Portable gaming consoles are gaining momentum, and they are actively represented at CES 25, which is taking place these days. Jason Ronald, who is Microsoft’s “VP of Next Generation,” spoke at the “Future of Handheld Gaming” roundtable and talked about the company’s plans to improve the gaming experience on all Windows devices, including portables.
The Verge provides some information that Ronald revealed during the event and in communication with journalists after. Below are the main points he made:
Xbox innovations are planned to be transferred to Windows and portable devices: “We have been developing innovations in the field of gaming consoles for a long time. And as we collaborate across the industry, what’s really important is how we bring the innovations we’ve nurtured and developed in the console space to PC and portable gaming.”.
The experience for Windows players will be closer to that of Xbox: “Our goal is to combine the best of Xbox and Windows. We’ve spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s truly tied to the console. We’re really focused now on how to bring these experiences for players and developers into the broader Windows ecosystem.”. (…) “We’re focused on really simplifying it (the gaming experience on Windows and handheld devices) and making it much more like a console experience. Our goal is to put the player and his library at the center of the gaming experience, and not all the work (Windows), as it is implemented now.”.
The current gaming experience on Windows PC is undergoing fundamental changes: “There are things in Windows that weren’t designed for people who don’t have a keyboard and mouse. We need, for example, full support for joysticks or joypads and the like. We are working to fundamentally change interaction models to ensure that regardless of the operating system, the device will be perceived as natively focused on games, providing a quality gaming experience.”. Ronald emphasized that the goal is to put the Xbox interface at the forefront for PC gaming devices, and “not the Windows desktop you have today”.
“I think ultimately our goal is to make Windows great for gaming on any device. The reality is that the Xbox operating system is built on top of Windows. So there’s a lot of infrastructure that we’ve built in the console space that we can bring to the PC space and really deliver that premium gaming experience on any device.”.
Fundamental changes will begin this year: “I think we will have a lot more to share this year. It will be an interesting journey. Over time you will see many actions from our side, some of them are already visible. But this year we will have much more to share.”.
