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22h ago

Xbox Full Screen Handheld Mode Lands Early on Windows Devices via Insider Tweaks

Early tests point to performance and battery gains, with installation via 25H2 previews and registry edits posing stability risks.

Xbox mode running on ROG Ally
A Lenovo Legion Go S running Microsoft Xbox Full screen experience
This is Xbox Full screen experience running on an ROG Xbox Ally
New Windows 11 update lets you try Xbox Ally fullscreen mode on other handhelds

Overview

  • Users on the Windows Insider Release Preview build of Windows 11 (25H2) can enable the handheld interface using registry changes or tools like ViVeTool, following a guide first shared by a Reddit user.
  • The mode boots directly into the Xbox PC app, suppresses the Windows Explorer shell and background processes to reclaim roughly 2GB of memory, and consolidates libraries from stores such as Steam, Epic Games Store, and Battle.net.
  • Windows Central reported frame rate increases on an original ROG Ally—from 29 FPS to 38 FPS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider—and roughly an extra hour of battery life versus desktop mode with startup apps enabled.
  • Because this requires preview software and manual tweaks, outlets caution about potential instability or the need to reinstall Windows, and some devices show issues like nonfunctional controls or difficulty switching back to desktop.
  • The early availability undercuts the expected debut alongside Asus’s ROG Xbox Ally family, yet Microsoft and Asus still plan an official launch on October 16 with the handheld experience shipping on those devices.