Microsoft has announced it is accelerating efforts to optimize the Windows 11 operating system, focusing on the rise of portable PC gaming. The company aims to address performance bottlenecks through system-level improvements.
Auto SR Coming to Handheld Consoles
In this context, the company announced it will release a new AI-powered upgrade technology called Auto SR in early 2026, specifically targeting handheld consoles like ASUS’s ROG Xbox Ally X.
Windows 11 has long been seen as a performance limiter in PC gaming. Microsoft is focusing on areas such as background workload management, power and timing improvements, and graphics stack optimizations to change this perception.
This move is linked to both its entry into the portable PC gaming console market with the ROG Xbox Ally and rumors that the next-generation Xbox console will be a PC-hybrid device. In line with this strategy, the Xbox Full Screen Experience is now accessible to all users, and Xbox is becoming an increasingly integrated part of Windows.
Auto SR (Automatic Super Resolution), set to be released early next year, is an AI-powered image upscaling solution that works directly at the operating system level. Unlike NVIDIA’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR, this technology acts like a post-processing effect to enhance image quality.
It renders the game at a low resolution and then uses AI to upscale that image to a higher resolution and clarity. This increases frame rates, especially on devices like the ROG Xbox Ally X, while offering wider game compatibility and superior visual quality compared to existing solutions.
