(Credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft’s full-screen Xbox mode is coming to Windows 11 devices—laptops, desktops, tablets, gaming handhelds, and more—to make the gaming interface feel more like a console.
Xbox mode gives you a full-screen, fast interface to explore your titles, and it's optimized for controllers, making it easier to browse and boot games across any device.
You can view your full game library, including titles from Xbox Game Pass or games from other third-party PC storefronts. For example, titles bought through Steam will appear in Xbox mode alongside those you've bought from Microsoft or downloaded through Game Pass.
You can easily switch between Xbox mode and Windows 11, depending on what you need to do with your device. That may make juggling other projects and a gaming session at the same time easier to handle.
A version of Xbox mode previously debuted in preview on the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. Microsoft says it has listened to feedback since its full-screen experience first launched, and will keep expanding it with new ideas.
Xbox mode is part of the latest Windows 11 update, which has been gradually rolling out since April 30. Microsoft says some players can activate the feature now, while others will see it appear "over the next several weeks." Microsoft recommends turning on notifications for new Windows 11 tools, so you know when Xbox mode arrives.
Microsoft also used this announcement to introduce new features for its ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, including a preview of its Automatic Super Resolution tool, which aims to make “games look sharper and play smoother.”
Other changes include improved docking, where gameplay instantly switches to your TV and follows your gaming settings set up on the bigger screen. There are also tools to help pair your controller, plus a new Gamepad Cursor to make navigating apps easier.