Microsoft is experimenting with a Steam Deck-friendly “handheld mode” for Windows

Enlarge / The Windows Handheld Mode proof-of-concept even has a cute little icon. (credit: Microsoft/Twitter user _h0x0d_)

The Steam Deck's default Linux operating system and the Proton translation layer can run a surprising number of PC games well, but to maximize compatibility and flexibility (and to use it like a PC when you're not gaming), installing Windows is always an option. There are also alternate handheld PC designs like the AYA Neo that ship with Windows by default.

But Windows isn't an ideal operating system for the Steam Deck, at least not out of the box. Its mouse-and-keyboard-oriented user interface isn't comfortable or convenient to use on a small handheld system like the Steam Deck. Windows 11 makes some allowances for touchscreens, but its buttons and menus can still be hard to tap on such a small screen. The controller doesn't work outside of Steam, including on Windows' touchscreen keyboard, and installing drivers and launching games for the first time can be a pain.

Microsoft is aware of the problems running Windows on the Steam Deck and other similar handheld Windows PCs, and at least some developers inside the company have spent time thinking of ways to address them. That’s the thrust of a leaked presentation (posted in two parts by Twitter user _h0x0d_) about a new “Handheld Mode” for Windows, developed as part of an internal Microsoft hackathon in September 2022.

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