A new optimized Xbox experience is coming to Windows 11 devices in select markets in April 2026. No firm release date has been set.
Xbox is currently undergoing a transitional period. Recently, Phil Spencer retired, and Asha Sharma has taken over as the CEO of Microsoft Gaming. The next phase for Xbox has been in the works for some time and will involve a device that aims to more closely merge the gaming console experience with that of a PC.
Sharma recently mentioned that the next generation of Xbox hardware, still referred to as Project Helix, is on track, and efforts to integrate the Xbox interface and experience into PC devices are ongoing.
Xbox Mode is Coming to Windows 11
During GDC, it was announced that Xbox Mode would be coming to Windows 11 devices in April. The devices shown on screen ranged from desktops and laptops to the ROG Ally Xbox handheld devices.
The mode will provide a full-screen Xbox interface for desktops and laptops, and desktops that can be switched on and off. The new mode will also bring features from the Xbox Ally handheld devices to desktop and PC, and aims to optimize the Xbox gaming experience overall, perhaps getting one step closer to “everything” being an Xbox.
For more announcements from GDC, check out the latest on Project Helix. Click here to learn when you might see next-generation Xbox hardware.
How do you feel about Xbox mode coming to Windows desktops and laptops? Sound off in our official Discord server. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
