Leaked Video Tips (Unlikely) Windows Handheld Mode for Steam Deck
Is Microsoft working on a new version of Windows for gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck?
On Wednesday night, a video circulated(Opens in a new window) on Twitter, showing an apparent “Windows handheld mode” in the works. But according to the project’s developer, Microsoft didn't have enough engineers to follow through on building the software, at least for now.
Twitter user WalkingCat posted the video of the Windows handheld mode, which originated from a Microsoft hackathon event in September. In the video, an unnamed developer says the project is about creating a “truly optimized Windows experienced for the handheld PC market.”
Technically, you can install Windows 10 or 11 on the Linux-baxed Steam Deck, but don’t expect a great experience. In the leaked video, the developer notes that running games on a Windows-powered Steam Deck can fail due to the OS struggling to interpret the hardware's small screen size or being unable to access the video memory. The other problem is that many Windows user interface elements, including the touch keyboard, were never designed with a handheld in mind.
In response, the hackathon project envisioned a way to create a Windows handheld mode designed to resolve all the compatibility issues. The video even shows a mockup for an onboarding process to install the necessary drivers to optimize the OS for a PC gaming handheld.
“So if you look at what it would take to bring handheld mode to the mainstream market...a lot of these things seem feasible,” the developer says in the video. “As long as we have the right specialists, as long as we have the right expertise kind of moving through this project, everything on here is definitely achievable.”
The new Windows mode could also expand the
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