After more than a year of development, the guys behind Winhanced are almost ready to leave the beta stage and release a full 1.0 version. At the time of writing, the most up-to-date version is 0.9.5.5, released on May 4 and shipping with a range of different improvements. Last month, Winhanced got integrated Lossless Scaling support as part of v0.9.4.4.

We’ve been covering Winhanced since the project really got going early last year. The first thing you should know is that it’s not a completely new operating system, but rather additional software that can boot on startup. Winhanced acts as a replacement for the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE), aiming to bring a console-like experience to Windows handhelds.

Winhanced should leave beta in the next few updates

According to an announcement on the Winhanced Discord server, the software is soon making it to the 1.0 milestone, which a lead developer on the project calls “just the beginning”. The dev has also asked the community to try to make a “big splash” about the 1.0 launch by sharing their experience with the software with friends and on social media.

1.0 is right around the corner! Within the next 2 to 3 updates over the next month the app will officially be leaving beta!

I wanted to say thank you with the bottom of my heart to everyone for being along for the ride! 1.0 does not mean the end of the app development just the beginning : )

Source: Developer ‘Floop’ on Discord

In any case, it should be noted that Winhanced downloads are currently split into two branches – the free branch available to download by anyone, and the Early Access branch that is open to Patreon or Discord supporters, giving contributors the latest features & fixes ahead of public release. We imagine this format will continue once Winhanced 1.0 is released.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.