Microsoft has officially announced that it’s started to roll out Xbox Mode to Windows 11 “in select markets”. It will be available on desktops, laptops, and tablets, and it promises to bring “a console-inspired Xbox experience to more players than ever”.
Xbox Mode makes it easier to jump into your games, with a controller-optimized full screen experience “that is built for play”. Xbox Mode’s “streamlined interface” puts your library and recently played titles within easy reach, and it also minimizes background distractions.
It lets you browse and launch games with your controller and you can access an aggregated game library, including the full game catalog from Xbox Game Pass, as well as “installed games from leading PC storefronts”.
You can jump back and forth between Xbox Mode and the Windows 11 desktop whenever you want. Xbox Mode was first introduced on Windows handhelds and was known as the “full screen experience”. Feedback that Microsoft has received from players about the initial feature set has “directly shaped Xbox Mode on Windows 11 PCs”, the company says.
To get Xbox Mode on your Windows 11 PC, go to Settings > Windows Update and turn on “Get the latest updates as soon as they are available”. Do however note that this doesn’t guarantee the availability of the feature for your device right away – Microsoft says it is gradually expanding the reach of Xbox Mode “over the next several weeks”.
