Your Windows 11 PC will soon function more like a video game console. Starting next month, Microsoft plans to roll out an "Xbox mode" on all Windows 11 PCs, including tablets.
The new mode is called “Xbox full screen experience,” and is already available for Windows 11 gaming handhelds, such as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.
The decision to expand the mode to PCs may seem a little strange, since the Xbox experience was designed for portable gaming. However, Microsoft views the feature as a handy way for gamers to interface with a Windows 11 PC, especially since it's controller-friendly.
“Xbox mode makes it easier for players to jump into a streamlined, full‑screen, dedicated gaming experience whenever they want to lean back and play,” Ian LeGrow, Microsoft’s Corporate VP for Windows and Devices, wrote in a blog post.
Microsoft first offered the Xbox full-screen experience to beta testers in the Windows Insiders program in November. After installation, press Windows logo key + G to open the Game Bar overlay, then go to Settings and activate "Enter full screen experience." You can also press the Windows logo key + F11 to toggle it on.
Your desktop will then turn into the Xbox home screen, which will feature Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, along with any PC games you play, including those from other storefronts, such as Valve's Steam. Using a controller, you can move through and select a game or other apps. You can also run multiple games and switch between them.
“When you’re ready to switch back to your desktop, you can either choose the Windows desktop option from Task View, exit from Game Bar settings, or simply hit the Windows key on your keyboard—no reboot required,” the company said in an earlier blog post.
We’ll be curious to try out the experience. However, Microsoft only plans to offer Xbox mode in “select markets,” but the company told PCMag the first group will include the US.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.
Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how President Trump's tariffs will affect the industry. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
