Microsoft’s handheld gambit has quietly moved from concept to something you can try on your own device: a controller‑first, full‑screen “Xbox” experience built into Windows 11 is rolling out as part of the platform’s handheld work, and enthusiasts are already using the new handheld view and...
25h2
ally x
asus
compact mode
controller-first
game bar
handheld compatibility
handheld experience
handheld mode
handheld shell
handheld ux
insider builds
oem integration
performance tradeoffs
rog ally
windows 11
windowsgamingwindows pc app
xbox mode
Microsoft’s Xbox app on Windows 11 has quietly evolved from a Game Pass storefront into a genuine, controller-friendly gaming hub capable of listing and launching installed titles from Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net and more — and the company is now rolling key pieces of that work out to wider...
aggregated gaming library
aggregated library
anti cheat
anti-cheat
battle.net
cloud continuity
cloud gaming
cloud play history
cloud streaming
console-like ux
controller friendly
controller ux
cross-device gaming
cross-device play
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drm
drm anti-cheat
epic games
epic games store
game launcher
game pass
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gog
gog galaxy
handheld gaming
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insiders
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interoperability
jump back in
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launcher fragmentation
microsoft store
multi-store launchers
my apps
my library
pc gaming
pc gaming preview
play history
playnite
privacy
steam
storefront aggregation
storefront integration
telemetry privacy
third-party stores
windows 11
windows 11 gamingwindowsgamingwindows handhelds
xbox pc app
Microsoft’s Xbox app for Windows has quietly evolved into a single‑surface launcher that pulls installed games from Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net and other PC storefronts into one “My Library” — and with the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds arriving in October, the timing could reshape how many Windows...
aggregated gaming library
anti-cheat
battle.net
cloud gaming
cross-device play
drm
epic games store
gog galaxy
handheld gaming
launcher handoffs
metadata gaps
multi-store gaming
my apps
my library
rog xbox ally
steam
ubisoft connect
windowsgaming
xbox insider
xbox pc app
Windows 11 Insiders on the Dev Channel are getting a small but significant usability upgrade: Dev build 26220.6682 introduces a new three‑state behavior for the Xbox (Guide) button on connected controllers — a quick tap opens the Xbox Game Bar, a long press now brings up Task View, and a...
accessibility
console navigation
controller navigation
controller-first
dev channel
game bar
gamepad ux
gaming on windows
handheld gaming
handheld pc
insider preview
os input mapping
task view
ui ux
windows 11
windowsgaming
xbox accessories
xbox button
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
controller first
controller mapping
developer api
game bar
handheld gaming
insider preview
multitasking
oem collaboration
power off
rog xbox ally
task view
ui ux
windows 11
windowsgamingwindows insider
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
game bar
gamepad
handheld gaming
handheld windows
insider builds
living room pc
remappers
steam input
task view
windows 11
windowsgamingwindows insider
xbox button
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...
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
game bar
gaming hardware
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handheld devices
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insider program
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
windowsgamingwindowsgaming ux
windows updates
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
game bar
gaming ux
handheld pc
insider preview
multitasking
oem
os input
task view
windows 11
windows 11 updates
windowsgamingwindows 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
game bar
gaming ux
handheld pc
input remapping
insider preview
oem collaboration
platform convergence
rog xbox ally
system navigation
task view
windows 11
windowsgaming
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...
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...
asus rog ally
ayaneo
battle.net
controller-first ux
epic games store
game bar
gaming services
gog galaxy
handheld controller
handheld pcs
launcher aggregation
lenovo legion go
multi-launcher
my apps
onexplayer
performance optimization
privacy and security
steam
windowsgaming
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...
512gb m.2 ssd
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amd ryzen ai z2 extreme
amd ryzen z2 a
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console like ux
game bar
handheld compatibility program
handheld gaming
lpddr5x 6400
mode switching
npu
pc library on handheld
rog xbox ally
rog xbox ally x
shader delivery
thermal design
windows 11 handheld
windowsgaming
xbox game pass
Microsoft is rolling out a targeted update that begins to change how the Xbox PC app behaves on Arm®-based Windows 11 devices, and for the first time Microsoft is letting Insiders download and run more PC titles locally on ARM hardware rather than relying solely on cloud streaming. This shift —...
anti-cheat
anti-cheat compatibility
arm devices
arm windows 11
arm-windows-11
arm64
arm64 gaming
auto-sr
battleye
cloud gaming
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drm
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windows 11
windowsgamingwindows insider
windows on arm
windows-on-arm
works-on-woa
xbox
xbox insider hub
xbox pc app
xbox-pc cohesion
xbox-pc-app
Microsoft has thrown open the doors to a new frontier in gaming assistance with the arrival of Gaming Copilot, now available for early testing in the Windows 11 Game Bar. This innovative AI-powered tool reimagines how gamers interact with their PCs, blending contextual understanding, hands-free...
ai assist
ai gaming assistance
ai in gaming
ai integration
ai technology
ai tools
game analytics
game assistance
game assistance tools
game bar
game overlay
game tech
gaming accessibility
gaming ai
gaming copilot
gaming innovation
handheld gaming
immersive gaming
in-game help
in-game support
interactive ai
microsoft
pc gaming
realtime game tips
screenshot analysis
visual assistance
voice guidance
voice interaction
windows 11
windowsgaming
xbox ecosystem
xbox insiders
Microsoft’s newest leap in AI-powered gaming support arrives on PC with the beta launch of Gaming Copilot for Xbox Insiders, bringing a suite of smart, real-time assistance features directly into the familiar Game Bar. Designed to function as a persistent, context-aware companion, this move...
accessibility
ai assistance
ai in gaming
game bar
game experience
game optimization
game tips
gaming copilot
gaming innovation
gaming technology
gaming tools
in-game support
microsoft
pc gaming
personalized gaming
real-time help
screenshot analysis
voice commands
windowsgaming
xbox insiders
As the decade-long journey of Windows 10 is commemorated, the tech landscape finds itself reflecting on an era that redefined Microsoft's approach to both consumers and enterprise users. From bold intuitive enhancements to controversial shifts in policy, the anniversary comes at a pivotal...
edge browser
microsoft
microsoft edge
open source windows
tech industry
windows 10
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windows 11 se
windows development
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windowsgamingwindows hardware
windows migration
windows on arm
windows performance
windows privacy
windows support
windows update
winui open source
Windows 10 has officially reached a decade in the ever-accelerating world of operating systems—a milestone that offers both cause for celebration and a candid assessment of progress, pitfalls, and the shifting sands of the personal computing landscape. A recent episode of “Windows Weekly,”...
ai in windows
microsoft 365
microsoft leadership
microsoft windowswindows 10
windows 11
windows ai
windows as a service
windows desktop
windows development
windows ecosystem
windows features
windowsgamingwindows innovation
windows insider
windows personalization
windows privacy
windows security
windows tips
windows updates
Windows 10’s tenth anniversary feels both nostalgic and consequential—a decade since the operating system first offered users a reprieve from the confusion of Windows 8 and the promise of a unified, modern desktop experience. On July 29, 2015, the world watched Microsoft reposition itself, not...
ai in windows
digital transformation
microsoft
microsoft copilot
operating system
tech history
tech nostalgia
upgrade challenges
windows 10
windows 10 features
windows 10 update
windows 11
windows anniversary
windows end of life
windows evolution
windowsgamingwindows market share
windows migration
windows security
windows support
Microsoft has recently lifted a compatibility hold that previously prevented users with Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) software from upgrading to Windows 11 version 24H2. This decision follows the release of update KB5063060, which addresses critical issues that had been causing system instability for...
anti-cheat software
blue screen of death
bsod
eac
easy anti-cheat
game security
gaming compatibility
gaming performance
intel alder lake
kb5063060
microsoft update
out-of-band update
system compatibility
system crashes
system stability
windows 11
windows 24h2
windowsgamingwindows update