The same thing that makes Windows gaming handhelds desirable also holds them back. It's never been the hardware. The designs aren't perfect in a lot of the devices -- even the best of the lot, the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X,

Microsoft has needed to respond to SteamOS ever since the Steam Deck launched three years ago, and it has steadily been tweaking its Xbox app and the Xbox Game Bar on Windows to make both more handheld-friendly. But there was always a bigger overhaul of Windows required, and we’re starting to see parts of that today.

We took the ROG Xbox Ally for a short test drive and discovered how it's fixing the worst problem with Windows-based gaming handhelds.