Post ContentXbox Mode displays titles from multiple PC storefronts and supports controller-based navigation. (Image Source: Microsoft)
At the Game Developers Conference 2026, Microsoft announced that it will be bringing “Xbox Mode” to Windows 11 PCs. The tech giant also revealed its plans for Project Helix, its next-generation Xbox console. that will be able to run PC games.
But before Microsoft’s Project Helix enters the alpha stage next year, PCs running on Windows 11 will be getting the “Xbox full screen experience”.
Originally designed for portable gaming handhelds like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, which run on Windows 11, the Xbox Mode will turn your desktop PC into an Xbox home screen. Here, any PC games you play, including those purchased from other stores like Steam, Epic Games, and others, will show up. Similar to Xbox, users will be able to browse through their catalogue using a controller to select a game or launch other apps.
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As it turns out, the Xbox mode might also allow users to run and switch between multiple games. Microsoft says it is opening Advanced Shader Delivery to all Xbox developers, a technology that allows game makers to speed up load time. This is quite similar to the technique used on consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation.
In an earlier blog post, Microsoft had mentioned that users can simply exit the Xbox Mode by hitting the Windows key on their keyboard, choosing the desktop option from Task View or exiting from the Game Bar settings. However, Microsoft had stated that the Xbox Mode will be available on Windows 11 in select markets, with the first group including the US. The tech giant also hinted that it may bring classic Xbox games to PC as part of its 25th anniversary later this year.
Apart from the new Xbox Mode, Microsoft also shared details about its next-gen console codenamed Project Helix. In a keynote, a Microsoft executive said that the upcoming hardware will deliver “an order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability,” offering a more realistic, immersive and dynamic gaming experience.
