The new version of the Xbox app for Windows adds a new display panel to the Game Bar, allowing players to change resolution and other settings without leaving the game. The update does not radically transform the system, but it does make the ROG Xbox Ally X more convenient to use in several small but meaningful ways. On top of that, Microsoft is already preparing an even more significant improvement that is set to arrive this month.
The Xbox Ally X remains one of the most complete handheld console PCs on the market. Its integration with the Xbox ecosystem is still its biggest strength, but the software experience remains an area that can improve, much like SteamOS on Steam Deck. For months, Microsoft has been rolling out updates meant to refine the overall experience and benefit players with higher frame rates, better battery management, and patches designed to improve day-to-day usability.
ROG Xbox Ally X gets better with new features
The latest update to the Xbox app on Windows brings three specific additions that improve the ROG Xbox Ally X. The first is a new widget inside the Xbox Game Bar. From there, users can change screen resolution, switch projection mode, and access settings for Auto Super Resolution, Microsoft‘s upcoming upscaling technology, which will come up again shortly. The most useful part is that all of this can be adjusted without exiting the game, which makes the whole experience far more convenient.
The second improvement is the ability to customize where notifications appear on the screen. Previously, their position was fixed, and in certain games that could be intrusive. It is not a dramatic change, but it still improves the overall experience. The third new feature allows players to adjust graphics settings directly through that same widget without pausing or leaving the game. From there, users can tweak parameters such as TDP, GPU frequency, and fan behavior – options that previously required stepping out of the game entirely.
None of these additions are revolutionary on their own, but they do highlight a broader issue Microsoft still has with this device and with Windows itself. The Xbox Ally X launched with an Xbox Mode that still does not fully match the hardware and needs more optimization before it can really compete with SteamOS. Even so, the most welcome improvement is still on the way: Auto Super Resolution arrives in April 2026, exclusively for the Xbox Ally X. This is an operating-system-level technology that can improve performance by as much as 30% in some games running on DirectX 11 and DirectX 12.
Source: 3DJuegos
