Solved: Windows 11 laptop loading the mobile version of some websites

In case you have a Windows 11 laptop and some websites (like espn.com) are loading the mobile version instead of the desktop version, this is a quick fix to disable Windows 11 presenting itself as a tablet or mobile device.

The vast majority of sites load correctly on my laptop, but some, like espn.com, load the mobile version and it was driving me nuts. My laptop isn't a convertible and the keyboard isn't detachable, so tablet mode isn't even available.

For espn.com, the top nav bar was blank, and the menu button wouldn't work unless I zoomed in past 110% or so. And every search I did was the usual "clear your browser cache, reboot your machine, try a different browser, try incognito mode, change the zoom, are you in tablet mode," etc.

Finally I saw a post on Microsoft Learn and the support person who figured it out had noticed in the code that the device was being recognized as a tablet. A simple registry change to disable "ConvertibleSlateMode" instantly fixed the issue for me.

Just a warning though:

• As always, be careful when making registry edits. You can always take a backup first.
• Don't do this if you actually want your Windows 11 device to sometimes be recognized as a tablet and for the mobile versions of sites to load.

The fix:

• Open the regisry editor and go to:
• \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl
• In the "ConvertibleSlateMode" section, change the value of "ConvertibleSlateMode" to 1

Here's the link to the original post I saw where the support specialist correctly identified the issue.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2300013/espn-display-issues-on-surface-pro-10-for-business

I realize that fix is 2 years old, but it took me so long to find it. The registry change effect is instantaneous and does not require a reboot, so you can revert it quickly if needed.