ASUS’s collaboration with Microsoft brought us the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X handhelds on October 16, and they launched with a few unique features. Xbox’s team was keen to point out three big features available on the new Xbox-branded devices. One of these is the Xbox full screen experience (FSE), which delivers a more console-like interface and some optimizations.

FSE has been exclusive to the Xbox Ally devices – until now – as Microsoft has officially included FSE support for third-party handhelds in its latest Windows Insider Preview Build (version 26220.7051). MSI Claw devices now have support rolling out, while other handhelds will be enabled in “the coming months”.

Xbox full screen experience has been available in Windows Insider before

FSE has been available for a little while via the Insider Preview builds, but this is the first time we’ve seen Microsoft officially introduce it, which suggests it isn’t too far away from the full, stable Windows 11 build. In fact, the so-called ‘Xbox mode’ was available as early as September, a month before the Xbox Ally handhelds even launched, and we’ve seen users testing it on an array of Windows handhelds, including the MSI Claw, Legion Go, and original ROG Ally series. However, setting up may have required a few extra steps; Microsoft’s official support should make it more straightforward for all supported devices.

How to enable FSE:

On supported devices, go to Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience, then select Xbox as your home app. Once enabled, you can access FSE from Task View and Game Bar or configure your handheld to enter full screen experience on startup.

Source: Windows Insider Blog

As you can see in the screenshot above, this feature essentially splits your Windows handheld into two modes: desktop mode and Xbox FSE (much like how the Steam Deck does it on SteamOS). As well as providing a more controller-friendly UI, Xbox FSE also helps optimize your system for gaming by deferring unwanted Windows processes and freeing up memory.

MSI is a brand that has been busy producing new iterations of its Claw handheld for PC gaming on the go. The brand has essentially done the opposite of Valve, which still only has the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED to its name. The original MSI Claw’s poor reception probably helped MSI swiftly move on, and the latest release in the MSI Claw A8, its first AMD-powered model. Now that Xbox FSE has started rolling out for MSI Claw models, here’s a list of them so far:

• MSI Claw
• MSI Claw 7 AI+
• MSI Claw 8 AI+ (and 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition)
• MSI Claw A8

About the Author

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.