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  • How Winhanced Was Born: From a Reddit Post to a Full Console-Like Experience on Windows

    It all began when I got my Lenovo Legion Go back in July 2024. I wanted to give it a real console-like feeling—something that made it feel more like turning on a dedicated gaming system rather than booting up a PC. The first idea was simple: add a custom boot animation to Windows. I wrote a tutorial, published it, and shared it on Reddit. To my surprise, it gained a lot of attention. That small tweak turned into the spark for something much bigger.

    Then I created a Playnite extension that played a fullscreen video before launching the app. It got us closer to that console boot experience. I also started using Playnite to manage my installed games, but still, something felt missing…

    A Reddit Spark 💡

    Everything changed when I stumbled across a Reddit post from a user who shared a video mockup of a game launcher interface for the ROG Ally X. It instantly clicked with me. That was the excuse I needed to build something bigger—something tailored for the Legion Go and similar handheld PCs. I had been realizing more and more how different playing on a PC was compared to a console—tweaking settings, managing performance, dealing with inconsistent framerates. I wanted to change that.

    So I reached out to the creator of that post, Floop, and we started brainstorming.

    The Road to Winhanced Begins 🛠️

    Floop had already been experimenting with an overlay concept. We started by reading installed games on the system, then added a library view with filters by store (Steam, Epic, Xbox, etc.). From there, we built an in-game overlay with multiple tabs:

    • 🕹️ A Game tab with real-time details
    • 🎮 Controller remapping
    • 📋 A custom task manager-style sidebar, fully navigable with a controller
    • ⚙️ And the hardest one: the Command Center

    The Command Center became the heart of the project. It included:

    • TDP profiles and Auto TDP
    • GPU settings
    • FPS limiter
    • Refresh rate & resolution switching
    • And the ability to save everything in user-defined profiles

    Early Access & Growing Pains 🚀

    We launched Winhanced in early access on February 23, 2025. The first versions had their share of challenges. Supporting controller remapping through HidHide and ViGEmBus wasn’t easy. At first, support tickets were flooding in—but things gradually stabilized.

    By the time we reached version 1.0.18, Winhanced became rock solid for most users.

    ROG Ally X Hiccups 🧨

    We did have a few headaches with the ROG Ally X—some users experienced BSODs and even boot loops. But after a lot of debugging and feedback, those issues were resolved in version 1.0.17.

    Looking Ahead 👀

    What started as a simple video mockup turned into something much more: a powerful utility that brings console convenience to Windows handheld PCs. And this is just the beginning.

    If you haven’t tried Winhanced yet, now’s the time. Join us as we continue shaping the future of PC gaming on handhelds.

  • Custom Legion Go Startup Animation: Inspired by Reddit User’s Neon ‘Go’ Flicker Comment!

    Thanks to a suggestion from Reddit user Lemmeadem1, I’ve created a new custom startup animation for the Legion Go!

    This one features a dim neon ‘Go’ flickering to life, just as requested. Check it out and let me know what you think!

    You can download the animation here.

    How to install

    You can read the Tutorial: How to Add a custom Startup video to your Legion Go or Windows 11 gaming device using VLC Media Player for using this animation.

    Update 12/25/2024

    I’ve created a new version of the animation that aligns more closely with their vision. Here’s the updated video:

    You can download the new version here.

  • Tutorial: How to Add a custom Startup video to your Legion Go or Windows 11 gaming device using VLC Media Player

    This tutorial will guide you through adding a custom video to customize even more your Legion Go or Windows 11 gaming device using VLC to automatically play a video in fullscreen, stay on top of other windows and exit when finished.

    Step 1: Install VLC Media Player

    1. If you haven’t already installed VLC Media Player, download it from the official website and install it on your computer.

    Step 2: Download the Custom Video

    1. Download the custom startup video from the following link:
      Download Video
    2. Save the video to a location on your computer, such as C:\Users\YourUsername\Videos\startup_video.mp4.

    Step 3: Open the Windows Startup Folder

    1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
    2. Type shell:startup and press Enter.
      • This will open the Startup folder, where you can place shortcuts to programs or files you want to run automatically when Windows starts.

    Step 4: Create a VLC Shortcut

    1. Locate your VLC executable file:
      • By default, it is usually located at: C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe.
    2. Right-click the file vlc.exe and select Create Shortcut.
    3. Drag and drop the newly created shortcut into the Startup folder.

    Step 5: Edit the Shortcut Properties

    1. In the Startup folder, right-click the VLC shortcut and select Properties.
    2. In the Shortcut tab, locate the Target field.
    3. Modify the Target field to include the following command:"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --fullscreen --video-on-top --play-and-exit --no-video-title-show "C:\path\to\video.mp4"
      • Replace C:\path\to\video.mp4 with the full path to your video file.
      • The --no-video-title-show parameter removes the title display when the video starts.
    4. Click OK to save the changes.

    Step 6: Test the Shortcut

    1. Double-click the VLC shortcut in the Startup folder to test it.
      • VLC should start, play the specified video in fullscreen mode, stay on top of other windows, and exit when the video finishes.

    Step 7: Restart Your Computer

    1. Restart your computer to confirm that VLC starts automatically and plays the video when you log in.

    Notes

    • Ensure the video file path is correct; otherwise, VLC might not open.
    • If you want to prevent VLC from playing again after the initial video, make sure the playlist settings in VLC are configured not to loop or remember the last playlist.
    • You can add additional VLC commands as needed. For more options, check VLC’s official documentation.

    By following these steps, VLC Media Player will automatically start, play your video in fullscreen, and close itself when done, every time you log in to Windows.

    Bonus Animation

    This is another animation with the text LOADING and LEGION at the beginning you can download it here.

    For more animations check the Startup Animation category.

  • New Startup Animation Inspired by a Console Startup Screen

    Looking to give your Legion Go a unique, console-like vibe? I’ve just finished designing a custom startup animation inspired by the iconic startup sequence of a popular console, and I’m excited to share it with you! 🎮

    This animation adds a touch of nostalgia and polish to your device. It plays during startup and transitions seamlessly into Playnite (or any launcher you prefer), creating a smooth and immersive experience every time you power up your Legion Go.

    Installation Instructions

    You can read the post Tutorial: How to Add a Custom Startup Animation to Your Legion Go or Windows 11 gaming device.

    There is another post with VLC Tutorial: How to Add a custom Startup video to your Legion Go or Windows 11 gaming device using VLC Media Player.

    Why You’ll Love It

    This animation isn’t just eye candy—it’s a way to make your Legion Go feel more personal and fun to use. Whether you’re a fan of retro gaming or sleek modern designs, this theme bridges the gap between functionality and style.

    Get the Animation

    You can download the video from Google Drive.

    Coming Soon

    I’m planning to create more animations inspired by other consoles and gaming themes. If you have ideas or specific consoles you’d love to see as a startup animation, let me know in the comments below!

  • Tutorial: How to Add a Custom Startup Animation to Your Legion Go or Windows 11 gaming device

    Introduction

    In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to play a video after login in to your Legion Go. Whether you’re customizing the experience or making your Legion Go truly yours, this guide walks you through the process step by step.

    You will be making something like this

    Works with any Windows 11 device

    New Animation! 🚀

    I’ve created a console-inspired startup animation for the Legion Go!

    Check it out here.

    Prerequisites

    Before starting, ensure you have the following:

    1. Your custom video file (in MP4), the zip file with the custom app has an animation without my username hahaha, hope you love it.
    2. The custom app.

    Step 1: Download the custom app

    1. Download the app from Google Drive.
    2. Extract all the files from the ZIP and place them in a dedicated folder (e.g., C:\CustomStartup).
    3. Launch the app by double clicking the StartupLegionGo.exe
    4. If you don’t have the 6.0 .NET Runtime it will ask you to download it from Microsoft, click Ok, it would open a Microsoft website in your default web browser and open the installer that automatically will start downloading, after the installation is completed, try opening again StartupLegionGo.exe
    5. If you have the 6.0 .NET Runtime it will open a window and start playing the video.

    My app is designed to check if Windows has a logged in user, if it has, it will play the video file, because it might be times that the app would be executed while you have the Log In Screen.

    Step 2: Execute the Custom app at start up

    1. Go to your dedicated folder where you placed the custom app (e.g., C:\CustomStartup).
    2. Right click StartupLegionGo.exe
    3. Click Show More Options
    4. Click Create Shortcut
    5. Copy the new created shortcut (it is the file that has a small blue arrow in the lower left corner pointing to the top right corner).
    6. With the full screen keyboard or a physical keyboard, press ⊞ Win (Windows key) + R
    7. In the Run window, type shell:startup
    8. It will open a folder, paste the shortcut in that folder.

    Step 3: Set Playnite to start with windows

    I’m using Playnite as my launcher, but also worked like a charm with Steam Big Picture, in theory it would work with any launcher as long as you set it to launch when you start your computer.

    1. Download and Install Playnite as normal.
    2. Once you have installed Playnite, launch it and click in the controller icon in the top left corner.
    3. Click in Settings
    4. In the General view, make sure you have checked ✅Launch in Fullscreen Mode and ✅Launch Playnite when you start your computer.
    5. Click Save

    If you want to use the same theme in Playnite as I did, you have to go to Addons >> Themes Fullscreen (Browse), search Playnite Deck and install it.

    Custom Animations

    You can use any H.264 MP4 video of any length, you just have to use the same name Legion Go Startup Animation HB rev 0.mp4

    Bonus Animation

    LOADING + LEGION at the beginning

    The app automatically closes itself after playing all the video file.

    Your imagination is the limit, enjoy 🥳🥳🥳

    I will love to see what you create!

    Never Miss a New Animation! 🌟
    I’ll be uploading new animations frequently. Want to be the first to know?

    ➡ Subscribe to this blog to get notified whenever new animations or tutorials are added.

    Have a suggestion or theme in mind? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your ideas!