How to use Xbox mode on your Windows PC

Xbox mode doesn't reinvent the PC gaming experience, but it has a few nice touches.

Max Miller for Engadget Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover 2026 is the year when Microsoft finally seemed to notice how nightmarish of an experience Windows 11 has become. Windows 11 has received updates to make it suck less and even new features to help it feel fresh.

One of the biggest new additions to Windows 11 is Xbox mode. It's hard not to see this as a response to Valve's SteamOS, which is increasingly spoken about in messianic tones by gamers hoping to jump ship from Microsoft's slop-laden ecosystem. When you activate Xbox mode on a PC, Windows ditches the taskbar and adopts a controller-friendly layout, dropping you into a redesigned Xbox app with all your game libraries loaded up.

Xbox mode started landing on Windows 11 PCs in May, so everyone who regularly installs updates should have it by now. But how to actually get it running isn't obvious, and neither is how to use it once you do. Before we dive in, make sure you have a gamepad connected — Xbox, PC and PlayStation controllers all work based on our testing. It will also speed up the process later on if you open your digital storefront of choice now.

Max Miller for Engadget The first step to using Windows 11's Xbox mode is to ensure that it's turned on, which it may not be by default. To do so, open Settings by using the Win + I shortcut, then select Gaming > Xbox mode .

Here, if you see an Enable Xbox mode slider, enable it. You may also see a Choose home app section, where you should select Xbox . If you want quicker access to Xbox mode from the desktop, also enable Show Xbox mode in Task View . And if you end up loving the feature and only use your PC for gaming, Enter Xbox mode on startup will save you some time.

Xbox mode is accessible through several paths. The keyboard shortcut Win + F11 toggles between the desktop and Xbox mode. You can also use Win + G to open the Game Bar, click the gear icon in the bar centered at the top of the screen, then choose Enter Xbox mode . If you're in the Xbox app, you'll see a shortcut at the top-right of the home page. Lastly, if you enabled the Task View option above, press Win + Tab and you'll see an Xbox mode shortcut to the right of your open desktops at the bottom of the screen.

While playing, pressing the Windows key on your keyboard enters a task view where you can access the Windows desktop, as well as shortcuts at the top of the screen. To exit Xbox mode, return to the Xbox app home screen and click the Exit Xbox mode button in the top-right. You can also use Win + F11 again.

A common misconception is that Xbox mode brings under-the-hood improvements to performance while gaming, but Microsoft has made no such claim. This is handled by a separate toggle: Settings > Gaming > Game Mode , which "turns things off in the background" to improve your gaming experience.