I’ve been waiting for Microsoft to weigh in with a Windows gaming handheld solution for a while, and it arguably just took its first steps with the new compact Game Bar. Available to members of the company’s Xbox Insider program, the latest update aims to make the PC overlay more usable on portable devices. Naturally, I’ve been testing the app extension since the announcement to get a feel for what it offers, and while it’s serviceable, it’s anything but a proper solution.
I’m trying to avoid sounding grumpy, as the compact Xbox Game Bar is going to help some of the best gaming handhelds out there. Specifically, it should give devices like the Asus ROG Ally a way to tweak settings and launch games without using either the Windows desktop or a third-party app like Armoury Crate. My initial concern with this approach is that it’s more or less another middleman, serving to implement on an operating system that has no interest in on-the-go usability.
