Microsoft’s VP of ‘Next Generation’ says changes are coming this year.

The future of Microsoft's handheld gaming plans includes a marriage between the best of Xbox and Windows. That's according to Microsoft's Xbox hardware veteran Jason Ronald, who also teased that the company would have "a lot more to share later this year" on what exactly its Windows-powered handheld vision might look like.

Microsoft has said that it plans to bring the best of Xbox and Windows gaming experiences for handheld devices.

If Microsoft actually pulls this one off, the world of handheld gaming consoles could be forever changed, and its goals are certainly ambitious.

Last January at CES, Microsoft chief marketing officer Yusuf Mehdi declared 2024 the “year of the AI PC.” And whether you believe that prediction came true or not—many new PCs come with AI-accelerating neural processing units onboard, but far from all of them—you can't deny that Microsoft did try very hard to make it happen.

Just a few days ago, security researchers warned hundreds of millions of Windows users they’re at risk from a “ dangerous security fiasco .” Microsoft has now confirmed the same, proclaiming 2025 “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” And for 400 million users in particular, that means hitting the stores before it’s too late.

While an Xbox Handheld direct from Microsoft might be a ways out, the operating system to power those changes is coming sooner than you think.