Microsoft's Xbox Full-Screen Experience Leaks on Other Windows Handhelds Ahead of ROG Xbox Ally Debut

Microsoft's new Xbox interface for Windows-based gaming handhelds will debut with the ROG Xbox Ally and the Xbox Ally X next month. The interface is also coming to other handhelds next year, starting with the Lenovo Legion Go 2. But it looks like handheld owners don't have to wait till 2026, as the Xbox full-screen experience can be enabled on existing Windows-based handhelds now.

Xbox Full-Screen Experience Leaks

Yes, the new Xbox full-screen experience seems to have leaked before it could arrive with the Xbox-branded Ally handhelds. Windows users are enabling the interface on older handhelds like the ROG Ally and MSI Claw with the help of the Windows 11 25H2 update.

As detailed on by an ROG Ally user on the ROG Ally subreddit this week, the Windows 11 25H2 update allows older handhelds to get the Xbox full-screen experience. The Windows 11 update is available as a Release Preview version for users part of the Windows Insider program.

After installing the update, users should see the Xbox full-screen experience option in Settings > Gaming, where they can enable the new interface to boot directly into it. Users who don't see the new option in Settings, a few specific tweaks in the Registry Editor should do it. However, they should perform these operations at their own risk as it can result in a broken Windows installation.

The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X will launch in October
Photo Credit: Microsoft

Several users have now reported getting the Xbox full-screen experience early on their handhelds. Some have even started testing it out, booting the ROG Ally and MSI Claw Ai8 straight into the Xbox app. Users have also reported performance gains with the new interface enabled; the Xbox full-screen experience keeps certain Windows operations in the background to free up more memory for gaming.

The reddit user claimed they gained 2 average FPS in benchmark in Red Dead Redemption 2 running on the ROG Ally. In a lesser demanding game like Celeste, the user claimed the device's RAM usage dropped from 10.6GB to 9.4GB with the Xbox interface enabled.

The Xbox full-screen experience will officially debut with the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X when they launch on October 16. Microsoft and Asus have said the interface will then be made available on Asus' ROG Ally and Ally X devices, that launched in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Earlier this month, after introducing the Lenovo Legion Go 2 at IFA Berlin, Lenovo said its second-generation Legion Go will be the first handheld outside Asus to get the Xbox full-screen experience. The interface will be officially available on the device in spring 2026.