The Xbox Ally range is getting some big enhancements today.

Rolling out now, Microsoft is enabling Auto Super Resolution (AutoSR) for the Xbox Ally X, alongside a variety of big enhancements to the way the Xbox Ally range (and other devices) show up on TVs and external displays.

The Nintendo Switch pioneered the "docked handheld" experience, but Microsoft's own PC gaming handheld efforts on Windows 11 massively lag behind. Today's range of updates is designed to begin plugging away at that gap in a big way.

Here's everything that's new.

The big enhancements hitting your Xbox Ally

Here's everything coming to your Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X in the near term. Most of these enhancements will also be rolling out more broadly to any Windows 11 device, making the concept of a "console PC" based on Windows 11 for TVs a more realistic proposition than ever.

• Finally, docking your Xbox Ally automatically configures your external display. The Xbox Game Bar now also has a display widget options menu.
  Out of the box, the Xbox Ally has the very irritating Windows external display configuration flow. It previously asked for a mouse to navigate and configure effectively, but Microsoft has now moved many of the display options into the Xbox Game Bar. Furthermore, when detecting an external display, the Xbox Ally will automatically target that display and disable its internal display.
  
  Additionally, the Xbox Game Bar will support changing resolution, refresh rate, and other display features, eliminating the need to grab a mouse or navigate tiny Windows desktop settings screens.
• Automatic "Game Mode" enhancements on compatible TVs, Super Wideband Stereo Voice.
  If you have a modern TV from the likes of Samsung, you might have noticed the display automatically switching to a low-latency gaming mode when your Xbox turns on. Now, the Xbox Ally will benefit from this as well. However, Microsoft says the automated mode is limited to ASUS docking products (for now), with a broader rollout planned later. So, for now, you may still have to manually switch your display to gaming mode when docking the Xbox Ally. Microsoft has also added support for super wideband stereo voice for headsets that support Bluetooth LE audio, which should improve the voice chat experience without degrading overall sound quality.
• Improved controller pairing when docked, in addition to joystick cursor mode.
  Another irritating part of the Xbox Ally docking flow pertained to gamepads and inputs. Previously, you'd have to manually switch between inputs using the Game Bar, if indeed your Xbox Ally would detect an external controller at all. Microsoft now says these features have been improved and should provide a far more seamless Nintendo Switch-like experience when docked with an external controller.
  
  On top, there's now the option of navigating Windows settings menus without a mouse. You can now switch your joystick to a mouse cursor, enabling you to tweak more esoteric Windows features from the comfort of your sofa. Microsoft has also improved vibration and haptics on PC as well, bringing them more in line with modern Xbox console games.
• You can now add apps and games to the library from outside of the Xbox PC app by hitting the + button.
  This is already live for testers, but now rolling out more broadly. You can click on the "+" symbol in your library section to add games and apps that aren't available natively through the Xbox PC app. This makes it easier to add things like Netflix, Spotify, and other tools you might want to use from your sofa.

• Perhaps the big one: AutoSR (Preview) is now available on the Xbox Ally X.
  Promised since launch, Auto Super Resolution (AutoSR) is now available in testing on the Xbox Ally X. Microsoft shared the above video to demonstrate how it can enhance games, although there are some pretty big restrictions, sadly.
  
  Only when docked to an external TV or display, AutoSR uses the NPU on the Xbox Ally X to upscale game visuals to "1440p-like" fidelity while natively running at a lower resolution. In the above example, we can see the Xbox Ally X getting anywhere up to a 10 FPS boost when using AutoSR without sacrificing quality.
  
  Microsoft sources tell me that the firm is exploring how and when to implement AutoSR on the Xbox Ally X when it's in portable mode. My guess is that it requires a decent chunk of electricity to run through the NPU, and thus prefers to be docked to a compatible 65w+ charger.

The Xbox Ally docked experience is already SO MUCH better

Just dabbling with the Xbox Ally's new docked features already reveals a huge leap in usability. When I initially did our reviews last year, docking the Xbox Ally would require messing with the Windows 11 display settings, which aren't even navigable without a mouse. Now, you can do everything from the Xbox Game Bar. My Razer Wolverine V3 Pro controller connected up immediately without issue or complaint, and switching between the Xbox Ally display and the TV display was simple and very fast.

My dock didn't detect my TV's auto game mode features, but that is coming later via updates, according to Microsoft. As of writing, it doesn't seem like AutoSR (Preview) supports all games, but it might be rolling out on a per-game basis. I'll try to figure out which supports it, but at the very least, it seems Forza Horizon 5 does for now.

RELATED: Best docks for the Xbox Ally / X

The reason the Xbox Ally update experience is so compelling is because it informs us what the Xbox Helix "PC-Console" hybrid might look like. Microsoft's next first-party Xbox is going to be a Windows 11 full PC-style device, albeit with compatibility for existing Xbox console games on top of the full-scale openness of a regular Windows PC. For Xbox gamers who prefer a simple "console-style" experience, Microsoft still has its work cut out towards making Windows 11 feel that way. But we're definitely heading in the right direction. The Xbox Ally is now closer in polish to the Nintendo Switch than ever, while simultaneously being orders of magnitude more powerful and open.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Xbox seems to be on a roll lately when it comes to implementing long-requested features, whether you are on console or using a gaming handheld.

Now, it is adding a Gamepad Cursor toggle to Xbox Game Bar, letting you control your handheld with a joystick. This is something that has always felt a bit finicky in my experience.

The update is only for Insiders now, meaning it's in preview, but let’s go over the details, how to enable it, and more.

What the Gamepad Cursor actually does and how to enable it

In a new update, Xbox is giving users the option to toggle a feature that turns the left joystick into a mouse cursor. The right thumbstick works as a scroll wheel, while the A button lets you click, making navigation feel more intuitive.

If you are like me and use an ASUS-branded device like the Xbox Ally or ROG Ally, you will already have Armory Crate, which includes a desktop mode that works in a similar way, but the controls feel very different.

As mentioned by ROGAllyLife, who also covered this story, Armoury Crate’s desktop mode can be awkward to use, especially when you are in Xbox Mode, (formerly known as Xbox Fullscreen Experience).

To use the latest update, you will need to be enrolled in the Xbox Insider Program, which can be found under Xbox Game Bar settings and then under More Settings at the bottom. Once you are set up, follow these steps:

• Open the Xbox Game Bar
• Go to Settings
• Scroll down to Gamepad Cursor
• Toggle Gamepad Cursor on or off

It is good to see Xbox continue working on these improvements. That said, I still selfishly want a full overhaul of the Xbox app to make it feel more like a console, at least when using Xbox Mode.

For now, I tend to use third-party alternatives like Winhanced. It has its own issues, but it does offer a more console-like experience, and the team over there is working on it and has their own Discord and often listen to community feedback, implementing what they can based on that feedback.

With all that said, let me know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

The Xbox Ally X still has a long way to go, at least based on my experience with the device (see our full review of the Xbox Ally X for another take).

That said, Xbox is clearly trying to smooth out the experience, and its latest update tackles a few long-standing issues with some much-needed quality-of-life changes. With that said, let’s take a quick look at what’s being added.

Here’s what the Xbox app update actually changes

Users who update the Xbox app for Windows can expect a handful of genuinely useful features.

First, users can now customize where notifications appear, giving more control over how alerts show up on screen. These settings can be found within the Xbox Game Bar.

Next, users can directly adjust graphics settings without leaving their game, which is a much-needed quality-of-life improvement.

The new Display Widget, available through the Xbox Game Bar overlay, allows users to change display resolution, switch projection modes, and access Auto Super Resolution, which is set to release in April 2026.

That is all for now. With Auto Super Resolution right around the corner, I would expect more updates to arrive soon, and if you want early access to these features, Xbox now advertises sign-ups through a “What’s New” panel within the Xbox Game bar.

Having heard about these updates thanks to RogAllyLife, who also covered it, I decided to boot up my Xbox Ally X and install them myself to grab some photos for this article, but when I went to the Microsoft Store, I was hit with a “Something went wrong” error while trying to update my apps, and was also reminded that everything from Notepad to Windows Media Player needed updating, leaving me sat here for half an hour waiting while everything installs, unable to actually access the latest updates.

Regardless of my never-ending list of complaints for the device, I do actually enjoy using it daily, but over to you, have you found these updates useful? Let me know in the comments, and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

The PC handheld gaming category won't stop evolving, with different companies taking different approaches to their devices. Lenovo Legion Go handhelds are some of the most popular around, and a new software update aims to make them even better.

Lenovo has updated its Legion Space launcher on various Legion Go handhelds to optimize them for the Xbox Full Screen Experience that debuted with the Xbox Ally. If you're looking out for that update, it's version 1.3.4.9.

With this release, your Legion Go handheld should more closely match the Xbox Ally gaming experience when you're using the Xbox FSE, including better performance, more intuitive controls, and access to quick settings straight from the Xbox Game Bar.

Update! On Legion Go 2 from r/LegionGo

The news broke at Reddit.com, with users talking about the various changes included in the Legion Space update. To save you some time, though, here's what you should know:

• There's a new quick setting inside Legion Space and the Legion Space widget to toggle the Xbox Full Screen Experience.
• There's a new Legion Space widget in the Xbox Game Bar with quick settings for performance modes, RGB lighting modes, vibration intensity, and more.
• A short press of the Legion R button will still open the Legion Space widget by default, but a long press will now open the Windows Task View (just like Win + Tab does).
• When the Xbox Full Screen Experience is enabled, your Legion Go will now update its Registry key to "handheld" to correctly allocate resources.
• The new Legion Space update is now rolling out in waves to the original Lenovo Legion Go, Lenovo Legion Go S, and Lenovo Legion Go 2.

It's worth mentioning that this doesn't strictly add the Xbox Full Screen Experience to your Lenovo Legion Go handheld, as it's simply an update for the Legion Space software. You'll still need to enable the Xbox FSE from within Windows Settings, which started rolling out to all gaming handhelds last month.

If you're wondering why you should care at all, then I'll give you the quick rundown. The Xbox Full Screen Experience basically tries to make Windows 11 more intuitive and performant on compact handheld devices by replacing the standard Windows desktop with a full-screen Xbox App, optimizing the interface for controller input, disabling unnecessary background resources, and bringing together all your games in one place.

The idea is to make PC gaming handhelds more console-like, similar to the Steam Deck and SteamOS, and is especially great if you're already invested in the Xbox ecosystem and want to quickly and easily play all your Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming titles. It's still early days for the Xbox FSE, but we also know Microsoft has some big plans for the experience in 2026.

How do you feel about the Xbox Full Screen Experience right now, and do you think Xbox and its partners are doing enough with it? Let us know in the comments below!

Love it or hate it, Microsoft's Copilot companion is at the core of its new AI-focused strategies right now, and that's even trickling into the Xbox side of the business with the new "Gaming Copilot," which has been in testing with Xbox Insiders for a few months now.

Starting today, the rapidly improving Xbox Gaming Copilot is officially beginning its general rollout to gamers across Windows PCs and mobile devices — granted, with a "Beta" tag still attached to it (and not in mainland China). The former will be through the Xbox Game Bar, while the latter will be through the Android and iOS Xbox mobile app in October.

Equipped with a hands-off voice mode and the tools to offer tips, tricks, and recommendations based off what you're playing, your achievements, and your play history, the Gaming Copilot could become a useful part of the Xbox ecosystem. Console players will have to wait longer, though, as Microsoft is continuing to optimize the companion for gaming handhelds and consoles for a release down the line.

What can Xbox Gaming Copilot actually do?

If you're familiar at all with Microsoft Copilot, built on OpenAI's ChatGPT and heavily pushed on every Windows 11 PC nowadays, then you've got the gist of this gaming-specific version.

Gaming Copilot is tapped into your Xbox account, so it can see your play history, your achievements, and more. It can also see what you're doing in real-time, and all this information allows it to answer gaming-related questions.

You can ask Xbox's Gaming Copilot for a walkthrough on getting through a difficult level, hints on how to solve puzzles or beat bosses, recommendations based on your most-played games or favorite genres, information on how to earn specific achievements, advise for which game you should play or achievement you should earn next, and more.

We've all reached for our phone to hurriedly search for answers to our gaming-related questions, and half of Gaming Copilot is simply making that easier and more accessible. The other half is using our history as gamers to make recommendations and suggestions more relevant to us.

Is it actually useful to have around? That largely depends on the end user experience, but Xbox has already improved Gaming Copilot over the last few months of testing with deeper understanding of what's happening on screen, a more intuitive voice mode, and better in-game coaching, and it'll certainly continue to improve while it has that "Beta" tag attached.

At least one improvement we know is coming at some point is even wider access on more devices.

When will Gaming Copilot come to Xbox consoles?

Right now, Gaming Copilot (Beta) is rolling out to Xbox users 18 and older in every region Copilot is supported (apart from mainland China), beginning with the Xbox Game Bar app on PC, then with the Android and iOS mobile apps in October.

So, you may be wondering... Where are the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S? Apparently, Xbox is working on "optimizing" Gaming Copilot for gaming handhelds (like the upcoming Xbox Ally) and consoles, with a release planned for the near future.

Gaming handhelds are basically Windows PCs, so Gaming Copilot will be available for them starting today, too, but Microsoft may be planning handheld-specific UI and performance improvements. Those improvements will be crucial for Xbox consoles, which are almost entirely controller-based and have very limited system resources to spare for any feature that isn't gaming.

I'm also curious if Xbox intends for Gaming Copilot to eventually come to Xbox Cloud Gaming in some form, but there's no word on that right now.

I was tempted to dismiss Gaming Copilot out of hand, as I haven't found much use for the regular Copilot or other AI companions in my day-to-day life, but I do often grab my phone to make quick searches while gaming. If Gaming Copilot is easy to access, easy to use, quick to return results, and accurate enough to be trusted, I can see myself relying on it. I also wouldn't mind some help picking which of the hundreds of video games on my backlog I should play next.

No matter how I personally feel, though, Microsoft is all-in on artificial intelligence, and I'm not surprised to see Copilot make the leap to the Xbox side of things.

One of the games canceled following the most recent round of Microsoft layoffs was Perfect Dark, a quasi-reboot of Rare's first-person shooter franchise that was being co-developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics.

According to a report from Jason Schreier via Bloomberg on Tuesday, Perfect Dark was almost revived after being canceled, with Xbox and Crystal Dynamics owner Embracer Group reaching out to see if other publishers were interested in buying and finishing the game.

The report claims that a deal was nearly struck with Take-Two Interactive, but this deal eventually collapsed when all the parties involved were unable to figure out the exact long-term ownership of Perfect Dark.

As a result, Crystal Dynamics had its second round of layoffs this year.

Perfect Dark is a huge missed opportunity

The Initiative's reboot of Perfect Dark was first announced back in 2020 with a CGI teaser trailer. From there, concrete information was sparse for years, though reports indicated that the game's development was in trouble, with numerous staff leaving The Initiative over time.

In 2024, things seemed to finally be rounding a corner, with a gameplay trailer for Perfect Dark shown during the Xbox Games Showcase.

The footage showed agent Joanna Dark in pursuit of a target across a high-tech, futuristic version of Cairo, with stealth-oriented weapons and spy-style melee takedowns, while the level design and use of the environment seemed reminiscent of immersive sims.

No release date or window was announced, but there was a clear, consistent vision for a game that had me quite interested.

All of that was cut short in July, when we learned that (among many other game cancellations and teams being cut) The Initiative was being closed and work on Perfect Dark would cease.

What could have been

I'm admittedly curious about what the details would've been for this agreement, and I can't be too surprised that it didn't work out, even if it would've been fantastic for more people to not lose their jobs and have the chance to keep working on this game.

It's worth noting that Microsoft has allowed certain studios to spin out in the past, with Toys for Bob leaving Activision and almost immediately entering a publishing agreement for a new game with Xbox Game Studios.

Meanwhile, after initially being closed, Tango Gameworks was then revived and sold to Krafton alongside the Hi-Fi Rush IP. As a result, this team does live on, and is currently working on an unannounced action game that is likely Hi-Fi Rush 2.

Of course, the timing of this situation is also not lost on me, with Take-Two Interactive recently holding layoffs at BioShock developer Cloud Chamber, with more than 80 staff from the team being cut.

Former Blizzard Entertainment head of Diablo, Rod Fergusson, is now overseeing the studio as work continues on the next BioShock game. The game has also reportedly been delayed from its prior internal release window of late 2026 or early 2027. Still, it remains in development.

Take-Two Interactive also continues to allow Ken Levine and Ghost Story Games to work on Judas, a game that the company previously stated would be out before March 2025. There is no release date as yet, though a recent update did dive into more of the game systems and share new key art.

At the end of it all, I'll just echo my prior thoughts that this entire situation is disheartening to watch. Perfect Dark was my most-anticipated game from Xbox, now it's gone.

RIP (again), Perfect Dark.

Hey gang. Some of you may know I recently had some surgery, which has confined me to a bed for a couple of weeks (with intermittent attempts to write at the PC).

As such, I've been spending a disproportionate amount of time on my Lenovo Legion Go gaming handheld, giving me the option to play in a more comfortable position.

It's more comfortable physically, maybe, but the usability issues for Windows 11 on PC gaming handhelds are well-documented. More than half of the Windows interface doesn't work seamlessly with a controller, forcing manufacturers like Lenovo to incorporate awkward trackpads into their devices.

UI scaling in Windows 11 is a big issue on smaller screens, too, given that most PC and console games are designed for larger screens and TVs.

Despite the flaws, there are hundreds of games that work perfectly well on these types of devices once you get over the Windows 11 hurdles. And this past week, I was happy to discover just how far the Xbox Game Bar has come to improve the experience as well.

It's fortuitous, given that Xbox and ASUS are partnering up for a PC gaming device codenamed Kennan, whose announcement is almost certainly imminent.

Polished, useful, and infinitely extendable

Typically, you can load the Xbox Game Bar by hitting Windows Key + G or by pressing the Xbox button on a connected controller.

The abundance of overlays and launchers on Windows can be annoying, with NVIDIA, Discord, Steam, Razer, and various others trying to inject into your gaming experience, but I find the Xbox Game Bar provides the most useful information, functionality, and polish as we head further into Microsoft's PC strategy.

I use the Game Bar primarily for capturing clips and screenshots and the like, but it's also useful for controlling audio levels, adjusting Spotify, and now, quickly looking up a website without alt-tabbing.

Perhaps the thing I was taken aback by the most when I dived back in was how polished it has become. Although I wish it had an automatic widget arranger or snap-to-grid functionality, the speed and feel of the experience have improved leaps and bounds since its early days.

Previously, the Game Bar had an annoying overspill design where the bar across the top wouldn't extend if you put too many widgets in it, forcing you to search and find buttons you wanted. Now, Microsoft has shrunk the buttons down to fit more functionality straight into the main bar.

It's also just generally a lot faster and a lot smoother. Polished animations make it feel more integrated with Windows than it did previously, while maintaining the Xbox design language on top.

I wouldn't say no to some Fluent transparency effects or something like that, like we see on the Windows 11 notification area or Start Menu, but I suspect Microsoft is trying to keep the Game Bar as performant as possible. While in use, the Xbox Game Bar only taps about 100 MB of RAM and 0.1% of my CPU run time, having no material impact on how well games run.

I've turned off Razer Cortex, the NVIDIA overlay, and the rest, simply because Xbox Game Bar does everything I need in a more performant, more polished package — but that's on a desktop PC.

Getting ready for "Xbox PC" hardware

As noted, Xbox has a new initiative, which it seems to be referring to as "Xbox PC," which debuted in a blog post recently. It's how Microsoft refers to devices like Project Kennan and associated apps and services internally.

The idea is to make Windows 11 more user-friendly with controllers, specifically for devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, but also to compete with Steam OS.

SteamOS and Proton are something of an existential threat to Microsoft and Windows gaming, particularly in gaming handhelds. The footprint might be small today compared to Windows, but it's only really compatibility keeping people tied to Windows, rather than sentiment.

The latest version of the Xbox Game Bar has a new "Compact Mode," pictured above, designed to give PC gaming handhelds something close to an Xbox Guide menu-style interface. The first version was a bit rough, but as of May 2025, it's getting closer to being ready for prime time.

The most recent update revamped the settings menu, which was previously quite hard to navigate with a joystick. There are other parts of the interface here that could probably be scaled better.

The social menu is too small for PC gaming handhelds, for example. The Xbox Game Bar in compact mode could simply be smarter about how it scales on PC gaming handheld devices.

One thing that I hope to see in Compact Mode, in future versions, is some kind of API for manufacturers to extend FPS limiters and TDP controls to the Xbox Game Bar.

The Lenovo Legion Go interface and ASUS Armory Crate for controlling that stuff are "okay," but it feels like it should be handled by Windows itself, rather than via a hacky-feeling system.

Furthermore, even though Microsoft has added the ability to call and navigate the keyboard via a controller, the implementation so far has been clunky. It doesn't seem to work properly in a lot of games.

This isn't necessarily an issue for the Xbox Game Bar to solve, but it goes to show how much more work needs to be done to get Windows 11 truly feeling like a "console" or Steam Deck experience.

The good news is that things are improving rapidly, and devices like Kennan and the future rumored Xbox handheld make the work more imperative than ever.

The Game Assist feature for Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11 (also known as Microsoft Edge Game Assist) has got itself some nice updates for the month of March.

The handy bitesize browser which runs through Game Bar is a perfect tool to access guide content without navigating away from your games.

One of its primary features is having awareness of the game you're playing and serving up a smattering of potentially helpful content without the need to search. For March, that list of games is getting longer. Adding to the list of supported titles are:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 
• Avowed 
• Civilization VII 
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Rocket League

These join some of the previously supported titles which include Baldurs Gate 3, Diablo 4, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Microsoft has a full list of titles if you're interested to know if your favorite is supported.

I should point out though, at least in my experience, neither Black Ops 6 nor Avowed seem to trigger game aware suggestions on the new tab page right now. This could be a location thing, it could be a staggered rollout, but it's worth highlighting. I've checked it with Minecraft and all is well, so maybe it just needs some time.

One of the other features of note is support for ad blockers. What you really don't want to see in the middle of your game is a big, nasty looking ad covering the content you're trying to read. Game Assist will now respect your ad blocker, assuming you have one installed in Microsoft Edge.

This does extend further to other extensions, too:

"We heard your feedback that ad blockers are crucial, so we’re thrilled to bring initial support for extensions to Game Assist! Game Assist currently supports many extensions that automatically run on the webpage, like ad blockers. Extensions can be installed and managed using the desktop version of Microsoft Edge."

Extension support will be extended soon to sidebar apps, too, and not just browser tabs. This is currently in testing in the Canary and Dev channels, so it'll roll down to Stable when it's fully baked.

Some other interesting features in the latest update on the Stable channel include:

• Reduced the minimum height and width of the Game Assist widget.
• Improved picture-in-picture mode when watching a video in full screen.
• Added support for keyboard shortcuts, including new tab (Ctrl+T), close current tab (Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4), duplicate current tab (Ctrl+Shift+K), reopen last closed tab (Ctrl+Shift+T), reload current page (Ctrl+R or F5), and reload current page and ignore cached content (Ctrl+Shift+R or Shift+F5).

There's more than just this, too, and a whole changelog for the Canary/Dev channel update. One notable other new feature being tested there is that the default page rendering has been switched from mobile to desktop, to ensure better compatibility.

If you want to try all this out for yourself, all you have to do is ensure you've installed the Game Assist widget from the Microsoft Edge Settings, then you're good to go.

Given that Windows 11-based handhelds like the ROG Ally use Xbox controller features, it seems baffling that out of the box you can't hit a button and bring up the Xbox Game Bar.

It's even more bizarre that on this handheld PC targeting almost entirely at gaming that instead of a default shortcut to Game Bar, you have a shortcut to launch Copilot. We get it, Microsoft, you're determined to get as many people as possible using it, but it's not what we want here.

Fortunately you can at least set up your ROG Ally to have this functionality. Here's what you need to do.

How to set a shortcut to launch Xbox Game Bar on the ROG Ally

What you have to do in order to access Game Bar on your ROG Ally is manually set a shortcut for it. In Armoury Crate you can set secondary functions for each of the buttons that, when pressed in conjunction with a rear paddle, will activate.

Open Armoury Crate and select the settings cog. Next, hit configure and you'll be presented with options for both desktop and handheld mode. For best effect, I recommend doing this on each of them, especially if you rely on the auto preset a lot to switch between the two.

You can choose the buttons you want, but here's what I did, and I'll explain why.

• Mapped view button secondary function to keyboard shortcut for Win+G.
• Mapped start button secondary function to Xbox button.

Why both? Well, if you use Steam big picture mode, the Xbox button is also used to open the menu. So you'll be opening both the menu and Game Bar at the same time. But this is another reason to get a shortcut mapped, because without it, you'll have to rely on touch to open the menu.

By mapping the keyboard shortcut for Game Bar, you have one button that is solely for this, and one button that is your Xbox button. Then, go into Game Bar settings and turn off the shortcut to activate it with the Xbox button.

This means that while you're playing games in the Steam Deck-alike UI, you won't keep opening the menu when you want Game Bar, or Game Bar when you want the menu. Each will have its own individual shortcut.

It is a little cumbersome, and it's also not (in my experience, at least) 100% reliable. But it's the best solution we have right now until one of these companies just flat out ships an Xbox button on one of these handhelds.

The other thing you'll want to enable in Game Bar settings is compact mode. This has been designed for handhelds, and shrinks the UI to something far easier to parse and interact with on the smaller display.

On Windows 11, Microsoft Edge Game Assist is an in-game browser overlay designed to enhance your gaming experience by integrating a mini version of the Microsoft Edge browser directly into your gameplay through the Game Bar.

This widget detects the game you're playing and suggests relevant tips and guides. Since it uses Microsoft Edge technology, it functions as a regular browser, allowing you to access guides and videos about your current game without leaving the gameplay.

Although this feature is now available in the stable version of the browser, it's still under development, and it requires Microsoft Edge version 132, and you have to make the browser the default on your computer.

In this how-to guide, I will explain the steps to set up and get started with the Game Assist feature from Microsoft Edge on Windows 11.

How to configure Game Assist on Windows 11

To access the Edge Game Assist feature on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the "Settings and more" button from the top right.
3. Choose the Settings option.
4. Click on About Microsoft Edge.

• Quick note: The browser will automatically check for updates and install any new available version. You'll have to click the "Restart" button and then re-open the browser settings.

5. Click on Appearance.
6. Click the Install widget button for the Game Assist setting.

• Quick note: You can click the "Open" button or continue with the steps below.

Once you complete the steps, you can proceed to access the experience during gameplay.

Other configurations

The company also says that the preview of this feature requires Microsoft Edge as the default browser, but while configuring this feature, it wasn't necessary. However, you can always change your current default browser settings from Settings > Apps > Default apps, choose Microsoft Edge, and click the "Set default" button.

How to use Game Assist on Windows 11

To get started with Game Assist on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Launch your PC game.
2. Open the Game Bar with the "Windows key + G" keyboard shortcut.

• Quick tip: You can also find the Game Bar in the Start menu.

3. Click the Game Assist button from the toolbar.

• Quick note: The Game Assist feature should appear automatically. However, if this is not the case, you'll need to use the button in the toolbar.

The experience is a complete mini version of Microsoft Edge that stays on top of the game. The company has designed Game Assist to detect the game you're playing and offers contextual assistance, such as tips and walkthroughs, tailored to your in-game situation. (This feature is only available for supported games.)

However, you can consult guides, watch videos, or interact with web content relevant to your current game, all while keeping your gameplay uninterrupted.

In the overlay widget, you can create new tabs, access the different available extensions (such as Spotify, Twitch, Discord, etc.), and you can also pin the browser with the button in the top-right to have access to it even when Game Bar is closed.

Furthermore, you can also resize the widget using the mouse, and when clicking the full-screen option on a video player the Game Assist widget will resize automatically.

Initial supported games

Initially, Game Assist offers support for a selection of games, including:

• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Marvel Rivals
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. II: Heart of Chornobyl
• Baldur's Gate 3
• Diablo IV
• Fortnite
• Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga
• League of Legends
• Minecraft
• Overwatch 2
• Roblox
• Valorant

Microsoft plans to expand this list over time. Also, upcoming updates from the company promise support for keyboard shortcuts, right-click context menu, change for the picture-in-picture mode, and a lot more.

More resources

Find in-depth guides, troubleshooting tips, and the latest updates on Windows 11 and 10 here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

The Game Bar on Windows 11 was already a handy feature for PC gaming, but the tool just became even more useful. Microsoft just shipped its Edge Game Assist feature to everyone. Though the feature is still in preview, anyone can enable it to use a browser at the push of a button without having to exit a game.

Game Assist uses a special version of Microsoft Edge that can appear on top of games you play on your PC. Well, technically the browser can appear over anything on your PC since Game Bar can sit on top of the desktop or any program, but I'll focus on gaming here. Game Assist allows you to look through guides and other content on the web that can enhance your gameplay.

The version of Edge within Game Bar is game aware, so it can suggest tips and guides for the specific title you're playing. The list of supported titles for this feature is small, though it has grown since launch. Below are all the titles currently supported:

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Diablo IV
• Fortnite
• Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga
• League of Legends
• Minecraft
• Overwatch 2
• Roblox
• Valorant
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Marvel Rivals
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. II: Heart of Chornobyl

You can pin Game Assist to make it possible to play your game while also looking at a guide or video. You can also summon Game Assist as part of Game Bar by pressing WIN+G. Browsing sessions persist when you hide the Game Bar, so you don't have to reopen a guide or video each time you'd like to view it.

I find the video feature within Edge Assist particularly useful. Clicking the full screen button on a video resizes the content to create a picture-in-picture mode.

Generally, I try to play games without a guide, but I admit sometimes I just want to get through a puzzle or get to the next chapter in a game's story. One of my favorite games of all time is Tales of Vesperia. It's a lovely game that I jumped back into recently following a Steam sale, but the game has missable content that would require you to play through the entire story again to get certain achievements or unlock certain content. Using a guide is a handy way to avoid that issue.

To use Game Assist, you need to update your Edge browser to Edge version 132 or later. You then need to navigate to Settings and more within Edge, go to Settings, search for Game Assist, then click Install widget. The Game Assist widget will now appear within the Game Bar on Windows 11 and can be customized or pinned like any other Game Bar widget.

Notably, you don't need to switch your default browser to Edge to use Game Assist. When Game Assist was limited to Edge Beta, you had to set that browser as your default browser to use the feature.

Microsoft is also working on additional features for Game Assist, such as keyboard shortcuts and a better picture-in-picture experience, though those improvements will ship in the future.

What you need to know

• Microsoft reports 88% of PC gamers are looking up guides, tracking game progress, listening to music, or chatting with friends via browsers while in game.
• Microsoft has announced it will test a new in-game browser as part of the Xbox Game Bar overlay.
• The In-game browser, called Microsoft Edge Game Assist (Preview), can access a browser while in game on PC and mobile devices without requiring a second screen or minimizing your game.

Microsoft has announced a new, seamless, and fully featured browser experience that can be utilized while in a game without requiring a second screen, minimizing, or alt-tabbing away from your game. The Microsoft Edge Game Assist browser is still in testing but features a fully functional browser as part of the Xbox Game Bar overlay. The browser experience is accessible on PC and mobile devices alike.

Microsoft Edge Game Assist is not just a fully functioning browser, however. It is game-centric, optimized, and designed for PC gaming. The browser appears on top of your game, allowing you to access the web for a myriad of multitasking purposes. As surprising as it may seem, not every gaming setup features multiple displays. With Microsoft's Game Assist browser, the browser can be pinned and is subject to the user's game bar settings for transparency and other behaviors. All while still providing access to useful game-centric information.

Unsure of how to unlock an achievement? You can easily navigate to achievement guides, watch a lore video to catch up on what you're missing in the game, play along with your favorite Twitch streamer, or jump into a Discord chat via browser.

Game Assist is context and game-aware, and designed to take up only as much screen as necessary. It can be easily resized and moved freely around your screen to avoid being obtrusive. This provides a picture-in-picture feature when following video guides, for example.

Microsoft reports that 88% of PC players utilize a browser while gaming and 40% look up tips, guides, and other help while in-game. The new game-aware tab is localized in English and supports a selection of games as part of its preview launch. The supported games list can be expected to grow as Microsoft further optimizes the gameplay experience based on feedback from users.

Current game-aware supported games include:

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Diablo IV
• Fortnite
• Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga
• League of Legends
• Minecraft
• Overwatch 2
• Roblox
• Valorant

Games that are not included in the game-aware supported list can still be played with support for the preview edition of the Game Assist browser, but the game-specific context for guides and achievements will not be highlighted. Instead, the player will have to manually search for that content.

Microsoft Edge Game Assist is available now as an opt-in public preview. To access the Game Assist preview, you will need to be using Windows 11 with Microsoft Edge Beta 132. To opt into the preview, make sure both Windows 11 and Game Bar are up-to-date. Game Assist requires the Beta or Preview channel of Microsoft Edge, so only users who are running Windows Insider builds and have opted into Edge Preview are eligible to test out Game Assist. Microsoft Edge must be set as your default browser. Once all those boxes are checked, visit Settings and more > Settings, search for Game Assist in the search box, and then select Install Widget.

Game Assist works alongside other overlays, and access your Microsoft Edge profile for seamless browsing. If you are using Game Bar in compact mode on a handheld gaming console, Game Assist is not currently compatible, as it is optimized for mouse and keyboard for the time being. Game pad input and support for handhelds and compact mode are planned for future updates.

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What you need to know

• Xbox Game Bar is available on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. 
• Hitting Windows Key + G opens the Xbox Game Bar overlay, which gives you access to helpful PC gaming settings such as screen capture recording, screenshotting, Xbox's social feed, and more. 
• Microsoft has made it a thousand times easier to use on the new wave of PC gaming handhelds, with a new Compact Mode version hitting Xbox Insiders on PC. 
• The new Compact Mode ditches the mouse-oriented widgets for something more gamepad-friendly, with better scaling for 7-inch screens like those typical of the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally range. 

One of Microsoft's most underrated tools is getting a makeover, specifically for those rocking devices like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally. 

The Xbox Game Bar is an oft-overlooked overlay accessible on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. Hitting Windows Key + G brings it up if you have it enabled, giving you quick access to various useful settings while playing games. You can quickly access FPS counters, performance graphs, game screenshotting and video clipping from the Xbox Game Bar, and much more. However, it was very much designed for desktop use. The app is split into several small widget windows that can be repositioned and have text scaling designed for larger screens. As such, it's not particularly useful on smaller screens like those expected in the PC gaming handheld range — which is arguably where the Xbox Game Bar would be most helpful in the first place. 

RELATED: How to enable the Xbox Game Bar

Microsoft has now pushed an update to users on the Xbox Insider Program on PC (available to opt-in via the Microsoft Store), adding a fresh new "Compact Mode" to the tool, as detailed on the Xbox blog earlier today. 

"We are excited to announce that Compact Mode is now available in Game Bar for Xbox Insiders. Compact Mode is a new experience that simplifies Game Bar, making it more intuitive and easier to navigate on small screens, Windows handhelds, and when playing with a controller. To use this feature, open Game Bar, go to the Settings widget under General, and turn on the “Compact Mode” toggle."

The new Xbox Game Bar Compact Mode is easily toggleable via the settings menu. In fact, when you download this update, it will give you a link directly to the setting in the initial dialogue box. 

This new compact mode ditches the mouse-first widget windows of the desktop version and guns for a more familiar Xbox Guide-like interface, which you can navigate easily with any PC-compatible gamepad, such as those from our great best Xbox controllers guide, which you should definitely click on and read (open it in a new tab, RIGHT NOW.) 

From here, you can easily switch between the most popular widgets typical of the full-screen Xbox Game Bar. The main tab showcases games and launchers you might have installed, including Steam and Battle.net. The second tab gives you a look at your Xbox network friends list. There are also tabs for the Xbox Game DVR, which lets you record footage from your games (and any window, which can be helpful for content creators or even show a family member how to fix something). You can also quickly access your PC's performance monitors and an FPS counter. 

The first version of the new Compact Mode is a bit rough around the edges. There are no animations, for example, and some of the slides still seem like they could use improved scaling for smaller displays. But it's a great start and might even offer a glimpse at Xbox's handheld future. 

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Microsoft's gaming handheld future

Microsoft and other companies are exploring all sorts of new ways to acquire new users. As different cohorts of gamers age and their lifestyle habits change, so too must gaming in general if it plans to keep reaching them. Devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally have become increasingly popular in recent months and, at least anecdotally, are especially popular among friends of mine with new families. They can be a great device not only for travel but also to revive "local co-op" scenarios within homes while also freeing up the TV for young ones or spouses who aren't necessarily interested in the latest Diablo 4 season. 

Microsoft's work to improve the Windows experience for the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go is only just beginning, but it's something users of these devices are crying out for. The usability of devices like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch is a big advantage over Windows-based devices, whose interfaces are simply not intuitive nor designed for touch or small screens. The new Compact Mode in the Xbox Game Bar is at least a step in the right direction, and software solutions like ASUS' Armory Crate also help bridge the gap to some degree. But they're all a far cry from an OS designed specifically for gamepad-shaped PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck. A lot more work needs to be done here. Perhaps Microsoft should just... you know, make a portable Xbox OS handheld instead. 

What you need to know

• The Xbox Controller Bar allows Windows 11 users to easily launch games and game launchers from the Xbox Game Bar while a controller is connected.
• A new Windows Insiders update can now add cloud streaming games to launch almost directly from the Controller Bar.
• Other features including Auto HDR and party chat noise suppression are planned for the Xbox Game Bar.

The Windows Insiders Program announced a new feature for the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11 that its members can test out. Now PC players in the program can launch cloud streaming games almost directly from the Xbox Controller Bar, when a controller is connected.

Microsoft showed off the new feature in the tweet below, as part of a larger livestream detailing new and upcoming Xbox Game Bar features. Once the bar is brought up either with Win+G or the Xbox button on the controller, the user selected Golf With Your Friends via cloud gaming and launched the game.

It is not completely seamless though, as selecting the cloud game launched the Xbox app and required the user to select "Play" with the controller to launch it. There is an extra step that keeps it from being direct, but is a welcomed shortcut.

The Xbox Controller Bar was introduced in a preview build earlier this year, and gave PC players easy access to several games and game launchers through the Xbox Game Bar while using a controller. The developers also noted in the livestream that other features would be coming to the Xbox Game Bar such as noise suppression for party chat, auto HDR settings, improved child safety features, and more.

The new feature is part of Microsoft's strategy of easy access to its Xbox Game Pass service games and further development of cloud gaming. The company recently showed off its Xbox cloud gaming TV app that is currently rolling out to select 2022 Samsung smart TVs.

What you need to know

• The Xbox Game Bar is a built-in Windows feature that gives you quick access to a wide variety of widgets and tools while gaming.
• On Thursday, Microsoft announced that testing has begun on a new feature for the Xbox Game Bar, the Controller Bar.
• The Xbox Controller Bar gives you quick access to three recently played games and launchers when you're not playing a game.
• It can be accessed at any point by pressing the "Xbox" button on a compatible controller, and can be tested by Windows Insiders now.

The Xbox Game Bar is a useful feature built into Windows that gives users access to numerous tools and widgets for monitoring game performance, accessing social features, capturing screenshots or game clips, and more. The tool has evolved significantly since its debut, and now it's preparing to gain another new feature for PC gamers: the Xbox Controller Bar.

The Xbox Controller Bar is now available to test for users in both the Windows and Xbox Insider Program, and is very straightforward. Whenever an Xbox controller is connected to your PC and you're not playing a game, you can press the "Xbox" button on your controller to open a simplified menu with quick links to your last three played games and a handful of game launchers.

You'll be able to access this menu from anywhere in Windows, simplifying the process for starting up your favorite game, especially if you prefer to leave the mouse alone and continue using the controller. Whenever you're in a game, the "Xbox" button will bring up the full Xbox Game Bar and all of your widgets, as expected (pressing

Win

+

G

still works, as well).

In order to access the feature ahead of release, you'll need to be a Windows Insider in the latest Dev or Beta Channel update, and you'll need to be enrolled in the "Windows Gaming preview" from within the Xbox Insider Hub. You'll likely have to update the Xbox Game Bar from the Microsoft Store and reboot your PC for the feature to appear. While this is a simple addition to the Xbox Game Bar, it does make it a little easier to access your favorite PC games with a press of a button.

What you need to know

• Some PCs are running into an error when trying to launch Xbox Game Bar.
• Microsoft is looking into the problem.
• You can disable Xbox Game Bar if you'd like.

Microsoft has received reports of PCs running into issues when trying to launch the Xbox Game Bar. The issue seems to prevent the app from launching on PCs. Microsoft is looking into the issue and should share more details about it soon.

Microsoft's Kirpal Kavi shared the news on Twitter. Kavi didn't share many details about the issue, but it shows that Microsoft is aware of it.

At this point, the primary option seems to be to just not use Xbox Game Bar at this time. You can, however, disable the Xbox Game Bar entirely if you'd like. You can also remove the Xbox Game Bar from Windows 10.

When working well, Xbox Game Bar has several features that help gamers on their PCs. It supports widgets, such as the picture-in-picture YouTube widget and it can track which programs are using up your system resources.

Our guide on how to install third-party widgets on the Xbox Game Bar should help you get the best experience through the app. There are widgets and integrations for streaming, tracking progress, and more available for the Xbox Game Bar.

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The Game Bar in Windows 10 is a tool designed to help gamers capture video, broadcast their gameplay online, take screenshots, and quickly access the Xbox app. It's an efficient tool, but not everyone needs to use it nor wants it on their PC. That's especially true if something happens to go wrong with a Windows 10 update, rendering the Game Bar obsolete until an update from Microsoft comes down the pipe. Here are a few ways you can disable or remove the Game Bar and some of the features associated with it that might be affecting your PCs performance.

How to disable Game DVR

Game DVR, part of the Xbox Game Bar, records video in the background while you game so that you can grab a clip of an epic moment that happened out of the blue. This recording also takes up system resources, so if your rig is already chugging along trying to run an intensive game, you can disable Game DVR without fully disabling the Game Bar.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Gaming.

4. Click Captures.
5. Click the switch below Record in the background while I'm playing a game so that it turns Off.

If you'd like to re-enable the Game DVR, simply repeat the steps and toggle the switch to On.

How to disable Xbox Game Bar in Windows 10

If you have a Windows 10 PC and don't plan on doing any sort of gaming at all (or you just don't want to use Game Bar), you can disable the Game Bar completely. This means that nothing will happen when you hit the Windows key + G shortcut on your keyboard or hit the Xbox button on your gamepad.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Gaming.

4. Click Game Bar.
5. Click the switch below Record game clips. Screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar so that it turns Off.

How to remove the Xbox Game Bar from Windows 10

If you'd like to completely remove the Xbox Game Bar, whether to avoid bugs or simply because you'd rather use other overlay systems, it can be done through Windows 10's PowerShell. Here's how it's done, and how you can reverse the operation if you ever change your mind.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Click Windows PowerShell (Admin).
3. Type Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay | Remove-AppxPackage and hit Enter on your keyboard.

PowerShell will do its thing, and the next time you try to open the Xbox Game Bar you should be prompted to look for an app.

Want to get the Xbox Game Bar back on your Windows 10 PC? Just visit the Game Bar page in the Microsoft Store to download it again.

Looking for more information on how to master the Game Bar? Our complete guide to how to use the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar.

Have you ever played a game in full screen and noticed your FPS dipping, or your game stuttering and chugging? Back in the day, you might have to minimize your game and open up the task manager with CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to find out which process is hogging all your system resources. Thanks to the latest update to the Xbox Game Bar for Xbox Insiders, though, you can do it without leaving your game!

The Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10 is a built-in feature you can access by hitting Windows Key + G on your keyboard. It interacts with whatever process is running in the foreground, whether it be a game or any other program, allowing you to record clips or take screen caps. For more details about it, take a look at our ultimate Xbox Game Bar guide to get started, and make sure it's up to date by visiting it in the Microsoft Store over here.

Update: Sept 29, 2020: This update is only available for download via the Xbox Insider Hub on Windows 10 in preview. Join the program over here if you want to participate in the testing and feedback phase.

The new custom widget is effectively a lightweight task manager, currently in preview. It gives you an overview of what processes are currently running on your system. You can customize the widget between actual resources used and percentages, and even pin it to the screen if you want to monitor your processes while using other programs or games. It has a traffic light-style iconography for monitoring programs, with red showing a large impact on system resources, while green shows minimal. It also charts the impact by CPU, GPU, Disk, and RAM, just like the real Task Manager does.

If you do find a pesky program using too many resources, you can even slap the X button on it to close it. Problem is, it doesn't really do a consistent job of differentiating what is a Windows system background process or something that's a little safer to close, so be careful if you use it.

In any case, this is another handy little gadget added to the Xbox Game Bar, which now has third-party developer tools for custom widgets, on top of all the Xbox Live social features, Spotify integration, and much more. Be sure to check it out, and leave feedback in the Windows 10 Feedback Hub.

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The Xbox Game Bar is an underrated tool that gives you access to a bunch of Windows features without leaving a full-screen game on your PC.

Recently, the Xbox Game Bar picked up third-party widget support, allowing developers of all sizes to submit apps directly into the Game Bar. There aren't a ton of apps yet, but both Razer and XSplit have joined the party, with some hobbyist developers creating things like notepads, calculators, and in-widget web-browsing.

Every now and then I browse the store for new apps, and just found a nifty tool which should make grindy tasks in certain games a bit easier.

Built by Marconi Gomes, the YouTube Gamebar Overlay is a simple widget that lets you pull up and search for YouTube videos, picture-in-picture style while running a game (or any app, actually).

Once you've installed the widget either from the Xbox Game Bar store (via the top bar drop-down menu) or from the Microsoft Store over here, you can pin it to the bar by selecting it as a favorite from the drop-down widget list.

When you open the widget with the Xbox Game Bar up for the first time, it'll prompt you to either search or input a video or playlist URL. Unfortunately, the search function causes the widget to crash as of writing. Hopefully, that will be fixed sooner rather than later. If you manually enter the video URL though, it works just fine.

From here, you can move the widget around and resize it at will. Unfortunately, you can't sign-in to the widget to remove ads if you're a YouTube Premium subscriber, so you may have to click away an ad banner or two while using it. If you hit the pin icon, it will pin it on top of your screen, and remain there even while playing games in full-screen. You can disable clicking by hitting the mouse icon in the Xbox Game Bar. This prevents accidental interactions while playing games, leaving it static on your screen.

While imperfect, this widget shows the power and potential of the Xbox Game Bar widget API, which could eventually expand to include things like Discord and other services.

Download YouTube Gamebar Overlay

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What you need to know

• A few weeks ago, Xbox began supporting new third-party widgets on the Xbox Game Bar for PC.
• A newly available widget is the Ghost Overlay, a free widget that tracks player progress in Destiny 2.
• You can use it to stay updated on your Triumphs, Catalysts and Quests.

A couple of months ago at Inside Xbox, the team working on the Xbox Game Bar for PC revealed that players would be able to install and use widgets from third-party developers, like Razer Cortex or Xsplit.

One such widget is the Ghost Overlay, which will be of particular interest to Destiny 2 players on PC. Developed by @joshhunt on Twitter, this free widget greatly simplifies tracking all of your Guardian's progress while playing Destiny 2. Keeping track of all the different challenges you're grinding is made more simple, as they are all in one place.

By using this widget, your progress on Triumphs, Bounties, Quests and Catalysts are all pulled up. The widget works by checking the Destiny 2 API for the latest available information every 30 seconds.

If you're interested in using this widget, or you are using it but run into a problem you can read more about it and give feedback right here. The Xbox Game Bar can be accessed at any time by pressing Win Key + G. If you're not sure how to look for and install widgets on the Xbox Game Bar, you can check our guide here.

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The Xbox Game Bar is an awesome tool on Windows 10, giving you access to a range of gaming features by hitting Windows Key + G on your keyboard. A short while ago, Microsoft added a brand new Widget Store to the Xbox Game Bar, allowing users to add a range of additional features to their dashboard (it really is more of a dashboard than a "bar" at this point.)

The initial offering included streaming tools from XSplit, and some features for Razer Cortex users. However, independent developers are now stepping up to include other tools and features as well.

The first is a simple calculator, which lets you to perform simple sums without leaving your game. While perhaps not the most useful in action-packed first-person shooters, I've played MMOs and strategy games where this sort of thing might be more useful than you'd expect. Some MMO guilds use point-scoring systems for assigning loot to players, for example.

Arguably far more useful is this new web browser widget, which is a lightweight and simple tool for quickly opening up websites. It doesn't have tabs or many features, but if you just need to take a quick glance at a walkthrough for a complex achievement or reply to a message on the Discord or Slack web apps, it's really handy.

You can grab the widgets by going into the Widget Browser in the Xbox Game Bar app, or hitting the links below for the direct downloads from the Microsoft Store.

• Browser for Xbox Game Bar
• Calculator for Xbox Game Bar

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In late 2019, Microsoft removed the ability to stream directly to Mixer from Windows 10. It might have been seldom used, but it was a value add, though being limited to Microsoft's own Mixer platform may have been enough to put some off using it.

Fast forward to 2020, and the Xbox Game Bar is starting to really take off, and the feature that was once built-in is sort of back again. XSplit Gamecaster is one of the first third-party widgets to be made available for Game Bar. While you do still need the full application installed to use it, it's a solid alternative to what was taken away with the added benefit of streaming to more than just Mixer.

I've been playing about with the widget and XSplit Gamecaster as a whole, and I'm really impressed. More advanced streamers are unlikely to be swayed from their current setups, but for beginners and more casual creators, I think this could be the way to go.

How to get XSplit Gamecaster

There are two parts to using Gamecaster on the Xbox Game Bar: The application and the widget. The first you get from XSplit, the second you get from the Microsoft Store.

To get started, just go to XSplit's website and download Gamecaster from there. Then either by searching in the Microsoft Store or by going through the Game Bar directly download the corresponding "XSplit Game Bar HUD" widget

You will need to sign in, but you don't need an XSplit account if you'd rather not. If you're planning to stream to Twitch, Mixer, Facebook, or YouTube, you can simply log in with your preferred service.

Easy to use but packed with features

Before getting to the widget, it's essential to get familiar with the Gamecaster application, since it's still necessary not only for the widgets to operate but for you to actually be able to do, well, anything. It's currently a beta, and it's not without its quirks, but on the whole, it's exceptionally well done. And if you try it now, you're able to claim a free founder's license.

It's very easy to get started, doesn't present settings that beginners, or more casual creators might not understand anyway and has just enough extra to help you go to the next step of your streams.

The user interface is clear and welcoming, and I like that any editing of scenes is done in its own interface. When you're creating, all you have to worry about is going live. The scene editor handles most of what you'd find in XSplit Broadcaster, from basic things such as overlays to more advanced tools like progress bars, goals, alerts, counters, and much more.

Gamecaster pulls in elements of the various companies that have made up the XSplit parent company over the years and wraps it up into one super friendly to use package. All you have to do is choose what you want, where you want it and let Gamecaster do the rest.

The theme selection isn't massive, but it's certainly large enough to get a beginner off and running with a professional-looking setup. You can create sets, too, with multiple scenes inside each set, so if you want to change things up depending on what game you're playing or what type of content you're making, you can do all the legwork ahead of time and just switch between them.

It feels like a light version of XSplit Broadcaster, a very welcoming and user-friendly application. And with theme settings stored in the cloud, it's simple to switch between PCs. But there are a few bugs and things I don't like so much, even so.

Bug wise, right now, there are issues relating to AMD GPUs. Significant issues, as in, issues that completely crash the app when you try to do pretty much anything. Both XSplit and AMD are aware, and a fix, I'm told, is on the way in a future AMD driver. Fortunately, if you go into settings and force everything to use x264 rather than leaving anything on auto, everything works fine, and the crashes go away.

Since doing that, everything's been very reliable, and notably, Gamecaster seems very light on system resources. Whether recording on highest settings or streaming, total system CPU usage on my Ryzen 5 3600 hasn't ever exceeded 30%. And the end result is certainly comparable to OBS Studio. Gamecaster doesn't allow you to change the encoding speed (fast, medium, slow, etc.), but if the results are as good, does it matter? I'd say not.

Of the current feature set, the only thing I can say I really don't like is how it handles audio from a capture card. In OBS Studio, a capture card has its own audio source, which can be manipulated separately from system audio and any other devices. In Gamecaster, it gets bundled into system audio, and the default settings are loud. The only way to make it better is by lowering the system audio inside Gamecaster, which doesn't just affect the capture card. So it'd be nice to see something done here in the future.

Going onto the Game Bar

For the various Gamecaster widgets to operate on the Xbox Game Bar, Gamecaster must be working in the background first. Otherwise, you can operate it pretty much in full from the Game Bar, though there are some current kinks in the workflow.

For example, you can hit the button to go live from Game Bar, but you then have to go back into the main app to confirm it and add things like your game, stream title, etc. Given that the main window in Game Bar can't be pinned, I hope that in the future, you'll be able to get the pop-up message here so you can do everything in one place. Right now, you should go live first, making this button somewhat redundant.

Gamecaster actually has its own HUD built-in, which operates somewhat like the Game Bar, but its advantage is for single screen streamers and dual-PC streamers because it won't show up on your broadcast at all. Game Bar comes into its own if you have more display space to play with as you can pin widgets for things like stream alerts and chat without the need to have the whole app or your stream open in another window.

Eventually, you'll be able to adjust some basic widget settings, too, such as the background opacity, but currently, those are locked out.

Great addition to Xbox Game Bar

XSplit Gamecaster isn't a like-for-like replacement for the built-in streaming feature that went away. Still, it's close enough and brings enough advantages with it that would always put it ahead of the game, not least because you're not limited to just streaming to Mixer.

Xbox Game Bar itself is becoming a ridiculously useful tool, and the addition of third-party widgets is really going to kick it into another gear. Gamecaster integration just feels right. It's a solid app with useful Game Bar widgets that you can truly enjoy using, especially if you bag a lifetime free license while it's in its beta phase.

Coupled with the stock performance, audio, and social/party chat widgets, you really have a full suite to stream with, all on Xbox Game Bar. More experienced content creators might not be tempted by it, but for those of us just starting out, it's well worth a look.

Grab Gamecaster for free right now in beta from XSplit.

April's edition of Inside Xbox had a ton of announcements, one of which is that third-party widgets are coming to the Xbox Game Bar, with Razer and XSplit the two launch partners. While an SDK is available for third-party developers to get involved, initially there's only a couple to choose from, with a third from Intel already confirmed with no known release date.

Nevertheless, it's an exciting development and adds even more functionality to one of Windows 10's sleeper hit features. Here's how you go about getting your widget on.

How to install third-party widgets on Xbox Game Bar

The easiest way to see what's currently available and download to your own Game Bar is through the widget store, which has been added. The actual widgets are hosted on the Microsoft Store, just like the Game Bar app itself. To get hold of them:

1. Load up the Game Bar by pressing Win + G.
2. Click on the widget menu to the right of the clock.

3. At the very bottom, click widget store (beta).

You'll now see all currently available widgets, which at launch is only two. To install, simply click on the one you want and hit the install button. Alternatively, if you know the name of the widget you want specifically, you can search for and install it through the Microsoft Store app on your PC.

One important thing to note is that these widgets are merely that. They're an extension of the apps behind them, and as such, you will need to have the corresponding app also installed on your PC and running to be able to use them.

From there on out, though, they all behave just as the existing first-party widgets on the Xbox Game Bar. That means you can manipulate them in location and size, and pin the bits you want to keep on your desktop.

In the case of XSplit Gamecaster, for example, the main window will disappear, but you can pin certain streaming and recording elements to your desktop, such as stream chat, alerts, and your live stats such as number of viewers and how long you've been streaming. It's a lot neater than having the full application in view at all times.

Hopefully, this is the beginning of a bright future for third-party integrations on the Xbox Game Bar. There are a ton of apps and services that would be perfect matches for it, so we'll be crossing our fingers. Looking at you, Discord!

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

Announced this evening on Inside Xbox, Microsoft revealed major new features for the Xbox Game Bar, accessible on Windows 10 PCs by hitting Win Key + G.

The Xbox Game Bar lets you access social features on Xbox Live like chats, voice chat parties, and Xbox achievements in some compatible PC games. It also lets you monitor your PC's performance with CPU, FPS, and other graphs, while allowing you to record game clips and screenshots in games.

On the third-party apps side, we've got Spotify support, allowing us to easily control music inside games. That was it, though, until now! Today, Microsoft is announcing an all-new widget store for the Xbox Game Bar on PC, and has already announced a few partners that are joining first, with more on the way in the coming months.

To get access to the new Xbox Game Bar widget store, you need to join the Xbox Game Bar test flight through the Xbox Insider app on a Windows 10 PC. Microsoft has also unveiled an Xbox Game Bar SDK for developers to build their apps and services into the Xbox Game Bar.

Here's a quick look at the first widgets so far.

XSplit for Xbox Game Bar

The XSplit Game Bar HUD lets you control streaming software on PC without having to leave your game. This is ideal for people who don't have a multi-monitor set-up, who may just want to stream simple gameplay from a laptop for fun, without having to exit or minimize the game to do so.

The XSplit Game Bar HUD requires the free XSplit Gamecaster app, which is a lightweight tool for streaming gameplay to services like Twitch and Mixer, and it's available now if you're part of the Insider program for the Xbox Game Bar.

• XSplit Game Bar HUD at Microsoft Store
• XSplit Gamecaster

Razer Cortex for Xbox Game Bar

Source: Microsoft

Razer Cortex is a fairly useful tool that comes built into many of Razer's laptops, allowing you to earn currency while playing certain games which can then be spent on PC keys for other titles, or access some pretty awesome sales through Razer's own PC game store. Additionally, it also comes with some PC-optimization features that can close non-essential tasks to free up hardware for gaming, similarly to Microsoft's "Game Mode" feature, albeit perhaps a little more forceful, shall we say.

With the Cortex widget beta, you can use these features from the Xbox Game Bar, saving you the trouble of minimizing your game.

• Razer Cortext for Xbox Game Bar widget (beta)

Intel Control Panel for Xbox Game Bar

Finally, Intel has pledged support for the Xbox Game Bar, although its widget will come at a later date, perhaps over the summer. Microsoft says that the widget will give you access to tune Intel display settings, power profiles, and also access game streaming and capture features, with a pledge to add more content as the Xbox Game Bar SDK evolves over time.

What could be next?

The potential for the Xbox Game Bar here is obvious, although there are a ton of competing services in this space already. Steam and Discord both have their own overlays they want you to use for text chat, making me wonder if they'd be willing to offer support for chat features from the Xbox Game Bar. Hopefully, they do, because that's one obvious area that would be insanely useful. Maybe we could even get an Xbox Clubs widget someday... hint hint, Microsoft.

In any case, this is a welcome move for what is already proving to be one of my favorite Windows 10 innovations in recent years. You can try it out for yourself by joining the Xbox Insider Game Bar test flight via the Xbox Insider app on PC.

Finally, if you're a developer, be sure to check out the SDK to see if you can bring your skills to the platform too.

Xbox Game Bar SDK

What you need to know

• Microsoft has introduced Reddit account linking for Xbox Live on PC.
• Xbox Live and Reddit account linking allows users to display account credentials on their profile via the Xbox Game Bar and Xbox beta app for Windows 10.

Microsoft has rolled out new Reddit account pairing capabilities on Xbox Live, merging its gaming platform with the news aggregator and social site. It joins a steadily growing range of third-party social networks and services already mergeable with Xbox profiles, including Facebook, Steam, and Discord. The integration allows users to showcase their Reddit credentials direct from Windows 10's revamped Xbox Game Bar and Xbox beta application.

Reddit account linking is currently bound to Windows 10 PCs, pairing with the Xbox Game Bar and new Xbox app. Amid the continued expansion of PC gaming efforts, including Xbox Game Pass, the overlay and app have become experimental platforms for future Xbox Live features. As a result, Xbox Live is rapidly evolving as a social hub for Xbox gaming, likely to be reflected on consoles as Xbox Series X approaches.

The integration provides the opportunity to display your Reddit account on Xbox Live, indicated by a small icon for your profile card. Reddit profiles will similarly gain a new badge once linked, while automatically subscribing to the official Xbox Insider subreddit. However, account linking currently features no sharing capabilities, as seen with some social networks on Xbox Live.

The new Reddit account linking feature is now live for those Windows 10's May 2019 Update, via the new Xbox Game Bar and Xbox beta app.

When Microsoft originally purchased Mixer (then, Beam), it very quickly integrated the streaming service directly into Windows 10, allowing users to begin streaming at the touch of a button (or, well, a key combo). Moving forward, that will no longer be the case.

Microsoft began working on a sweeping revamp of its Game Bar features for Windows 10, spinning it out to a separate app, and iterating updates based on user feedback. With the most recent update, Microsoft added an FPS counter to games and an achievement overlay. However, it also removed a fairly major feature.

Mixer broadcasting direct from Windows 10 via the Game Bar is no longer supported. Instead, Microsoft advises users to opt for a tool like OBS, StreamLabs OBS, or XSplit, which the vast majority of Mixer streamers probably do already anyway.

A Microsoft spokesperson provided this comment to Windows Central on the matter.

Microsoft also quietly pruned the Xbox Tournament features from the OS recently, as well, perhaps as part of a wider effort to cull underused gaming features across the board. Either way, XSplit or OBS provides a far more feature-filled streaming experience than the Xbox Game Bar ever did for Mixer, so it's unlikely very many people were actively using it.

Related: How to use the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

What you need to know

• The Game Bar allows you to access a number of useful features when gaming on Windows 10.
• It was missing an Xbox Achievements overlay and frame rate counter beforehand.
• An update landed today for select users which gives them both tools.
• You can update the Game Bar through the Microsoft Store.

Updated October 22, 2019: The frame rate counter and overlay are rolling out to everyone now.

Ever since Microsoft debuted the Game Bar for Windows 10, gamers have been asking for a way to track your Xbox Achievements and view the frame rate of the game you're playing. While these features have been hinted at in the past, it looks like they're finally here on a Friday night for select users. Xbox's Mike Ybarra just announced on Twitter that you can now see an overlay of your achievements and measure the frame rate through the Game Bar. You can read the tweet below.

In order to gain these new features, you'll have to update the Game Bar through the Microsoft Store on Windows 10. It's a relatively small download so it'll go by fast. We've been using it on a few games and it works rather well. The achievement overlay is also quite useful if you're an achievement hunter, but we haven't really tested that out extensively. Keep in mind that these this Game Bar update may be limited to certain regions for now or certain rings of the Windows Insider Program.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

The Windows 10 Game Bar is an underrated feature which allows you to easily screenshot, record, and stream directly from a game (or app) without the need for external software. Recently, the Game Bar got a fresh coat of paint, along with speed improvements and other new features. Here's what you need to know.

• How to enable the Xbox Game Bar
• How to use the Xbox Game Bar in games
• What the Xbox Game Bar buttons actually do
• Configuring Xbox Game Bar
• Game Bar settings within games
• More Game Bar features

How to enable the Windows 10 Game Bar

First, make sure the Game Bar is actually enabled. It should be turned on by default, but here's how to find it.

1. Open the Settings menu by clicking the cogwheel in the Start Menu.
2. Select Gaming in the Settings Menu.
3. Select Game Bar.

4. Make sure it's set to On as pictured above.

In this menu, you can also customize and review the hotkeys available for the Game Bar. It's worth knowing where they are for future reference.

How to use the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar in games (and apps)

The Game Bar in Windows 10 is enabled by pressing Windows Key + G or by pressing the Xbox button on a connected Xbox controller. Windows Key + G opens an overlay bar which gives you access to numerous functions and features. There are a few nuances to its use you need to be aware of.

• It seems to work best while using games from the Windows 10 Microsoft Store. This is because these games are enabled to use the Game Bar by default.
• It seems to work with all Win32 games as of the May 2019 update. If you find that you can't see the overlay, you can try running your game in windowed mode, or by using the Game Bar hotkeys (they should still work, you just won't be able to see the overlay).
• You can actually use the Game Bar with any app from the Windows 10 Microsoft Store, as well as any Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app, even if it's not a game. This can be handy for recording apps like Microsoft Edge, but it may not work with some older programs.
• Enabling Game Bar (and Game DVR, which is the recording service) might impact the performance of your game or app.

What the Windows 10 Game Bar buttons actually do

Turning on the Game Bar should release your mouse cursor from the game. You can mouse over the individual controls to see what they do and see their hotkeys, but here's an overview from left to right.

• The main Game Bar overlay in the top center lets you enable or disable different Game Bar modules.
• The cogwheel at the top on the right grants access to additional settings.
• The Broadcast & Capture module (on the left by default) gives quick access to capture controls.
• The camera icon depicts the screenshot button.
• The recording symbol with an arrow depicts clip capture. Hit this to record the previous thirty seconds of footage from your DVR buffer (or longer, configurable via the settings menu).
• Hit the recording symbol to start a recording.
• The mic symbol allows you to mute or enable your microphone while capturing.
• The broadcast symbol lets you stream to a connected Mixer account.
• The Show all captures button opens up the folder where your captures are stored.
• Below these, the Audio section allows you to control the sound mix of various sound devices and apps active on your setup.
• You also have Windows 10 performance modules, Xbox social and chat tabs, as well as Spotify controls.

Configuring Game DVR

When it comes to recording footage and taking screenshots with the Game Bar, there are a number of settings you can tweak to improve your experience. Here's a rundown of where to find them, and what you can fix.

1. Open the Settings menu by clicking the cogwheel in the Start Menu.
2. Select Gaming in the Settings Menu.
3. Select Game DVR, as shown above.

Using the Game DVR settings menu, you can configure the following things:

• You can change the location of stored captures.
• Set the DVR to maintain background recording for capturing recent moments.
• Change settings for when background recording should be maintained (on battery, off battery, etc.).
• Change audio recording settings, such as mic levels.
• Change video capture quality, including resolution and frame rate (set lower for better performance).
• Enable or disable cursor capture in videos.

Settings via the Game Bar

When you're inside the Game Bar itself, you can access most of the settings from the overlays itself. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Open the Game Bar inside a game by pressing Windows Key + G.
2. Click on the Settings cogwheel.

From here, you can change most of the same settings that you can via the Windows 10 main settings menu, such as notifications, whether background recording is enabled or not, and whether to include microphone audio or not in the recordings, and so on.

More Game Bar features

If you want to disable the Game Bar to save resources, broadcast to Mixer, or use Game Mode, we have a bunch of resources tailored to that end below.

• How to disable the Game Bar
• How to broadcast to Mixer using the Game Bar
• How to enable (and disable) Game Mode in Windows 10

Additional resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

The Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar has been massively updated, adding tons of new features and modularity. For a full rundown of its features, head over here.

In this guide, we're going to take a look at game screenshotting and recording specifically, so you can quickly and easily capture and share your greatest gaming moments.

Xbox Game Bar set-up

First, ensure your Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar is fully up to date by visiting the app page here. It's available on all Windows 10 PCs on the October 2018 update and above.

1. The quickest and easiest way to access the Xbox Game Bar is to press Windows Key + G on your keyboard.
2. On the first load, you will get this screen. You may be asked to sign in with your Microsoft Account.

3. Once you close the welcome screen, head up to the cogwheel icon at the top to alter the settings.
4. Select capture to enable the game DVR. This will store the previous 30 seconds of gameplay for instant clip recording.Note: Background recording does use some limited system resources. If you're on a lower-end system, you may want to turn this off.

5. Next go to shortcuts, here you can configure additional keybindings for faster recording, or view the defaults.

6. Finally, if you move your cursor to the top of the gamebar and select the lines menu next to the clock, you can add additional widgets, such as the capture browser by clicking the star icon.

Play around and see what widgets you fancy keeping on the bar too. You can add Spotify, Xbox friends, messages, and more using that drop-down menu. Once you're happy with your settings, you're ready to record.

Xbox Game Bar more settings

Not all game capture settings are available for the Game Bar. Here's how to access a few more features.

1. In the Start Menu, click the cogwheel in the bottom left to open the Settings menu.
2. Click on the Gaming category in the Settings menu.

3. Click on Captures sub-menu on the left.
4. Here, you can configure the length of background recording DVR available, the maximum amount of time used for manual recording sessions, whether or not you'll capture audio while recording, whether or not you'll capture microphone audio while capturing, the audio mix between system audio and game audio, the video recording quality, and frame rate, and whether or not your cursor is captured also.

Xbox Game Bar How to record and screenshot

By default, the capture widget is enabled in the top left corner of the screen, as shown here after pressing Windows Key + G. If you mouse over each button, it informs you what each control does. As of July 20, 2019, we have the following options from left to right. You can either click them or use the configured keybind to fire them off.

• Screenshotting (Windows Key + Alt + Print Screen)
• 30 second clip recording (Windows Key + Alt + G)
• Start recording session (Windows Key + Alt + R)
• Toggle microphone access (Windows Key + Alt + M)
• Mixer.com live broadcasting (Windows Key + Alt + B)
• Show all captures which opens a panel with all the content you've recorded.

Captures are stored in the C:\Users\

[[ your user name ]] \Videos\Captures folder directory. You can quickly access this via the Show all captures menu option in the game DVR control widget.

It's also worth noting that you can use the Game Bar to record any Windows 10 program, but it will only turn itself on for games by default. Simply hit the record button if you want to capture an app like Microsoft Paint or so on.

That's a wrap!

The Xbox Game Bar is still a work in progress with a few features, such as the Xbox Social widget, currently running as part of a beta test. There are a few missing features too, such as Xbox Club support, but the team at Microsoft has been diligent with updates and bug fixes.

More Windows 10 game feature guides

• How to disable the Game Bar
• How to broadcast to Mixer using the Game Bar
• How to enable (and disable) Game Mode in Windows 10

Additional resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

The Xbox Game Bar has been vastly improved in recent months, adding tons of new and useful features for gamers on Windows 10.

More like a dashboard than a mere toolbar, the new Windows 10 Game Bar allows you to quickly access your Xbox friends list, performance monitoring, Spotify controls, video game recording and screenshotting, and more, all without leaving your game. That said, the latest updates for the Game Bar have introduced a few new tooltips that can get a bit annoying. Thankfully, they're easy to turn off. Here's how.

How to turn off Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar notifications

1. First, ensure that you have the latest version of the Windows 10 Game Bar by checking the app here on the Microsoft Store.
2. Open the Xbox Game Bar by pressing Windows Key + G. You don't need to be running a game to access it.
3. Select the settings cogwheel at the top.

4. From here, you can disable Show me tips to remove the pop-ups that appear in games.

5. Next, select Notifications on the left.

6. Here, you can untick various other notification pop-ups, including party notifications, new followers, message notifications, and when a friend is online.
7. Once you're done configuring, you can just click anywhere outside of the Game Bar elements to close it down.

The Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar is constantly evolving over time, receiving tweaks and new features. If you want to leave feedback on the way Microsoft is building the new Game Bar, take a look at the Game Bar section of the Windows 10 Feedback Hub.

Cheap PC accessories we love

Take a gander at these awesome PC accessories, all of which will enhance your Windows experience.

Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub ($10 at Amazon)

Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports.

Ikea Fixa Cable Management System ($11 at Amazon)

This IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean setup. It's simple and functional.

NZXT Puck ($20 at Amazon)

This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case or anything else. It's great for hanging accessories like headsets.

Microsoft has been putting a lot of resources into dialing up the quality of its Windows 10 PC offering for gamers, first launching a powerful re-imagining of the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar, incorporating new design language, new features like Spotify integration, all with far superior speed than the current Xbox app.

That begs the question, what will actually happen to the existing Xbox Windows 10 app? Well, now we have our answer.

Microsoft is rebranding the Windows 10 Xbox app to "Xbox Console Companion," and it'll become slimmed down, primarily used for settings. There are no actual changes to the Xbox app right now, beyond a new logo and new splash screen. But a message on the app gives us an idea about what to expect moving forward. The social features like party chat, messaging, and beyond, will likely live in the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar, accessible via Windows Key + G, as Microsoft slims down the new Console Companion app to improve its speed and usability.

The Console Companion will likely become the place you access Project xCloud streaming on PC, and local Xbox to PC streaming that users enjoy today. We expect Microsoft will talk more about its plans for Windows 10 and Xbox integrations and overlapping systems at E3 2019 this year, where Microsoft is set to broadcast a large press conference about all things Xbox and PC gaming this Sunday, June 9th.

Xbox

Main

• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

Excellent and affordable Xbox accessories

Up your Xbox experience with one (or all) of these budget accessories, all of which are approved by the gamers of Windows Central.

PowerA Play & Charge Kit for Xbox One ($15 at Amazon)

This charging kit keeps your Xbox One wireless controllers juiced up, and it offers batteries for two controllers. At just $15, this is hands-down our favorite budget charging companion.

ElecGear 4 Port USB Xbox One S Hub ($19 at Amazon)

This brilliant little USB splitter hub attaches perfectly to the side of your Xbox One S console. It's ideal for use with chargers, controllers, headsets, and more.

Controller Gear stand ($13 at Amazon)

Proudly display your Xbox gamepads with this stylish and functional stand. The licensed design is minimalist and black, and it has a hidden storage compartment, making the price of $13 a real steal.

The new Windows 10 Game Bar is a vast improvement on the old Game Bar, while also incorporating Xbox social features currently available only to the Xbox Windows 10 app. Today, Microsoft announced that the new Game Bar is rolling out to users on the Windows 10 May 2019 Update.

The Windows 10 Game Bar, accessible with Windows Key + G, incorporates many new features, including Spotify integration, Discord-like party chat voice overlays, performance monitoring, and more. It's also far, far faster than the current Game Bar, and the Windows 10 Xbox app itself, while also being accessible anywhere on Windows 10, rather than just inside apps. Microsoft announced that the new Game Bar is rolling out now to users on the May 2019 Update, via an app update on the Microsoft Store.

Update May 22, 2019: The new Game Bar appears to be rolling out for users on the Windows 10 October 2018 update as well!

• Windows 10 Game Bar @ Microsoft Store

Here's a run down of some of the features that the Windows 10 Game Bar has so far.

• Broadcast and capture tools for games, which also works inside any apps.
• Performance monitors for CPU, GPU, and RAM.
• Audio mixer tool.
• Spotify controls for music.
• A chat panel for Xbox Live messages and voice party chats.
• Xbox Live friends list, and friends browsing.
• Xbox Live notifications.
• Mixer picture-in-picture live streaming.
• Modular interface with pinnable panels, that can show up on top of your other windows and games.
• Access local game clips and screenshots for sharing.
• Looking For Group tool for finding gamers to play with.
• The ability to show/hide features depending on which you want.

Microsoft also announced yesterday that GIF support is also coming to the Windows 10 Game Bar messages in the near future, alongside the Android and iOS apps. Microsoft noted that the current Windows 10 Xbox app is not slated to receive the new messaging systems, which makes it sound as though the old Xbox app might be getting phased out in favor of new Windows 10 Game Bar features.

If you're not ready to get the May 2019 Update yet, the Windows 10 Game Bar is also available for beta testers in the Windows 10 Gaming Test Flight Ring, which is a mini tester pool for soliciting feedback on the new system. Hit the links below for info on how to get on board with either the May 2019 update, or get the new Game Bar early on your current Windows 10 build via the Gaming Test Flight ring.

• How to get the Windows 10 May 2019 Update right now
• How to join the Windows 10 Gaming Test Flight ring

Affordable accessories that'll pair perfectly with your PC

Every one of these awesome PC accessories will enhance your everyday experience — and none cost more than $30.

KLIM Aim RGB gaming mouse ($30 at Amazon)

Whether you're a gamer or not, this is an absurdly good mouse for the price. It's ambidextrous, has a responsive sensor, a braided cable, tank-like build quality, and, yes, it has RGB lighting, though you can turn it off if that's not your thing.

AmazonBasics USB speakers ($16 at Amazon)

These neat little speakers may only pack 2.4W of total power, but don't let that fool you. For something so small you get a well-rounded sound and a stylish design. And they only cost $16.

Razer mouse bungee ($20 at Amazon)

Use a wired mouse? You need a mouse bungee to keep your cable tidy and free of snags. You get no drag on the cable, and this one has subtle styling, a rust-resistant spring and a weighted base, all for $20.

Browsing the Xbox app on Windows 10, I received a message pop-up detailing the future of Xbox messaging, and ultimately, the fate of the Windows 10 Xbox app.

Microsoft appears to be gearing up to phase out the sluggish Windows 10 Xbox app, which hasn't received any meaningful updates for a very long time. The all-new Windows 10 Game Bar already incorporates the most critical Xbox app features on desktop PCs, in an interface that is far faster, more attractive, and frankly, better in almost every way.

It comes as no surprise then that Microsoft says that after May 23rd, the Xbox app on Windows 10 PCs will no longer support group messaging systems, as Microsoft transitions its Xbox messaging mechanics to a new and improved platform, which will also include GIF support "and more."

Microsoft notes that the upgraded experiences will arrive on the Android and iOS app. Given the pace of updates on the Windows 10 Game Bar beta, the new features shouldn't be far behind either.

The Xbox app on Windows 10, as slow as it is, served as a pretty decent bridge between desktop and Xbox for a few years, allowing you to access your cloud Xbox clips, manage your activity feed, and even stream your Xbox games to a PC on a local WiFi network.

While Microsoft doesn't say outright that the Windows 10 Xbox app is being phased out, the fact it isn't getting the new chat features probably paints the writing on the wall. The new Windows 10 Game Bar, accessible via Windows Key + G, looks as though it'll be where Microsoft places its Xbox efforts on desktop moving forward. And that's a good thing, providing it gets matching features, that is.

You can test the new Windows 10 Game Bar by joining the Gaming Flight Ring via the Xbox Insider app on your PC, hit the link below for info on how to go about it.

How to join the Windows 10 Gaming Test Flight Ring

The Windows 10 Game Bar preview has picked up another staple Xbox feature, in the form of "Looking for Group" (LFG) listings. The new tab is listed as a beta, and does have a few bugs (notably, mouse scroll wheel doesn't seem to work), but it works for its core functionality – allowing you to quickly and easily find groups and other people to play games with. Here's a quick look at how it works.

You open the Windows 10 Game Bar by hitting Windows Key + G, but you won't see these features unless you enrol in the Windows 10 Gaming preview via the Xbox Insider app on PC. Here's a quick explainer on how to do that.

How to join the Windows 10 Gaming flight test ring

If you're in the test ring, the Game Bar will update via the Microsoft Store, granting access to these new features. Enabling the tab in the menu gives you a new overlay, complete with a spread of games. As of writing, the list of games is pretty limited, but there's no reason they can't be expanded to include more in the future, linking up with Microsoft's game library database.

Selecting a game allows you to create a Looking for Group listing, complete with specific parameters, descriptions, and tagging to help you find the right players for you. You can either browse existing listings, filtering with tags, or make your own entirely. Just to test it out, I made a listing for State of Decay 2.

Within seconds after creating my listing, someone jumped in, and I got a notification on my Xbox and Windows 10 simultaneously to request that I review the applicant. It also offered rapid option to create a voice chat session, or send a quick message.

Universal PC LFG is awesome

A universal LFG system for PC could be a huge boost for games that don't really have great tools for creating parties. LFG exists today in the Xbox Windows 10 app, but it's hardly what you might call a pleasant experience. The Windows 10 Game Bar is such a vast, vast step-up in terms of quality and speed, that it makes the old Xbox app seem like a distant memory.

Seeing this evolution in Microsoft's commitment to its supporting gaming software and services is encouraging, particularly on the PC side. We'll keep a close eye for any further sneaky Windows 10 Game Bar updates hitting PCs in the future.

Cheap PC accessories we love

Take a gander at these awesome PC accessories, all of which will enhance your Windows experience.

Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub ($10 at Amazon)

Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports.

Ikea Fixa Cable Management System ($11 at Amazon)

This IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean setup. It's simple and functional.

NZXT Puck ($20 at Amazon)

This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case or anything else. It's great for hanging accessories like headsets.

Microsoft's offering on PC is in a strange, transitionary place. I've been hearing for years at this point how internal politics between the upper echelons of Xbox and Windows actively prevented Microsoft from improving basic gaming features on PC, like the Windows 10 Microsoft Store. The internal push towards the immature Universal Windows Platform (UWP) ultimately led to an app store that wasn't ready for the prime time when it came to delivering big AAA games, although it is far better now, the catalogue and discoverability aspects leave a lot to be desired.

Beyond the Microsoft Store, the Xbox app for Windows 10 also managed to disappoint. Although Microsoft was early to the game when it comes to creating online gaming communities, even going as far back as MSN Game Zone in the late 90s, Redmond has been unable to stop the meteoric rise of Discord, despite owning Skype, and Xbox Live. The Xbox app for Windows 10 does support community creation, messaging, and voice, but it's all so slow and clunky, lacking basic features, that Discord's ascent was all but inevitable. The new Windows 10 Game Bar is a the first real sign that Microsoft is taking this aspect of its gaming network a little more seriously.

Related: How to join the Windows Gaming Insider flight ring

Game Bar in name only

The new Windows 10 Game Bar is quite honestly more like a dashboard than a "Game Bar," fully overlaid on top of Windows 10 at a system level, rather than tied to specific windows as was the case with its previous incarnation. Hitting Windows Key + G summons the overlay from anywhere within Windows, granting you access to its wide array of features.

Using the new Windows 10 Game Bar, you can do all the same things you were able to do previously, such as streaming directly to Mixer, and capturing game clips and screenshots, but there are a range of new features on top. You can now control and browse Spotify media without leaving your game, send messages and voice chat on Xbox Live far faster than the existing Xbox app, and check handy performance monitors and a sound mixer for good measure.

Crucially, it's speedy and lightweight, taking up minimum system resources. Although results will vary depending on your usage, when simply idle, the Windows 10 Game Bar takes up just ~50MB of RAM, versus Discord's ~250MB and Steam's ~200MB. Even setting the Game Bar to record footage only increases its RAM usage to ~67MB, with negligible impact on the CPU. The Game DVR service for clipping the previous 30 seconds of footage reserves around 250MB of RAM, but it can be disabled easily in the settings if you so fancy, reducing its footprint to zero.

Beyond the system resources, the Game Bar is also highly customizable. If you don't use the Spotify integration you can simply turn it off, for example. Closing each widget reduces the resource footprint on your PC as well, you can shrink it all the way down to the basics if you so choose. The modularity of the platform should lend itself well to adding new features without allowing it to become bloated.

Can it really replace Discord?

Discord has become the de-facto community tool for the entire games industry. Microsoft itself uses it for its communities, the biggest game streamers and influencers use it, and groups of friends use it. It's easy to use, has an awesome array of tools for chat and content sharing, and is faster than competing choices on PC, especially the Xbox app for Windows 10. Its focus on community tools also makes it a better option than Skype for many gamers, which has seen its dominance eroded against the rise of competing messaging and calling services.

As of right now, the Windows 10 Game Bar update is only available in preview for Xbox Insider hub users, and even then, the modules for Xbox Live messages and party voice chats are listed as a beta, within the app itself. Even at this early stage, they're quite polished, fast, and do exactly what you'd expect them to. They even have a permanent on-screen overlay option, similarly to Discord, which lights up users when they are chatting.

There are a few bugs here and there, as well as layout oddities and missing features. For example, it doesn't seem to be possible to change the privacy settings on a voice call, and there are a couple of menus you can expand out that simply have no options in them (yet), but it's a truly encouraging early effort. It's already far preferable to use over the Windows 10 Xbox app, with centered notifications and faster access to the most important features.

It's missing things like Xbox Clubs community support, which it would need to truly become a lighter alternative to Discord, but there's no reason to think it wouldn't come across eventually. Xbox Clubs themselves are missing a lot of basic features Discord enjoys, like image sharing, gifs, custom community emotes, and so on, but the integration it has inside Xbox Live gives it a few advantages. Being able to send "Looking for Group" ads that allow you to instantly jump into games, set up competitive tournaments, are aggressively underused, but I believe part of that underuse is the difficulty of access. On Xbox, you have to navigate and type using a controller, on PC, Xbox Clubs are buried in a clunky UWP app that simply isn't fit for purpose. The Windows 10 Game Bar looks set to change all that.

An encouraging emphasis on PC gaming

If Microsoft can make the case for using the Game Bar, built into Windows 10 and accessible via a quick keyboard shortcut from anywhere, it might prove to be an excellent tool for people who don't fancy installing a separate program. It's not really in a position to provide a great alternative to Discord today, given the light feature set and lack of Xbox Clubs support, but if Microsoft is as serious as it seems to be, these features are probably on the way.

I don't think it's any accident how Microsoft undersold the new Game Bar when it was announced this past week. They didn't discuss many of its features, announcing it in a small, fairly understated blog post. Clearly the efforts represent a grander vision for a more cohesive PC-oriented gaming strategy from Microsoft, and the new font typing and rounded edges probably offer a hint at future design language for the next-gen Xbox "Scarlett" consoles. Microsoft wants to earn back that trust, and probably knows it has a lot to do.

With Microsoft set to bring Xbox Game Pass to PC, alongside a widely-expected overhaul of its maligned PC gaming store, Project xCloud for mobile devices and lower-end laptops, and a new generation of Xbox hardware, social and community features are the systems that will tie it all together. It's crucial that Microsoft takes this aspect of its platform more seriously, especially given its investment in Mixer streaming and beyond. Thankfully, these early signs are incredibly encouraging.

Cheap PC accessories we love

Take a gander at these awesome PC accessories, all of which will enhance your Windows experience.

Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub ($10 at Amazon)

Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports.

Ikea Fixa Cable Management System ($11 at Amazon)

This IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean setup. It's simple and functional.

NZXT Puck ($20 at Amazon)

This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case or anything else. It's great for hanging accessories like headsets.

Many of Microsoft's efforts in PC gaming over the year haven't exactly hit the mark. However, the Windows 10 Game Bar is one of the good ones, and it's about to get a whole lot better.

Microsoft detailed new features heading to the Windows 10 Game Bar for PC gaming, with some fan-inspired upgrades and a couple that are a bit of a surprise.

In a blog post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft called back to the PC Gaming Idea Drive it kick-started a while ago, soliciting feedback on how it could improve Windows 10 for gaming. We're starting to see some early fruits of that feedback now, with features that should improve Windows 10's gaming social aspects, features for game streamers and social butterflies, and performance stats for techies. As always, all of these features will be accessible by hitting Windows Key + G, while running a game. Of course, you can also disable them completely.

This update will be available to users on the Windows 10 October 2018 update, who are part of the Windows Gaming Insider flight ring, and it will roll out more generally in the near future.

How to join the Windows Gaming flighting ring

Quick Spotify access

You can now control Spotify for Windows 10 (you can download that here without minimizing your game.

Simply pull up the Windows 10 Game Bar, and you'll be able to control your media and volume mix right from the overlay. You can even browse the Spotify catalog straight from the overlay, which is pretty impressive, as well as Spotify's connected device list, in case you're listening on a connected speaker or some other system.

Create memes (no, really)

With the latest Windows 10 Game Bar update, Microsoft is extended some of the social tools it added previously when it began allowing users to take screenshots and instantly share them to a connected Twitter account without leaving your game. Now, you'll also be able to annotate them with classic meme-style text for maximum memery. Using this overlay widget, you'll be able to browse and manage recent captures, as usual.

Customizable widget-based UI

The Windows 10 Game Bar is fully widget-based, allowing you to tailor not only what is on the Game Bar itself, but also what appears in the overlay. Simply hit the menu on the left to toggle on or off different aspects. Each widget can also be moved around, resized, and pinned to the screen.

MUCH faster social systems

A long-term pet peeve of mine with Microsoft's social systems for Xbox has been how painfully slow they've been, across both Xbox One and Windows 10. Their sluggishness has forced many gamers over to Discord for its speed and ease of use, but with this update Microsoft is clearly prioritizing speed.

Dubbed Xbox Chat (beta) and Xbox Social (beta), the two widgets provide rapid access to your friends list, friend search, party access, and chats, offering a tab-style widget for chats. These can also be resized and moved around or disabled entirely via the settings menu.

More steps forward

The relatively rapid response to PC gamer feedback on the Game Bar has been pretty impressive. Being able to access sound mix, performance graphs, and game capture systems with a couple of keyboard shortcuts is great, and the boosted speed for Xbox Live's social systems is encouraging.

These systems are hitting the Windows Gaming Insider flighting group on the Xbox Insider Hub app for Windows 10 initially, for users on the October 2018 update. It'll roll out more generally later on, likely with some added polish.

Cheap PC accessories we love

Take a gander at these awesome PC accessories, all of which will enhance your Windows experience.

Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub ($10 at Amazon)

Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports.

Ikea Fixa Cable Management System ($11 at Amazon)

This IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean setup. It's simple and functional.

NZXT Puck ($20 at Amazon)

This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case or anything else. It's great for hanging accessories like headsets.

If you use an Xbox Wireless Controller to game on your PC, you'll now be able to check in on your battery level with the touch of a button. Microsoft this week added a battery level indicator to Windows 10's Game Bar, giving you a quick way to tell whether you're close to needing a fresh set of batteries.

The new feature comes in response to player feedback, and was announced by Xbox's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb on Twitter.

The indicator can be accessed by pressing the "Windows" and "G" keys together on your keyboard or hitting the Xbox button on your controller to bring up the game bar. Your battery status can be then be seen near the top of the bar, to the right of the current time.

Microsoft today is rolling out a small, but incredibly handy update to the Game Bar on Windows 10. Now, you'll be able to review your screenshots and videos that you've taken without having to leave your game, meaning you can jump right back into the action.

Xbox's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb revealed the update on Twitter, noting that it's beginning to roll out today. All of your captures can be pulled up in a dedicated gallery window, from which you can add text and post them directly to Twitter.

It's a small update, but if you share a lot of your gameplay to Twitter, it's sure to be preferable over exiting your game every time you need shoot something out to Twitter.