Rebooting the Xbox Ally shows Windows 11 underneath but the Xbox PC app automatically takes over and runs full-screen, minimizing the need to access the desktop. Controller input can enter the Windows PIN, improving usability on handhelds. The Xbox full-screen experience suppresses the Explorer shell, avoids loading desktop wallpaper and taskbar, and reduces background processes to save roughly 2GB of memory. The interface mirrors the existing Xbox app and integrates with the Game Bar overlay. A single tap of the Xbox button launches the overlay, providing a console-like environment that hides Windows complexities and focuses the device on gaming.
I wanted to see exactly how Microsoft manages to hide Windows beneath the Xbox interface that's debuting on these handheld devices. After a short startup, I was met with the standard Windows login prompt. But I could use the controller to input the PIN code, an immediate improvement over what's available right now. And as soon as Windows 11 loaded up, the interface immediately disappeared. The Xbox PC app took over and went full-screen - and for the most part, I didn't have to leave.
I've spent enough time with Microsoft and Asus' Xbox Ally devices this week to get a better understanding of how Windows and Xbox are moving closer together. Microsoft has created what it calls an Xbox full-screen experience for these new handheld devices, which essentially takes over for Windows and hides the OS away. It's exactly what I've been wanting for Windows-powered handheld gaming PCs for years now, but it still feels like a small first step in a grand next-gen Xbox plan.
The main interface on the Xbox Ally is similar to what can be found in the current Xbox app on Windows 11, Microsoft's Steam competitor on PC. This app integrates with the Game Bar, Microsoft's PC gaming overlay, to form this full-screen Xbox experience. Just like an Xbox console, you activate this Game Bar from a single tap of the Xbox button, and it's what keeps you far away from the complexities of the Windows desktop hidden underneath.
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