I’ve been writing for more than a year about how Microsoft needs to overhaul Windows on handhelds and use an Xbox OS UI on top, keeping the complexity of the Windows desktop hid

This year, Mehdi is back with another prediction: 2025 will be "the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh." This year is also, not coincidentally, the year that most Windows 10 PCs will stop receiving new security updates.

Jason Ronald, Microsoft's VP of Next Generation, wants to bring "the best of Xbox and Windows together" on existing gaming handheld PCs.

Microsoft will force install the new Outlook email client on Windows 10 systems starting with next month's security update.

“I would say it’s bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together, because we have spent the last 20 years building a world-class operating system, but it’s really locked to the console,” says Ronald. “What we’re doing is we’re really focused on how do we bring those experiences for both players and developers to the broader Windows ecosystem.”

Microsoft says it’s going to be bringing Xbox experiences to PC gaming handhelds, a move that should drastically improve the user experience on these machines. Ever since the first Windows 11 handhelds were released,

Microsoft is looking to improve its Windows operating system on handheld PCs such as the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go by making the software more like an Xbox console. Microsoft vice president of Next Generation Jason Ronald said at a CES 2025 panel this shift is planned for 2025 and told The Verge it looks to bring "the best of Xbox and Windows together.