Microsoft will unify the best of Xbox and Windows for portable devices.

Jason Ronald, Vice President of “Next Generation” at Microsoft, has shared that significant changes are anticipated in the gaming experience for the Windows operating system within this year. At an event organized by AMD and Lenovo, which unveiled the new Legion Go S device, Ronald emphasized that the company is working to integrate the Xbox experience with Windows, rather than developing a portable Xbox system.

Ronald explained that Microsoft has been innovating in the console space and seeks to bring those innovations to PCs and portable gaming devices. "We have spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it is very tied to the console," he expressed. The current focus is on simplifying the Windows experience on portable devices, making it more intuitive and similar to that of a console, with an emphasis on the player and their game library.

Although the current Windows experience on portable devices is not optimal, Ronald is aware of these limitations and noted that the goal is to provide a friendlier experience for gamers. Microsoft has made improvements to its Xbox applications to facilitate usage on portable devices, though many consider these to be merely superficial solutions.

The merging of the Xbox and Windows experiences is crucial, but Microsoft is not expected to introduce a custom Xbox operating system within Windows. Instead, the strategy focuses on enhancing Windows for gaming by integrating elements of the Xbox experience and concealing traditional operating system aspects that are not ideal for gaming.

Ronald concluded by mentioning that the aim is to transform Windows into an excellent environment for gaming on any device, ensuring that the experience is natively playful, without the interference of the traditional desktop interface.