We all know how well the Steam Deck, a portable console that wanted to bring Steam to the territory of the Nintendo Switch has sold. With Valve’s operating system, SteamOS, the Steam Deck has made a place for itself in the market for PC gamers who want to play on the subway, the plane, and during breaks between classes.
And while we say that the Steam Deck works wonders among more traditional PC gamers, the reality is that competing consoles, like the ASUS ROG Ally or the Lenovo Legion Go, are not selling as much as expected.
And it is possible that the blame lies with Windows 11, an operating system that doesn’t quite convince for this type of portable consoles. And the truth is, this OS is not designed or optimized for such small devices.
Why is Windows 11 such a bad system on portable devices?
To be fair, Windows 11 was never created for portable devices. It is optimized for traditional computers, which have a different set of instructions for a lot of things, such as drivers, screen size, and connectivity, even for how the power supply is used.
Manufacturers and Microsoft often find solutions to most problems. But the big question is whether players should have to endure these problems when they have paid almost $700 for a new portable device.
After all, gaming is a recreational activity that is done between work and other life commitments. That’s why any kind of tweaking or troubleshooting to make a game work smoothly or to prevent the system from crashing can frustrate you. You just want to play, not fix things.
Is there anything that can be done to improve W11 on consoles?
There is no doubt that a lightweight version of Windows 11 specially optimized for portable devices would solve most of these problems. It would also restore confidence to a legion of gamers dissatisfied with a suboptimal experience. It could also prevent third-party handheld device manufacturers from seeking alternatives to Windows as the operating system for their future console releases.
Rumors about a possible lightweight version of Windows 11 have been circulating for some time. In fact, since April 2023, there has been talk that the holy grail is a reality: that Microsoft is experimenting with a portable mode of Windows 11. But so far, there has been no solid confirmation about it.
But a recent move by Microsoft may provide a small clue. Microsoft took a first step towards a version of Windows 11 for portable devices last December by introducing a new compatible mode for the Xbox app on PC, which optimizes the interface for a smaller screen.
Microsoft is also very aware of the issues surrounding the Windows operating system on portable devices. In a recent interview with Polygon, Microsoft’s Head of Xbox and Gaming, Phil Spencer, said: “The things that usually frustrate me are more based on Windows than on the devices,” referring to gaming on portable devices with Windows.
How should a portable version of Windows 11 be?
If Microsoft gets to work and creates a version of Windows 11 for portable devices, there are many things we would like to see included.
The first and most important thing should be an adaptive interface that allows for larger icons and the use of intuitive gestures.
We would also love a customizable design and improved touch optimization, with the addition of features like pinch-to-zoom. If we add to that a bunch of game improvements that optimize performance and compatibility with all kinds of peripherals.
Only time will tell if third-party wearable devices receive the version of Windows 11 they deserve. Until then, get ready to spend a little more time tweaking and troubleshooting. That’s the price of playing Skyrim with 90 mods on your subway journey.
