Windows 11 Is Getting A New Xbox Controller Bar, Here's What It Does
Currently in testing on Windows Insider Preview Build 22616, the new bar provides a useful and more rapid interface to using your controller to launch your games. That's good news for anyone who uses a PC as though it were a console hooked up to a TV. It means you can go straight to launching your games from your controller, which is an added convenience.
Old Windows 11 Game Bar
This new feature does seem like it's a useful and handy edition for media-PC style owners. I have a desktop set up in my living room meant specifically for playing Forza with a controller. It does seem like it took Microsoft a long time to realize that this kind of interface would be useful on the PC though. Something like this has existed on Steam basically since the Steam Controller, and obviously it's already been a staple of consoles for years. So why did it take so long for Redmond's people to think that maybe, just maybe, some controller players might want to use their controllers to close and open their games?
Press Windows Key + G to open Xbox Game Bar without a Controller
Along with this announcement Microsoft has stated that the current Beta and Dev builds for Windows Insiders are actually the same build numbers. That effectively means that the next insider preview is inching ever-closer to being a full on release. There are a whole host of features being added beyond just a more couch-friendly Xbox Bar for Controllers.
