Xbox mode is coming to every Windows 11 PC this April

(credit: Microsoft)

• 🎮 Xbox mode has a new, simpler name, and it’s coming to all Windows PCs starting this April

• 📺 Full-screen Xbox mode that prioritizes gaming without the Windows 11 desktop and background apps

• 🗣️ Vice President of Next Generation Xbox teased that Xbox Mode will let gamers switch between two and three games in the future

• ⚒️ Microsoft’s new developer tools improve Xbox games on PC with advanced shading and shorter load times

Microsoft has announced that the full-screen Xbox mode, which debuted on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, will be coming to all Windows 11 PCs starting this April.

This new, more simply named Xbox mode puts your PC into a pared-down version of Windows with fewer background processes and fewer apps that launch automatically. More prominently, that puts the Xbox app in full screen without any visible desktop. Xbox mode doesn’t limit you to playing only Xbox games; you’ll still be able to start tiles from any launcher or the apps themselves, including Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net, and so on.

Windows updates, flashing drivers, and downloading the latest version of apps will still require switching to the Windows 11 desktop environment. If Xbox mode on a full PC works just like any PC handheld, Windows 11 will prompt you to turn back or restart in Xbox mode to retain all of its gaming optimizations.

Xbox mode may also get an upgrade and play two or three games at any time, as Jason Ronald, vice-president of next generation for Xbox, stated he wants Xbox mode to give PC users that “Xbox feeling.” Ronald also said team Xbox will be be rolling out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past – suggesting more backwards compatibility on PC.

(credit: Xbox)

Beyond Xbox mode, Microsoft is promising faster load times for all PCs by granting developers on the Xbox Store access to Advanced Shader Delivery. ASD essentially allows games to precompile shaders, reducing stutter and waiting for shaders to process while you play.

Lastly, Microsoft is also enhancing DirectStorage, a technology that speeds up game loading from NVMe SSDs. Direct storage is getting improved Zstandard compression and a new Game Asset Conditioning Library, both of which promise to make streaming larger assets faster, reduce load times, and deliver more responsive gameplay.

• Up next: The next Xbox is codenamed Project Helix, and yes, it’ll play PC games

Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.