Valve made a big statement with Steam OS, a Linux-based operating system specialized in games and it demonstrated his good work on Steam Deck, Valve’s portable console that was a sales success. Different brands use Windows 11 on their portable consoles, and it goes without saying that the experience they offer is very different since it’s not a gaming OS.

To be honest, and as I already told you in my ASUS ROG Ally analysis, having Windows 11 as an operating system on a portable console has its advantages, and we can finally use this console as if it were a traditional PC, but this also has the negative side is that we do not have specialization and optimization which brings a gaming oriented operating system like Steam OS.

It is true that Microsoft has made several efforts to improve the gaming experience with its well-known operating system, among which we can undoubtedly highlight the Game Mode, but in the end this mode did not live up to the expectations it raised and the differences are very small. On the other hand, we must also keep in mind that Windows 11 brings bugs and errors that negatively affected game performance, and this has become a constant that tires the user.

Windows 11 is too very resource intensive. It has such a high consumption of RAM that the experience is very bad with 4 GB of RAM and not optimal on a computer that has 8 GB of RAM. On the other hand, a specialized system like Steam OS has much lower resource consumption and demands, is generally lighter, and this improves the resulting game performance.

Windows Gaming Edition, why is it necessary?

It’s not the first time we’ve said that Microsoft needs a Windows dedicated to gaming, but on this occasion This reality is clearer than ever. Gaming has a huge weight, more and more users are buying PCs solely and exclusively to play their favorite titles with a better experience than they would have on consoles, and the popularization of Steam OS on the Steam Deck could end sooner. or later in the PC version of the specified operating system.

If Valve released a version of Steam OS for PC that is fully optimized and customized for the environment, the future of Windows could be seriously affected. Think about it for a moment, the number of people who play on PC is enormous and they might opt ​​for a new operating system dedicated to gaming, even if they have to make small sacrifices in other aspects. if optimization and performance compensate them.

When it comes to the portable console market, this is clear Windows 11 worksand that thanks to the touch interface and specialized software that the big brands integrate, the user experience improves, but of course It’s not that good like the one we would get with Steam OS. As I said before, optimization is also not up to par and resource consumption remains higher.

When we put it all together We’ll see why it makes all the sense in the world for Microsoft to shape a Windows dedicated to gaminga version that could compete directly with Steam OS and that would open a new source of income for the Redmond giant if its use becomes popular in the portable console market.

What should a Windows dedicated to games have?

It’s a good question, and the answer is easier than it seems. This version should start from a specific base which remove everything that is not essential and necessary for its specialization, although it would make sense for Microsoft to retain some elements that would offer important basic functions, such as web browsing.

Removing this entire set of features and non-essentials would accomplish two important things: reduce resource consumption and reduce weight operating system. Microsoft should also include various settings to facilitate the user experience in games and these should be integrated into a simple and intuitive interface that does not waste time unnecessarily.

The optimalization It’s another of the central pillars that should be present in Windows being specialized for games. Its resource consumption must be low, it should be ready to take advantage of different hardware configurations, and it should be kept to a minimum when running games to keep games running. They have as many resources as possible. Removing the bloatware and creating a completely clean operating system would be another of the most important keys to this Windows for gaming.

Microsoft should maintain support and compatibility of certain applications, such as streaming ones and those that allow you to monitor and improve game performance. It would also have to make it easier to update drivers and firmware, which means it would ultimately have to strike a minimum balance in terms of reducing features and operating system blocks.

Last but not least is the issue of Windows updates and their new versions. Microsoft it has a pretty bad streak with the update issueIn fact, the latest versions of Windows 11 that have reached the Canary channel are causing serious problems in games. The Redmond giant still hasn’t found the key, and for many users the Windows 11 update has become almost a kind of Russian roulette with surprising problems.

All of this should become history in gaming-specific Windows, and by eliminating much of the features and blocks of standard Windows, this requirement can be relatively easy. On the other hand, it should be noted that Microsoft has experience with operating systems specialized in gaming thanks to the work he’s done with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X-Series S, so you don’t have to start from scratch if you decide to get into Windows PC gaming.

What can we expect from Windows dedicated to games?

This special version should take up less space and, as I said, consume less resources. Its performance will therefore be higher even on more modest hardware configurations. Thanks to this and its greater optimization in general, the gaming performance of a PC configured with specific hardware It should be higher than another computer with the same hardware running Windows 11.

Your user interface will tailored to your specialization, so the user experience will move away from the classic desktop and should be more similar to what we could find on the current console. This interface will be much simpler and more intuitive, requiring minimal interaction from the user, and the entire process necessary to install, uninstall, configure and run games will be very easy.

Finally, we could also wait much more stable operationfewer errors and crashes and an automated and optimized update process for does not cause headaches to the user, or at least reduce them to a minimum. Incorporating a simple and quick OS reset process should also be another feature to deal with potential disasters.