Summary
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Xbox Mode is now available on all Windows 11 PCs/devices, providing a more vivid and console-like gaming UI.
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Xbox Mode brings together Game Pass and third-party stores (Steam, EA, Ubisoft) with controller-friendly navigation.
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Still a bit problematic with modest performance gains; promising if Microsoft continues to refine the experience.
Microsoft has rolled out its gaming-focused Xbox Mode to all Windows 11 PCs and devices, including laptops, tablets, handhelds and more. The console-style overlay aims to simplify gaming on Windows 11 with a sleek, Xbox-inspired UI that’s snappier and more intuitive.
After launching on the ROG Xbox Ally X earlier this year, Xbox Mode has been available to Windows Insider users for several months. In addition to offering a simple user interface, Xbox Mode also aims to free up system resources, allowing games to run smoothly (although testing proves that the performance improvement is not that substantial).
Microsoft says that with Xbox Mode, users can browse and launch games using a controller-optimized interface, easily switch from Xbox Mode to the standard Windows 11 desktop, and access an aggregated library that includes Xbox Game Pass titles and games installed from other storefronts, like Steam, the EA app, Ubisoft Connect, and more.
“Since introducing Xbox Mode, formerly known as the ‘full screen experience,’ to Windows handhelds, we have listened carefully to player feedback and continued to evolve the experience across devices. These learnings have directly shaped Xbox Mode on Windows 11 PCs,” Microsoft wrote in a recent blog post.
To download Xbox Mode, open the Settings application on your Windows 11 PC. Then select Windows Update > Get the latest updates as they become available. Although the update is available now, it may take a few days to arrive on your PC, depending on our region.
If Microsoft can make Xbox Mode smoother, this could be the real deal
Anything that simplifies PC gaming is a step in the right direction
As someone new to PC gaming and often just wanting to jump straight into a game, Xbox Mode definitely appeals to me. That said, there is still a bit of a glitch on the ROG Xbox Ally X and is prone to strange navigation issues and occasional crashes. Hopefully now that Xbox Mode is more widely available, Microsoft continues to tweak the launcher.
It’s widely believed that Microsoft’s next-gen console will essentially be a Windows 11 PC powered by Xbox Mode, merging Xbox and Windows PC gaming under one unified platform. Alongside the Xbox Mode rollout, Microsoft also dropped improvements for the Xbox Ally X, including a preview of its Auto SR upscaling technology. On the Xbox Series X/S side, Microsoft also released a new dashboard update that allows users to disable Quick Resume in specific titles, as well as the ability to add custom colors to the operating system.