Before Microsoft got around to releasing the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE), shipped with the recent ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, Windows handheld users could turn to fan-made projects to enjoy a more console-like feel on their device. One of these is called Winhanced, which has steady development from a small team to improve the Windows handheld experience.

There have been a few important updates to Winhanced lately, including docked mode, library imports, and now, mouse mode. You can quickly toggle your right stick to operate as a mouse, and switch it back anytime you like. This comes in handy when you want mouse controls on the fly, but your handheld does have a trackpad (such as the ROG Ally series).

Mouse mode and more in latest Winhanced update

Winhanced is currently available in two builds: the public release and the early access release, with the latter being available through Patreon. The most recent update on Discord mentions three new features:

• Mouse mode
• Full controller navigation for settings menus
• Update Center added to Winhanced

Winhanced now has a mouse mode. you can activate it by double pressing the right thumbstick which will enable you to use that thumb stick as a mouse cursor. RB acts as your left click and RT acts as your Right Click. to disable moue mode you just double press the stick again and you can go right back to navigating Winhanced or your computer with controller just like you could already.

Source: Discord

These updates are part of the larger November update. You can read the full patch notes here release version 0.9.0.3).

The controller navigation update is self-explanatory. Update Center refers to a feature that allows you to scan and download the latest Winhanced updates directly in the app, rather than going to the Winhanced website or Patreon for the latest versions. Update Center also supports driving scanning and downloads on ASUS ROG Ally models for now.

Microsoft recently released Xbox FSE to all handhelds – MSI Claw devices were the first to get it, and have proven to run a little more efficiently on the Full Screen Experience, enjoying lower RAM usage. FSE will be coming to all Windows 11 devices at a later date; this includes PCs, laptops, and tablets, and an early build is already available to Xbox Insiders.

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Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.