful compared to the experience provided by SteamOS (which sports an interface designed for portable gaming).

A dedicated handheld mode for Windows 11 that smooths over many of the problems that are inherent with the OS in this form factor has long been rumored, and it looks like it's coming closer and closer now.

It isn't surprising that Microsoft is seemingly putting its foot on the gas pedal, mind, given that the Asus Xbox Ally is expected to arrive later this year (though note that no release date has officially been aired yet).

I'm excited to see how this new interface plays out, to say the least – and Microsoft has already been working to make Windows 11 more functional on a handheld with changes to the Xbox app and the Game Bar.

While the code unearthed above is in the Release Preview channel, which as noted is one step before release, remember that it's still hidden in the background, so don't expect an imminent arrival.

We should start to see more pieces of the puzzle falling into place (in testing) soon enough, well before the Asus Xbox Ally arrives (hopefully with not too hefty a price tag, though rumors aren't favorable on that score).

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