Xbox rolls out handheld optimization tags and faster PC app

Table of Content

Xbox detailed a slate of platform updates spanning handhelds, PC, and console. The company introduced a Handheld Compatibility Program to signal which games are tuned for portable Windows devices and added a download speed upgrade to the Xbox app on PC, currently limited to Insiders. Console Game Hubs are gaining new information modules, while ROG Ally devices receive advanced shader delivery to speed up first launches. Xbox also expanded Play Anywhere, cloud streaming options for owned games, the Retro Classics lineup, and broadened mouse/keyboard and touch support in the cloud. Below are the key changes and full game lists where provided.

Handheld Compatibility labels arrive on Windows and supported handhelds

Xbox launched the Handheld Compatibility Program to help players identify titles optimized for handheld play. Labels are now visible on product detail pages across Windows devices and featured in a handheld-compatible channel on supported Windows handhelds. If a game is not Handheld Optimized, a notification appears before installation or purchase to set expectations for handheld performance.

Xbox app on PC – faster downloads for Insiders

Updates to the Xbox app on PC are rolling out to Xbox Insiders, improving download performance by optimizing how the app uses a PC’s internet connection. The goal: fewer slowdowns and smarter bandwidth usage, particularly on high-speed networks. The wider release is planned after monitoring feedback and performance data.

– Xbox clarified the download speed update is currently limited to Insiders. A game title in the shader delivery list has also been corrected to .

Console Game Hubs – Official Clubs and Game Pass benefits

Game Hubs on Xbox consoles are adding two modules: Official Clubs news (where available) and any Game Pass in-game benefits tied to the title. These modules sit alongside existing sections like Your game stats and Available add-ons and are rolling out now.

ROG Ally gets advanced shader delivery

Xbox enabled advanced shader delivery for supported titles on ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. By preloading shaders during download, select games can launch up to 10x faster, run more smoothly, and draw less battery on first play. The feature is live for the games listed below, with more to follow.

Current supported titles – Advanced shader delivery

• Ark Survival Ascended
• Avowed
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Control
• Dead Island 2
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Farming Simulator 25
• Forspoken
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Forza Horizon 5
• Forza Motorsport
• Gears of War: Reloaded
• Gears Tactics
• Grounded 2
• Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced
• Lies of P
• Metro Exodus
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Persona 3 Reload
• Resident Evil 2 (2019)
• Resident Evil 3
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
• Sea of Thieves
• Sniper Elite: Resistance
• South of Midnight
• The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remaster
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• The Callisto Protocol
• The Outer Worlds 2
• Silent Hill f
• Keeper
• Hogwarts Legacy

Xbox Play Anywhere passes 1,000 titles – September additions listed

More than 1,000 games now support Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing owners to switch between PC, console, and supported handhelds with saves, add-ons, and achievements synced via Xbox account. Below are the September additions to the Play Anywhere catalog.

• Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile
• Alphadia III
• Baki Hanma: Blood Arena
• Bio Block
• Bratz Rhythm & Style
• Brews & Bastards
• Car Mechanic Shop Simulator
• Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3
• Dead Reset
• Deep Rock Galactic Survivor
• DeTechtive 2112
• Detective Dotson
• Double Dangerous
• Dragon Ruins
• DreamWorks Gabby’s Dollhouse: Ready to Party
• Echoes of Light: Child of the Balance
• Echoes of the Plum Grove
• Firefighting Simulator Ignite
• Formula Legends
• Full Throttle Parking
• Giant Rush
• Green Soldiers Heroes: Extreme Bikers
• Hanoi Puzzles: Flip Match
• Heian City Story
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Hot Stakes Casino – American Roulette
• Hotel Barcelona
• Ink Enigma: Hidden Object Challenges
• Kairobotica
• Karma: The Dark WorldMeow Moments: Celebrating Beats & Books
• Moon Mystery
• My Horse Stories
• Nachtmahr
• Napoleon Maiden Episode.1 A maiden without the word impossible
• NBA Bounce
• Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny
• Not Not 2 – A Brain Challenge
• Otherwar
• Overpowered 1 – Mars Infestation
• Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven
• Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
• Scar-Lead Salvation
• Silent Hill f
• Skyline Bowling
• Slime Rancher 2
• Sokocat: Islands – Remastered
• Spot Challenge 3D
• SpotCat vs The Cheddar Mafia In Asia
• Stylist Girl
• Sworn
• Theme Park Jam
• Totally Normal Journey: The Interactive Musical
• Train Sim World 6
• Wander Stars

Stream your own game – library surpasses 1,000 titles

Xbox continues to expand Stream your own game in Xbox Cloud Gaming, enabling eligible members to stream from a library of over 1,000 owned games on supported devices. Recent additions include the titles listed below.

Recently added to “Stream your own game”

• ARC Raiders
• Children of Morta
• Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition
• Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition
• Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
• Jurassic World Evolution 3
• King of Meat
• Pinball FX3
• SongPop Party
• Syberia – The World Before
• Talisman: Digital Edition
• The Jackbox Party Pack 9
• Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2
• XIII
• …and additional titles available now

Retro Classics grows with new additions

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Xbox and Antstream Arcade are extending the Retro Classics lineup on Game Pass. The collection has attracted over 1 million players to date and is set to grow to more than 100 titles over time. Newly added games include:

• BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk’s Inception (Amiga)
• BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk’s Revenge (DOS)
• Ice Hockey
• Moonsweeper

More input options in the cloud – mouse/keyboard and touch

Xbox notes support for wired USB mice and keyboards across select games and apps on Xbox and Windows devices. In cloud play, there are now 130+ games with mouse and keyboard support and 230+ games with touch controls. Several titles received support this month.

Newly supported in cloud – Mouse and keyboard

• ABRISS – build to destroy
• Astro Miner
• Biz Builder Delux
• Chess Royal
• Cozy Designer
• CyberTD
• Dolmenjord – Viking Islands
• Dragon Takers
• Dream Town Island
• Dungeon Village 2
• Eldgear
• Elemental War Clash
• Forest Golf Planner
• GRAPPIN
• Hatsune Miku – The Planet of Wonder and Fragments of Wishes
• HexaScape: Cyber Defense
• Last Escape: Dead Complex
• Mayhem Heroes
• Meow Moments: Celebrating Geeks & Athletes
• Midnight Remastered
• Narcissus
• Penguin’s Road
• Pocket Harvest
• Pocket League Story
• Post Trama
• Roofcats Band – Suika Style
• Pool Slide Story
• Snooker Blitz
• SokoNature
• Spot Challenge Vol. 1
• The Thaumaturge
• To the Sky

Newly supported in cloud – Touch controls

• Keeper
• Immortals of Aveum
• Tales of Kenzera: ZAU

Dynamic backgrounds – new sets on Xbox Series X|S

Xbox Series X|S consoles have new dynamic backgrounds themed around Battlefield 6, Keeper, The Elder Scrolls Online, and The Outer Worlds 2. These are available now to customize the dashboard.

Feature snapshot

The table below summarizes availability and scope at a glance. Details may evolve as rollouts progress and more titles are added.

Why it matters for players

Clearer handheld labeling and faster PC downloads reduce friction before you even hit play, while shader preloading on ROG Ally shrinks cold-start stutters. Expanded cloud streaming, Play Anywhere, and broader input options increase flexibility across devices. As rollouts continue, expect more titles and features to be added over time.