The Xbox full-screen experience already rolled out to Windows 11 gaming handhelds, but the controller-friendly mode will now be available on PCs and tablets.
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.
