While Microsoft has recently announced the launch date for the gaming handheld systems it has been working on with Asus – the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X – the company has also been working on making Windows more usable on handheld systems. Vice president of Xbox gaming devices and ecosystem, Jason Ronald, spoke about the upcoming handhelds, as well as Microsoft’s plans for the future, in an interview with IGN.
“We’re just really excited about the partnership with Asus, we’ve found an ideal partner to bring their strengths with our strengths, and for us we’re really focused on just growing the category overall,” said Ronald. He also went on to confirm that the Handheld Compatibility Program that Microsoft had announced at Gamescom will also be available for other Windows-based handheld gaming systems in the future, noting that the program itself will be launching alongside the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.
“So even just with the Handheld Compatibility Program, it’s going to launch alongside the Xbox Ally but it’ll apply to all devices in the category,” he said. “Y’know, who knows what the future entails, but we’re just really excited about the partnership right here.”
The ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, set to hit store shelves worldwide on October 16, will bring with it improvements to the core UI and UX of Windows. In order to make the operating system more usable without a mouse and keyboard, the handheld systems will feature the Xbox Fullscreen Experience, which starts up right at boot. Through this, users can navigate through the UI, and even access games from different launchers, be it Steam or Battle.net. The developers of the devices have also noted that the Xbox Fullscreen Experience doesn’t load any processes that aren’t required for gaming, touting a savings of over 2 GB of RAM which can then be used for games.
The Xbox Game Bar is also getting a touch-up with the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, especially with it being the home of the Command Center. Through this, users of the handheld device can tweak various settings, as well as access different performance mode depending on whether they want to conserve battery life and reduce fan noise, or want full horsepower to run more demanding games.
As for the Handheld Compatibility Program, Microsoft has stated that there are a number of factors that go into games being approved for it. Among these factors is the game being automatically able to pull out an on-screen keyboard whenever keyboard input is required. This can often be the case for titles like RPGs that ask players to name their characters. The Compatibility Program will also take into account other accessibility-oriented aspects, such as font size and the general UX to ensure that players on smaller screens can still enjoy the title. All of this will be taken into account alongside overall compatibility of the game with the hardware powering the handheld system.
The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X we re originally unveiled back in June. Check out our coverage for more details.
