This was one of the notable facets of the Rog Xbox Ally console presentation. Over and above the hardware being pushed by Asus, we discovered that Microsoft had really woken up to the urgency of dealing with Windows 11 as far as PC gaming is concerned. The latest comparison of a Lenovo console running SteamOS and Windows was not quite the revelation. Microsoft seems to have been working on the issue for some time. In its speech, the software giant revealed that it had pulled out all the stops, assigning its most experienced developers to improve the gaming experience on Windows. These improvements are not just cosmetic, as we can see on the future Rog Xbox Ally. It’s the way the operating system works for games in general that is at the heart of the work. These efforts could lead to massive performance improvements and prepare the operating system for a new ecosystem of interesting devices. We still have in mind (a fantasy?) the fusion of the PC and Xbox worlds.
The versatility of Windows and soon the performance of SteamOS?
As far as the console experience is concerned, you can find out more in our Rog Xbox Ally article. But beyond these improvements, Microsoft has also been working to prepare Windows 11 for those who want to use their PCs (almost) exclusively for gaming. The main improvements is around access to the device. You’ll soon be able to connect to the device via the controller itself, as on an Xbox console, using the buttons and triggers of a joystick. The new full-screen mode that we’ll be discovering at the end of the year on Rog Xbox Ally consoles is quite simply a transposition of Steam’s Big Picture mode for optimal use of your machine with a controller and without having to deal with the classic Windows interface. On the performance front, the Xbox PC application will automatically terminate all non-essential game processes, including those on the desktop. Whether for search indexing, Office background tasks or Copilot, Microsoft believes this option will free up up to 2 GB of RAM, optimizing gaming performance. Microsoft insisted that the presentations that were unveiled were still in their early stages, and that they were anticipating even more significant advances in performance as these tools and features evolve over the coming months. While these improvements are aimed at portable consoles, especially in terms of ergonomics, they can also benefit a home PC as well as a classic gaming PC.
