Xbox handheld when? "Minor" Windows tweak is a major step for handheld gaming PCs

(Image credit: Laptop Mag / Claire Tabari)

Handheld gaming PC owners have been clamoring for Microsoft to update Windows 11 for a smoother user experience through gamepad, but there haven't been many changes since the launch of the Asus ROG Ally back in June 2023.

However, a Windows 11 update released on Tuesday could be a sign that things are changing.

The update adds gamepad support for the touch keyboard in Windows 11, which allows an Xbox controller to navigate and type, as you would if you were using an actual console.

One of my major criticisms of Windows in the handheld space became apparent during my review of the Asus ROG Ally. Using Microsoft's on-screen keyboard required swapping the control configuration to Desktop mode and then using the joystick as a cursor to individually tap each key.

It was unbelievably painful, and an obvious sign that the operating system was not remotely designed for this type of hardware.

Microsoft addressing this issue may seem small to anyone who doesn't use Windows gaming handhelds, but it could be a sign of things to come. After all, we just got word of an Xbox-branded Windows gaming handheld in the works.

If Microsoft is fine-tuning Windows 11 to enhance the user experience for the launch of its own hardware, we could be in store for even more improvements further down the line.

Xbox's branded Windows gaming handheld could be great news for everyone

The Xbox-branded handheld in question could be an OEM "rebranding" from Asus or MSI — essentially manufacturing a similar device to the ROG Ally or Claw 8 AI+ but with the Xbox design philosophy.

However, with Xbox being a Microsoft brand, Windows 11 should be in the best shape it can be before the company releases its own handheld gaming PC.

Asus ROG Ally — While offering impressive in-game performance and controls, it's the experience of navigating Windows through a gamepad that lets handheld gaming PCs like the ROG Ally down. Microsoft's recent on-screen keyboard tweak is a step in the right direction to solving this hurdle. (Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Gamepad support while using the digital keyboard in Windows is already one massive flaw to cross off for Microsoft, but there's still so much more that needs to be addressed.

Why can't I navigate the desktop, settings, and finder windows through a gamepad?
Why is the Xbox app so difficult to use in desktop and gamepad mode, especially compared to Steam, which works seamlessly?
Why doesn't the digital keyboard appear when I need it to?
And why does it automatically detach from the input box when I'm trying to type?

The majority of these headaches may only be resolved by a dedicated alternative launchable version of Windows 11 that's optimized for gamepads.

With an Xbox-branded handheld on the way, I'm hoping that Microsoft continues releasing updates that address the flaws of the operating system for handheld gaming PCs.

Tweaks like this could be of great benefit to a growing catalog of Windows-based handheld gaming PCs. If Microsoft doesn't hold back any improvements strictly for its own hardware, that is.

After all, these businesses are competing, and if Microsoft really wanted to take its Xbox handheld to the next level, it could mean less support for alternative products.

However, I asked Asus if the existence of an Xbox-branded handheld meant a lack of support from Xbox or Microsoft, particularly in terms of advertising and the product being packaged with Xbox Game Pass.

MSI Claw 8 AI+ (A2VM) handheld gaming PC — The number of handheld gaming PCs using Windows 11 is growing, but the experience has remained relatively the same for some time now. With Microsoft reportedly preparing to release its own branded handheld in the near future, we hope to see Windows receive the gamepad accessible refinements it needs to really shine in this form factor. (Image credit: Future)

Anthony Spence, Asus PR Specialist, tells Laptop Mag "There aren't any changes to our Game Pass bundles for current products and I personally don't foresee any changes in this area either." This could change as nothing is set in stone, but it's good news for now.

I also asked if Asus happened to be the company manufacturing the Xbox-branded handheld. However, Spence revealed very little, stating Asus doesn't "have any information about this or anything to share at this moment in time." Exactly the answer I expected, but it was worth a try.

Xbox's handheld could take us into the next generation

The Xbox-branded handheld could take us into the next generation of Windows gaming handhelds. The technology is fantastic, but if you read any review of the Asus ROG Ally, MSI Claw, or Lenovo Legion Go, the fundamental flaws always come back to Windows 11's lack of support.

Microsoft could stand idly by while an Xbox-branded handheld launches, with no further changes being made to improve the user experience. But the digital keyboard now being functional with gamepads is already one huge flaw resolved, and I can only hope we see more issues addressed throughout the remainder of 2025.

More from Laptop Mag

Self-described art critic and unabashedly pretentious, Claire finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and five years of experience in entertainment journalism. Claire is a stalwart defender of the importance found in subjectivity and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for the past, present and future of gaming. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and watching anime.