Xbox is updating its PC app UI to make it a better fit on handheld gaming PCs like the Lenovo Legion Go and the ASUS ROG Ally.
The UI update is called Compact Mode, and is designed to increase the overall useability of the Xbox app on handhelds. It’s already out, bundled into the latest Windows update. If you own an ASUS ROG Ally, make sure you update it. Moving forward, any new Windows-based gaming handhelds will come with the Compact Mode update out of the box.
Turning Compact Mode on collapses the sidebar down to a row of icons, giving you back some needed screen real estate.
Also in the update: you can finally tell the app to only show you unread notifications. There’s also the new Gaming Services Repair Tool, for when you need to fix a problematic install. This works similarly to Steam’s option to verify install integrity and is a feature PC players have been screaming for. Previously, if you had a problem with an install, you had to uninstall the game and begin a fresh download. In an era where major AAA titles are climbing above 110GB, that’s not exactly a minor undertaking. To many, this will be the real news to come out of this piece, and I agree that it is about damned time.
It makes sense that Xbox is making overtures to the handheld space like this. Its partnership with Lenovo on the Legion Go, making Game Pass a pillar of that platform’s existence, forms the backbone of its messaging to hardware makers moving forward — if you’re producing a handheld, consider making it a Windows tablet. We have a lot to offer.
The Xbox Compact Mode update will be applied the next time you run an OS update on your ROG Ally or Legion Go. You can find out more about it on the Xbox newswire.
Image: Xbox
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