Microsoft is quietly turning the Xbox button on controllers into a small but consequential multitasking shortcut in Windows 11: a long press now opens Task View so gamers can switch between apps and games without leaving the controller, while a short press still opens the Game Bar and a...
accessibility
bluetooth driver
controlled feature rollout
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developer api
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insider preview
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power off
rog xbox ally
task view
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windows 11
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xbox button
Microsoft’s quiet tweak to the Xbox controller on Windows 11 — making a long press of the central Xbox button open Task View while preserving a tap for Game Bar and a sustained hold to power the controller off — is small in code but large in intent, signaling a deliberate push toward...
Microsoft is testing a small but meaningful change in Windows 11 that lets the Xbox button on controllers do more: a long press will open Task View so gamers can quickly switch between apps and games, while a short press still opens the Game Bar and a sustained hold continues to power off the...
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controller input
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task switching
task view
telemetry
third-party remappers
windows 11
windows gaming ux
windows updates
xbox button
Microsoft has quietly adjusted how the Xbox/Guide button behaves when an Xbox Wireless Controller is paired with Windows 11, turning a familiar single-action shortcut into a three-state input that now opens the Game Bar on a tap, launches Task View on a long press, and still powers the...
accessibility
bluetooth issues
cfr
controlled feature rollout
controller input
controller-first
gamebargamepad
handheld gaming
handheld windows
insider builds
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remappers
steam input
task view
windows 11
windows gaming
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xbox wireless controller
Microsoft’s latest Insider preview quietly repurposes the Xbox/Guide button into a three‑state system control: a short tap still summons the Game Bar, a long press now opens Task View, and a sustained hold continues to power the controller off — a small UX tweak that signals a deliberate push to...
Windows 11’s latest Insider flight borrows a small but decisive interaction from the emerging generation of Windows-powered handhelds: a long press of the Xbox/Guide button on a controller now opens Task View, while a short tap still summons the Game Bar and a sustained hold continues to power...
accessibility
bluetooth stability
cfr rollout
controller first
developers
enterprise security
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gamebar
handheld gaming
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remappers overlays
rog xbox ally
streamers
task view
window gestures
windows 11
xbox app
xbox button
Microsoft has quietly begun remapping the Xbox controller’s central Guide button in recent Windows 11 Insider builds so that a short tap still opens the Game Bar, a long press now opens Task View, and a sustained hold continues to power the controller off — a small input-change that signals a...
accessibility
asus rog xbox ally
bluetooth compatibility
controlled rollout
controller
controller input
controller ux
dev beta
developer guidance
full screen
gamebar
gaming hardware
gaming mode
handheld devices
handheld gaming
insider
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multi-tasking
multitasking
oem partnerships
os accessibility
os navigation
power off controller
rog xbox ally
task switching
task view
telemetry
third-party remappers
windows 11
windows gaming
windows gaming ux
windows updates
xbox button
Microsoft is quietly experimenting with a small but consequential change to how the Xbox button behaves on Windows 11: a long press of the Xbox button now opens Task View, while a short press still summons the Game Bar and a sustained hold continues to power the controller off...
accessibility
bluetooth bugcheck
cfr rollout
controller ux
driver issues
enterprise it
gamebar
gaming overlays
handheld windows
input mapping
multitasking
rog xbox ally
task view
windows 11
windows insider
xbox button
Microsoft is quietly turning the Xbox button on controllers into a native Windows multitasking tool: in the latest Windows 11 Insider builds Microsoft maps a short press of the Xbox button to open the Game Bar, a long press to open Task View (the system-level app switcher and virtual desktop...
accessibility
bluetooth
controller remap
controller ux
dev channel
gamebar
gaming ux
handheld pc
insider preview
multitasking
oem
os input
task view
windows 11
windows 11 updates
windows gaming
windows insider
xbox button
xbox controller
Microsoft is quietly remapping the Xbox controller’s central Guide/Xbox button on Windows 11 so a short press still opens the Game Bar, a long press opens Task View, and a sustained press continues to power the controller off—an apparently small change that has outsized implications for...
accessibility
bluetooth issues
button press timing
controller first
controller mapping
dev channel
gamebar
gaming ux
handheld pc
input remapping
insider preview
oem collaboration
platform convergence
rog xbox ally
system navigation
task view
windows 11
windows gaming
xbox controller
Microsoft has quietly repurposed the Xbox button on gamepads when used with Windows 11 Insiders: a long press now opens Task View while a short press still launches the Game Bar, and a press-and-hold continues to power down the controller — a small but practical tweak rolling out to Dev and Beta...
Lenovo’s newly announced Legion Go 2 will ship this October as a bigger, more expensive flagship handheld and — crucially for Windows handheld gamers — Lenovo says it will be able to run Microsoft’s new Xbox full‑screen experience starting in spring 2026, making the Legion Go 2 the first...
Microsoft’s Copilot Labs is Microsoft’s public sandbox for trying experimental Copilot features — a place where the company surfaces early, sometimes rough, generative-AI tools so real users can test them, file bugs, and shape how those features evolve before they land in the mainstream Copilot...
2d to 3d
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ai experiments
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xbox insider
Asus and Microsoft have taken the wraps off the ROG Xbox Ally family — two Windows 11 handhelds that marry ASUS’ ROG hardware design with an Xbox‑layered, controller‑first Windows experience — and they arrive on store shelves on October 16, 2025, positioning themselves as direct rivals to...
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Title: Microsoft’s new “My Apps” tab in the Xbox app for Windows: what it changes for handheld PCs and every PC gamer
TL;DR
What it is: “My Apps” is a new tab inside the Xbox app for Windows that aggregates third‑party gaming apps and utilities in one controller‑friendly place. Think...
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ayaneo
battle.net
controller-first ux
epic games store
gamebar
gaming services
gog galaxy
handheld controller
handheld pcs
launcher aggregation
lenovo legion go
multi-launcher
my apps
onexplayer
performance optimization
privacy and security
steam
windows gaming
xbox app
Microsoft and ASUS have set a firm retail date for their jointly developed handhelds — the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X — and they arrive not as simple third‑party devices but as the first mainstream proof that Microsoft intends to use Windows 11 as the foundation for a console‑like...
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auto sr
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gamebar
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mode switching
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windows 11 handheld
windows gaming
xbox game pass
Microsoft’s Xbox handheld arriving as a Windows-powered device is less an endgame than the first real, public proof that Microsoft intends to use Windows itself as the foundation of a next-generation, cross-device Xbox experience.
Background / Overview
Microsoft and ASUS announced the ROG Xbox...
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ally x
amd ryzen z2
asus partnership
auto sr
console-like ux
cross-device gaming
gamebar
handheld compatibility program
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windows 11
windows handhelds
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The ROG Xbox Ally X I tried shows genuine promise as a portable Windows gaming platform — but its success depends almost entirely on how far Microsoft and OEMs can push Windows 11 out of its desktop mindset and into a controller‑first, battery‑smart handheld experience. (press.asus.com)...
1080p 120hz
7-inch display
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battery life
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cooling system
gamebar
handheld compatibility program
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rog xbox ally x
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steam os vs windows
virgin media upgrade
windows 11 handheld
windows handheld
xbox integration
Microsoft’s move to carve a dedicated, controller-first path through Windows 11 has finally surfaced in a hands-on preview: a new Handheld Gaming Mode (sometimes referred to as a gamepad‑optimized UI) is being shown in early footage running on the ASUS‑branded Xbox Ally family, and the changes...
ally x
asus rog xbox ally
background service reduction
battery life
console style launcher
controller detection
developer guidance
gamebargamepad first ui
handheld gaming mode
handheld gaming pc
oem partnerships
oobe handheld
pc ecosystem
ryzen z2
steamos comparison
thermal design
windows 11 handheld mode
windows on handheld
xbox button
Microsoft and ASUS’ ROG Xbox Ally gives the clearest look yet at what a purpose‑built, console‑inspired Windows gaming UI feels like on a handheld — a full‑screen Xbox experience that boots into a game‑first shell, ties deeply into Game Pass and Xbox services, and pairs with ASUS’ Armoury Crate...