• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

[Verge] Microsoft’s Xbox mode is now available for all Windows 11 PCs

Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
The Xbox mode aims to bridge the gap between Windows and Xbox consoles.
Microsoft is now rolling out its Xbox mode to all Windows 11 PCs. The new Xbox mode adds a full-screen interface to the Xbox PC app, much like Steam's Big Picture Mode, and originally debuted as the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) with Asus' Xbox Ally devices.

"Some players in select markets will be able to download the Xbox mode experience today, with availability expanding to more players in those markets over the next several weeks," says the Xbox team. You'll be able to get the Xbox mode by installing the latest Windows update for Windows 11.
Xbox mode aims to try and bridge the gap between Xbox consoles and Windows, but its original debut felt like a beta on the Xbox Ally devices. "Since first introducing Xbox mode, formerly known as 'full screen experience,' on Windows handhelds, we've been listening closely to player feedback and continuing to evolve the experience across devices," says the Xbox team. "Those learnings directly shaped Xbox mode on Windows 11 PCs."

Microsoft is also rolling out improvements to the Xbox Ally X handheld today, including a preview of its Auto SR upscaling technology. Xbox console owners are also getting a new dashboard update today, with the ability to disable Quick Resume on individual games and a feature to add custom colors to the dashboard.

 
Bring on the benchmarks and comparisons.




Rubbing Hands GIF by Giphy QA
 
I have no intention of ever using Xbox Mode myself, but at least it's a better name than "Full Screen Experience". The branding has improved, let's see if the rest can follow.
 
Tobimacoss said:
The DRM is great, only DRM on PC that lets two users play simultaneously, so go get your clone.
Click to expand...
Are you sure about that? It didn't use to.

Several years ago when I did it, it was possible to have one person playing on console and one on PC at same time with my gamepass sub. But if we tried to have two people play the same game on pc at the same time it would boot out of the game with no error message after a few minutes.

So my brother and I played FH4 with just my gamepass sub (him on XBO, me on PC) but AOE: DE with us both on PC was a no go.
 
Last edited:
adamsapple said:
Bring on the benchmarks and comparisons.




Rubbing Hands GIF by Giphy QA
Click to expand...

On a Windows 11 installation with tons of bloatware, which is the vast majority, it might bring some improvements. I expect it to be more noticeable on lower end machines. But not that much on high end systems.
For people with a clean Windows 11 installation, such as LTSC or debloated with Chris Titus Tool, it might have little to no improvements.
 
Mownoc said:
Are you sure about that? It didn't use to.

Several years ago when I did it, it was possible to have one person playing on console and one on PC at same time with my gamepass sub. But if we tried to have two people play the same game on pc at the same time it would boot out of the game with no error message after a few minutes.

So my brother and I played FH4 with just my gamepass sub (him on XBO, me on PC) but AOE: DE with us both on PC was a no go.
Click to expand...
Well, were you using same account? Were you still logged into the console? Windows 10/11 allows installs on up to 10 devices. Any two of the devices can play together. So User A installs on Desktop A normally, plays with own gamertag. User A then installs on Desktop B, then User B logs in with own gamertag and can play. Try again, or also try the MS Store Family Share option.
 
Cool idea, but if it's still regular Windows underneath with random updates and popups, people are still gonna complain.
 
lastmessiah said:
I don't have it either. I keep hearing that it is coming but nothing.
Click to expand...
It's super frustrating. I want to test it out and see what it's all about but they're so random with who actually gets these features and in what order. You'd think ALL insiders would've gotten it before pushing it out to everyone, but here we are.
 
Tobimacoss said:
Well, were you using same account? Were you still logged into the console? Windows 10/11 allows installs on up to 10 devices. Any two of the devices can play together. So User A installs on Desktop A normally, plays with own gamertag. User A then installs on Desktop B, then User B logs in with own gamertag and can play. Try again, or also try the MS Store Family Share option.
Click to expand...
Yeah it was with family sharing enabled. My brother using his own account, my account being the subbed one. He could play my games on his account we just couldn't both play at the same time for multiplayer unless he used console instead of PC. IIRC it did work briefly when I first subbed but a year or two later it stopped and took us ages to work out the problem because it just looked like a crash to desktop with no message. Windows Event Viewer showed it was reporting invalid game license.

Might try it again at some point if it's supposed to be possible.
 
Last edited:
So is this only for playing games on Game Pass and the games you bought from Microsoft?

They burned me on Zune 100 years ago and I'll never buy a digital product from them again lol

I guess my question is: who is this for?
 
DarkShadowXI said:
So is this only for playing games on Game Pass and the games you bought from Microsoft?

They burned me on Zune 100 years ago and I'll never buy a digital product from them again lol

I guess my question is: who is this for?
Click to expand...

You can use it with games from other stores as well
 
DarkShadowXI said:
So is this only for playing games on Game Pass and the games you bought from Microsoft?

They burned me on Zune 100 years ago and I'll never buy a digital product from them again lol

I guess my question is: who is this for?
Click to expand...

No.

What.

Everyone who uses windows 11 for gaming, regardless of store.
 
Topher said:
The Xbox mode aims to bridge the gap between Windows and Xbox consoles.
Microsoft is now rolling out its Xbox mode to all Windows 11 PCs. The new Xbox mode adds a full-screen interface to the Xbox PC app, much like Steam's Big Picture Mode, and originally debuted as the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) with Asus' Xbox Ally devices.

"Some players in select markets will be able to download the Xbox mode experience today, with availability expanding to more players in those markets over the next several weeks," says the Xbox team. You'll be able to get the Xbox mode by installing the latest Windows update for Windows 11.
Xbox mode aims to try and bridge the gap between Xbox consoles and Windows, but its original debut felt like a beta on the Xbox Ally devices. "Since first introducing Xbox mode, formerly known as 'full screen experience,' on Windows handhelds, we've been listening closely to player feedback and continuing to evolve the experience across devices," says the Xbox team. "Those learnings directly shaped Xbox mode on Windows 11 PCs."

Microsoft is also rolling out improvements to the Xbox Ally X handheld today, including a preview of its Auto SR upscaling technology. Xbox console owners are also getting a new dashboard update today, with the ability to disable Quick Resume on individual games and a feature to add custom colors to the dashboard.

Click to expand...
Can I use Steam inside this mode?
 
CentralScrutinizer said:
This update is a myth. Was supposed to be released two weeks ago for insiders. I'm in the canary ring and I STILL never got the update.
Click to expand...
same. now i have the gay build number on the desktop lower right corner and i cant even get rid of it too. and what is worse i am trying to get out of this preview insider and i have been opting out waiting for a major release but nothing is working. what a piece of shit company.
 
adamsapple said:
No.

What.

Everyone who uses windows 11 for gaming, regardless of store.
Click to expand...
Sorry if I sounded dumb, but it sounded like Steam Big Picture to me, so I thought this was just for Microsoft Game Pass and games from their store.

I'm also battling a migraine and probably shouldn't be online lol
 
bitbydeath said:
Helix is all PC portioned.
This is the OS minus the form factor hardware.
Click to expand...
You sure about that? I don't even think MS are 100% sure what they are going to do. I'm guessing it will be an Xbox like OS with sandboxed PC game access, I don't think it is just going to be a PC with windows bigacreen.
 
I remove all the Xbox stuff with a debloater anyway, so if i somehow do get it, i'll just remove it again, good for people who use it, but i don't
 
is there a website where we can download the update manually ? or even using cmd to run it or something ? windows update is the shittest thing about windows in general. there is nothing here
 
Skyfox said:
Nah fuck Microsoft, sorry but they don't care ultimately. I want a "telemetry" free os JUST for games.

It's my hardware, my software, just FUCK OFF and let me run it without all the dogshit garbage running a zillion scripts interfering with my ping and taking recordings (that I wouldn't even allow on Xbox because performance is more important than me being their performer).

Sick of it. And it's spreading to cars and microwaves and other hardware too.

Oooh yeah I get to quieten some of that crap down for a short while then it'll be back in our faces with ads and analysis and subscriptions and games that don't pause.

Who is buying this?
Click to expand...

Literally every OS has some form of telemetry.
 
I went into settings->gaming->Xbox mode and the toggle was already on, but I can't find an option to switch to or boot into FSE. I could have sworn this existed previously.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Windows 11 Low Latency Profile mode is now available
News 
42
429
dgrdsv replied
[Windows Blogs] Play more: Xbox app is now available on Arm-based Windows 11 PCs
3
290
Tobimacoss replied
  • Poll
[Verge] Xbox is now XBOX
2 3
145
736
MisterXDTV replied
Xbox Mode Is Coming to Windows 11 in April
Platform  2 3 4
162
2K
StereoVsn replied
Xbox mode Rollin out on Windows 11 insider preview
2 3
116
1K
twilo99 replied
Top Bottom