We’re now just two weeks away from the official ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X launch on October 16th. Pre-orders for these upcoming Xbox-branded handhelds kicked off last week on September 25th, and they are set to deliver the most optimized Windows handheld experience to date. There are a few reasons for that; one of them is the Xbox full screen experience.
There has already been an early build of this so-called ‘Xbox mode‘ via the Windows Insider Program. The software will be exclusive to the new Xbox Ally devices at launch, but other Windows handhelds reportedly get full support sometime in 2026. So, while you wait for that, you can check out alternatives such as Winhanced, which recently hit version 0.8.
Winhanced v0.8 is free to download for all
We’ve been following Winhanced since early this year. It’s a fan project aiming to make Windows more optimized for handheld gaming, which came to be before Microsoft announced its intention to do the same thing with the new Xbox Ally & Ally X. Winhanced v0.8 is now available, and is advertised as “one of our most significant updates yet”. The latest version introduces a new Xbox Game Bar widget HUD, and is compatible with the Xbox full screen experience (FSE).
Anyone can download Winhanced v0.8 on the Winhanced website. Patreon members get early access to upcoming builds, and the small team behind this project is already looking forward to version 1.0. The team says v0.8 lays the foundation for the full version release, and even hopes to get Lossless Scaling support ready in time for 1.0.
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This release sets the stage for the final stretch toward Winhanced 1.0. Our focus for the next version includes:
- Speeding up library imports and management.
- Polishing the interface and performance across every supported device.
- Addressing edge cases where Winhanced may still need a restart (e.g., after game updates or certain launch dialogs).These will be resolved through ongoing community feedback and iteration.
- Adding Lossless Scaling support — planned for 1.0, or shortly after in 1.1.
We encourage users to continue reporting issues as they arise. Every report helps us refine Winhanced into the best launcher and performance manager for Windows handheld PCs.
Source: Winhanced
The new Xbox full screen experience optimizes the handheld by culling some Windows processes – freeing up memory for gaming. It seems to work in a similar fashion to Valve’s Steam Deck, which has separate Desktop Mode and Gaming Modes, while boasting a more lightweight Linux-based operating system that outperforms Windows 11 on the same hardware. We’ve seen this with the SteamOS version of the Legion Go S, so we’re keen to see just how much further Windows can be optimized.
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