Microsoft rolls out the Xbox Full-Screen Experience to improve the user interface and performance of Windows 11 on the gamer side.
The release of the new ASUS handheld consoles - ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally - was an opportunity to rethink certain hardware aspects, with new chips from AMD and a beefier battery. However, ASUS was also able to count on the support of Microsoft, which didn't simply affix the Xbox name to the product. No, the Redmond firm has largely redesigned the software interface to offer something more convincing than the classic Windows 11 desktop.
The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are the first machines to feature the Xbox Full-Screen Experience © Microsoft
And it works! Initial feedback on the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally is unanimous: the interface is a resounding success, offering faster, more intuitive control of all aspects of the system. An interface that lets you use everything directly with classic joystick controls - that's the "magic" of the Xbox Full-Screen Experience, which, let's face it, is very much inspired by the Big Picture mode devised by Valve on its Steam client.
Even more interesting on the Windows side, the Xbox Full-Screen Experience was not designed to be reserved for ASUS console users alone. No, Microsoft has made it clear that, eventually, all Windows 11 users will be able to take advantage of it, whether on PC, console or tablet. At present, this is reserved for subscribers to the Windows Insiders Program, but it should soon be rolled out on a large scale.
MSI, however, has not had the patience to wait, and is now detailing (in the video above) how to deploy the Xbox Full-Screen Experience on its Claw consoles, with memory savings and improved performance as the key benefits. MSI claims to save around 9-10% RAM, and also points out that a game like Cyberpunk 2077 - but it's not the only one - improves by 8.9%. Thank you, Valve, for pushing Microsoft to finally take the bull by the horns!
