Microsoft is hinting at some major Windows 11 upgrades coming next year, all aimed at strengthening its position as the go-to platform for PC gaming. Over the past year, the company has gradually adopted handheld gaming devices, and it appears that even more significant changes are on the horizon.
In a new blog post outlining its plans, Microsoft states, “We’re committed to making Windows the best place to play,” and adds that it will continue to refine parts of the system that have the greatest impact on gaming performance.
The company points to several key areas it plans to improve: better handling of background tasks, advances in power management and scheduling, optimisations to the graphics pipeline, and refreshed drivers. Together, these upgrades should help Windows utilise fewer system resources, freeing up more processing power for games and enhancing overall performance.
Microsoft also confirmed that Auto SR (Super Resolution) will arrive on handheld gaming PCs next year, beginning with the Xbox Ally X powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI NPU. Auto SR is built directly into Windows and can upscale supported games to produce sharper visuals and smoother frame rates—all without developers needing to update their titles.
Another upgrade on the way is Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD), which is expanding to additional Windows 11 devices. ASD preloads shaders during game downloads, allowing certain games to boot far quicker, run more efficiently, and use less battery during that initial launch. Microsoft says it’s adding ASD support to more titles on both the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, and early work has started to bring the feature to more hardware and storefronts.
These moves make it clear that Microsoft is responding to Valve’s recent push into the hardware market. Valve’s newly announced Steam Machine and the ongoing popularity of the Steam Deck—both of which helped fuel the comeback of handheld gaming—have put pressure on Windows to better support this format.
With the Xbox Ally family and ongoing improvements to Windows 11 tailored for portable devices and controller-based gaming, Microsoft appears to be gearing up for a direct showdown with Valve. The goal is clear: make Windows the leading home for gaming, regardless of the ecosystem or library players rely on.
