Specifically, he called how today’s consoles allow you to easily continue a game and said that ROG Ally pushes Microsoft to think about that for PCs as well: “How we think about integrating it into the platform of Windows?” Another focus is the acceleration that can be picked up immediately where you left off, moving from playing on a PC to a session that is ready to continue on this type of handheld.
In the review we published today for the ROG Ally, we liked the performance and screen but found that Windows still caused some issues squeezed into such a small device. A renewed focus from Microsoft on bringing quality-of-life features from the console to Windows could be part of turning that around, though it’s unclear if the discussions are focused on individual games or changes. or that is created by the operating system layer.
Microsoft recently experimented with a Windows gaming handheld mode, but it was only part of an employee hackathon, and Asus ROG Ally technical marketing director Sascha Krohn told us that his contact at Microsoft has not explicitly confirmed that such a handheld mode will appear. Meanwhile, Asus found itself having to code more features into its own gaming app, such as ways to use the Xbox button, limit the maximum charge of a battery , and support rapid fire buttons.
The UI isn’t the only issue with Windows gaming handhelds. Another example not yet included in our Ally review: Windows laptops go into “Modern Standby” mode connected to the internet when you press the power button, in theory allowing you to download games and quickly to maintain an ongoing game while the system is saving battery.
In practice, downloads didn’t continue, and we lost more battery than if we’d just put Ally into hibernate mode – but putting the power button on hibernate means you can accidentally put the system on a deep sleep if you are simple. trying to wake up the screen. (None of the other Ally controls will wake it up, because none are recognized by Windows until the system wakes up.)
Closing these gaps at the operating system layer could allow Windows gaming devices like the Ally to more easily get their massive gaming libraries on the go – for now, the Valve’s Steam Deck feels great for a handheld device despite its limitations.
