Disable or Remove Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11: Settings or PowerShell

Background / Overview​

Quick reality check: performance and privacy tradeoffs​

• Xbox Game Bar runs background components and can be terminated or blocked from background execution via Settings; users report it consumes a small but steady amount of CPU when active. For many modern PCs this is negligible; on low‑spec devices it sometimes translates into a small FPS difference.
• The overlay interacts with capture and audio features. If you’re concerned about automatic captures, voice widgets, or cloud‑assisted features, disabling or removing the Game Bar reduces the surface area for those capabilities. However, removing the Game Bar also removes built‑in quick recording, the performance widgets, and some social features that some users rely on.

Overview of removal and repair options​

• Disable (Settings): Stop it from running or accepting hotkeys — least risky, reversible.
• Uninstall / remove per user (PowerShell / Settings): Removes the app package for the current user. Reversible by reinstalling from the Microsoft Store.
• Image / provisioning removal (DISM, Remove‑AppxProvisionedPackage): Prevents the package from provisioning into new user accounts (advanced; test before deployment).

Method 1 — Disable Xbox Game Bar via Settings (recommended first)​

Steps (GUI)​

• Press Windows + I to open Settings.
• Go to Apps > Installed apps (or Apps > Installed apps / Apps & features on some builds). Search for “Xbox Game Bar” or “Game Bar.”
• Click the three dots (⋯) on the Game Bar entry and choose Advanced options.
• Under Background app permissions, set the option to Never. This blocks the Game Bar from running background components.
• Scroll down and click Terminate to stop any currently running Game Bar processes. After termination, pressing Win + G should no longer open the overlay.

Why start here​

Method 2 — Remove Xbox Game Bar for the current user (PowerShell)​

Steps (per‑user uninstall)​

• Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell as the user (Admin not strictly required for per‑user removal).
• Run this command to remove the Game Bar package for the current user:

Notes and cautions​

• This is a per‑user change. If you create a new account or sign in as a different user, Game Bar may still appear if it’s provisioned in the Windows image. For system‑wide removal see the advanced section below.
• Avoid copy‑pasting unfamiliar elevated scripts; inspect commands before running them. It’s good practice to create a restore point or backup before making system‑level changes.

Method 3 — Remove Xbox Game Bar for all users and stop reprovisioning (advanced)​

Steps (all users + deprovision)​

• Open Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
• To list provisioned Appx packages and search for Xbox entries, you can run:

• One commonly used DISM pipeline removes any provisioned Xbox packages automatically (paste all lines at once if running in PowerShell):

dism /Online /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages | `
  Select-String PackageName | `
  Select-String xbox | `
  ForEach-Object {$_.Line.Split(':')[1].Trim()} | `
  ForEach-Object { dism /Online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:$_ }

• Alternatively, the PowerShell provisioning approach:

Get-ProvisionedAppxPackage -Online |
  Where-Object { $_.PackageName -match "xbox" } |
  ForEach-Object { Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage -Online -PackageName $_.PackageName }

• After removing provisioned packages, remove installed packages for all users (if necessary):

• Restart the PC to ensure the changes take effect. fileciteturn0file0turn0file2

Important warnings​

• Removing provisioned packages changes the base image and can be irreversible for that image; test on a non‑production image first. Windows feature updates or OEM provisioning can behave differently across builds — expect variance and test thoroughly.
• Group Policy, Intune, or other management tooling may block or reintroduce packages; coordinate with your IT team if this device is domain‑joined or managed.

Alternative CLI: DISM, Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage, and Get‑AppxPackage variants​

• Per‑user removal: Get‑AppxPackage | Remove‑AppxPackage.
• All existing users: Get‑AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove‑AppxPackage -AllUsers.
• Stop future provisioning for new accounts: Remove‑AppxProvisionedPackage or DISM /Remove‑ProvisionedAppxPackage.

Repair, Reset, and Reinstall — safer first steps​

• Settings path: Settings > Apps > Installed apps > find Xbox Game Bar > Advanced options → Repair, then Reset if Repair fails. Reset clears local app data but usually preserves captured files (Videos\Captures). fileciteturn0file16turn0file18
• Reinstall: If you removed the package and want it back, reinstall from the Microsoft Store or use winget (if available). Example winget commands exist but catalog IDs vary; fall back to the Store if winget can’t find it. fileciteturn0file16turn0file2

Winget and third‑party uninstallers: pros and cons​

• winget: Convenient if you manage packages with Windows Package Manager. Use winget uninstall Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay when the package is registered in the winget catalog. Catalog names can change, so winget occasionally fails to find the package; have a PowerShell fallback ready.
• Third‑party uninstallers: Tools like IObit or Revo may detect and remove built‑in packages and cleanup leftover files, but they are third‑party and sometimes aggressive. If you choose a third‑party tool, use a reputable product and create a system restore point first. For most users, built‑in PowerShell/Settings methods are preferable for transparency and safety.

Recovery and reinstallation notes​

• Captures and recordings: Resetting Game Bar does not typically delete capture files located at C:\Users\<username>\Videos\Captures. Double‑check your capture path before resetting or uninstalling if recordings matter.
• Reinstall: Reinstall from Microsoft Store or re‑register the Appx package via PowerShell:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay |
  Foreach { Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" }

Enterprise and imaging guidance​

• Prefer disabling the overlay via Group Policy or Intune profiles if you want a reversible, managed approach that does not alter images. This keeps the package available for re-enablement but prevents runtime and UI exposure for users.
• If removing for an image, remove the provisioned Appx packages from the base image using DISM or Remove‑AppxProvisionedPackage. Test across feature updates and document the change so that future servicing or updates aren’t surprised by re‑provisioning.
• Be aware that organization policies, Microsoft 365 app provisioning, or OEM customizations can reintroduce app packages. Coordinate with desktop‑management teams and maintain a lab where you validate the removal and update behavior before wide deployment.

Practical troubleshooting scenarios and recommended flows​

• Overlay opens accidentally or interferes with a game (best first action): Disable the overlay in Settings (Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Xbox Game Bar → Off) and test. If the issue disappears, consider per‑user uninstall.
• Game Bar is buggy (won’t open, shows ms‑gamebar protocol errors): Repair → Reset via Settings. If that fails, re‑register via PowerShell.
• Game Bar reappears after removal or after creating new user accounts: Remove provisioned packages from the image with DISM/Remove‑AppxProvisionedPackage. Test on non‑production images first.
• You need a lean image for labs/kiosks: Remove provisioned packages and confirm Group Policy/Intune settings won’t re‑introduce the app. Maintain documentation for future OS servicing.

Common pitfalls and safety checklist​

• Don’t use -AllUsers or provisioning commands unless you understand the scope. These commands affect all accounts or the image and may be difficult to roll back.
• Create a system restore point or full image backup before running image‑level removals. Test changes in a lab image before production deployment.
• Avoid copying unknown scripts from the internet into an elevated terminal. Inspect commands, particularly anything that loops through packages or removes provisioned packages.

Step‑by‑step quick reference (copy‑ready)​

• Disable background (Settings): Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Xbox Game Bar → Advanced options → Background app permissions: Never → Terminate.
• Repair/Reset (safe troubleshooting): Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Xbox Game Bar → Advanced options → Repair / Reset.
• Per‑user uninstall (PowerShell): Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay | Remove-AppxPackage.
• All users / image deprovision (Admin): Use Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage or DISM pipelines to remove provisioned Game Bar packages, then remove installed packages for all users. Restart and validate. fileciteturn0file5turn0file0
• Reinstall / re‑register: Microsoft Store or PowerShell Add‑AppxPackage / Register flow.

Final analysis — is uninstalling worth it?​

Conclusion​