Xbox mode got overshadowed by this awesome new addition to Windows 11 in the latest Patch Tuesday update

A sleek black ergonomic computer mouse with a vertical design, featuring a silver scroll wheel, rests on a textured surface in front of a blue background. — (Image credit: Tom's Guide / Future)

Windows 11's latest Patch Tuesday update is a big one that includes new features, significant improvements, and support for haptic feedback on supported accessories.

Going into the month, I would have assumed that Xbox Mode was the headline change. But when I wrote about the Logitech MX Master 4 getting updated to work with haptics, it gained a ton of attention.

May Patch Tuesday Highlights

Gaming

New! Xbox mode is available on Windows 11 PCs, including laptops, desktops, and tablets. Inspired by the Xbox console experience, Xbox mode offers a streamlined, full‑screen interface that puts your games front and center while minimizing background distractions. Xbox mode is designed for those moments when you want to lean back, pick up a controller, and focus on the game. Enter Xbox mode from the Xbox app, Game Bar settings, or by pressing Windows logo key + F11. For more information, see Xbox Mode Begins Rolling Out to Players on Windows 11PCs Today.

File Explorer

New! This update expands the list of archive formats that can be used in File Explorer to include uu, cpio, xar, and NuGet Packages (nupkg).
With this update, View and Sort preferences are preserved in folders such as Downloads and Documents when apps launch File Explorer directly to those locations.
This update removes a white flash that could appear when opening This PC or while resizing the Details pane in dark mode.
This update improves the reliability of relevant explorer.exe processes so they stop after closing File Explorer windows.

Input

New! You can feel haptic feedback effects on compatible input devices when performing certain actions, such as aligning objects in PowerPoint, snapping or resizing windows. These haptic signals can be turned on or off in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse, Touchpad, or Pen > Haptic signals. This experience is supported on Surface Slim Pen 2, ASUS Pen 3.0, and MSI Pen 2 with haptic feedback. Support for additional compatible devices, including select mice such as Logitech MX Master 4, might become available as hardware partners release updates.
New! Voice typing on the touch keyboard now looks simpler and more intuitive. The updated design removes the full‑screen overlay and shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key, helping you stay focused without extra visual distractions.
New! The Arabic 101 Legacy keyboard layout is now available. You can add it when selecting a keyboard for Arabic under Time & Language > Language & Region. This option is for those who prefer the keyboard design used before recent changes with AltGr.
This update improves the reliability of setting custom tools under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Wheel.
This update improves the persistence of Fluid Dictation setting in voice typing.
This update improves the reliability of keyboard navigation for emoji panels (Windows logo key + Period).
This update improves the reliability of typing when using the ADLaM keyboard.

New! Drag Tray is now called Drop Tray. Its settings are now under Settings > System > Multitasking (previously Nearby sharing). Drop Tray uses a smaller peek view. This improvement helps prevent the Drop Tray from opening unintentionally and makes it easier to dismiss when you work near the top of the screen.

Introducing Agents on Taskbar

New! Windows is adding a new way to monitor your agents from the taskbar. This experience supports agents across first- and third-party apps, with Researcher in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as the first adopter. When Researcher works on a report, Windows shows progress on the taskbar so you can check updates at a glance. Hover over the Microsoft 365 Copilot icon to see real-time progress. When the report is ready, Windows notifies you. Select the notification or the icon to return to the app and review and use the results.

Enterprise State Roaming (ESR)

New! ESR can now be managed through Windows Backup for Organizations policies. This makes setup easier for IT administrators. To learn more, see Enterprise State Roaming.

Policy-Based Removal of Preinstalled Microsoft Apps

New! This update adds support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education. Administrators can remove additional MSIX/APPX-packaged apps by specifying their app package family names using Group Policy. The dynamic list is not currently available in Intune Settings Catalog. Validation must be performed using Group Policy or custom OMA-URI. For more

Printing

New! This update adds a new icon to show where a printer supports Windows Protected Print Mode in print settings.

Windows Driver Policy update

New! This update improves Windows security by changing how the Windows kernel trusts third‑party drivers. Default trust for cross‑signed drivers is removed, while drivers from the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) and an allow list of trusted legacy drivers remain allowed. Windows audits driver compatibility for at least 100 hours and three reboots before enabling enforcement. After enforcement, a small number of cross‑signed drivers might be blocked. For more information, see the Windows driver policy and the Advancing Windows driver security blog.

Enhanced security and performance for batch files

New! Administrators and Application Control for Business policy authors now have additional control over how the system processes batch files and Command Prompt (CMD) scripts. Starting with this release, administrators can enable a more secure processing mode for batch files. This mode prevents batch files from changing during execution.

Microsoft Store

This update reduces unexpected errors when downloading and installing apps from the Microsoft Store, including errors 0x80070057, 0x80240008, and 0x80073d28.

Fonts

This update includes improvements to the Leelawadee UI font family for the Thai, Lao, Khmer, and Lontara scripts to enhance glyph sequencing, positioning, and rendering.

Audio

This update improves third-party driver compatibility with midisrv.exe.

Taskbar

This update improves the reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar.

Windows Hello

[This update improves] Reliability of Windows Hello Face.
[This update improves] Persistence of Windows Hello Fingerprint across upgrades.

Storage

[This update improves] Performance when viewing storage information for large volumes in Settings > System > Storage > Advanced Storage Settings > Disks & Volumes.
[This update improves] The size limit for formatting FAT32 volumes from the command line from 32GB to 2TB.

Delivery Optimization

This update improves memory usage, reducing likelihood it will use an unexpectedly large amount of memory.

Display and graphics

This update improves persistence and availability of color profile options for supported monitors.

Kiosk mode

This update simplifies configuration for allowed packaged apps in kiosks when Microsoft Edge is one of the allowed apps.

General Performance

This update improves the performance of launching startup apps after starting your device (apps listed under Settings > Apps > Startup).

General Reliability

This update brings underlying changes to help improve explorer.exe reliability, including at sign‑in, when interacting with taskbar menus and Task View, when unpinning items from File Explorer’s Quick Access, and more.

While the new haptics feature turned heads, it's restricted to specific hardware. If you're a gamer, you're likely more interested in Xbox mode.

In addition to all the new feature changes and improvements, there are security updates that address issues. A separate document lists every single security update.

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.