Microsoft's New Xbox App for PC Looks Like a Console

Microsoft is quietly cooking up something big for PC gamers. The company is testing a brand-new Xbox app for Windows 11, and it's ditching the old look for something that feels straight off an Xbox Series X|S console. If you've ever wished your PC gaming setup felt more like your living room console, this is for you.

According to Windows Central's Jez Corden, who got hands-on with an early build, the redesign is a serious upgrade. The same changes will also roll out to the ROG Xbox Ally handheld, so it's not just desktop players who benefit. Corden walked away impressed, calling it 'an excellent improvement by most metrics.'

Performance is the headline here. Windows Central tested the new app with a massive library of over 1,400 games, and the results were clear: loading and navigation are noticeably faster than the current version. The annoying lag that plagued the old app's menus? Gone. Corden put it simply: 'Everything is an order of magnitude faster.' That's the kind of snappy feel we all want when we're bouncing between games.

Of course, it's still an early build. Corden noted there are some bugs and missing features, but he expects the app could launch before the end of the year. Microsoft hasn't announced an official release date yet, so treat that timeline as an educated guess for now.

But the app is only part of the story. Microsoft is also giving Windows 11 itself a gaming-focused tune-up. The company is reducing background service load to help games hit higher frame rates, with some improvements slated for the 26H2 update and more optimizations still in the works. Basically, they're trying to squeeze every last drop of performance out of your system.

This all ties into the Xbox mode for Windows 11, which started rolling out in some markets in late April. That mode gives you a full-screen, controller-friendly interface that pulls together Xbox Game Pass titles along with installed games from Steam, Epic Games Store, and other platforms. You can hop back to the traditional desktop whenever you want. The new Xbox app could eventually become the default home screen for that mode, and it'll automatically scale for controller use. For now, though, Microsoft is keeping quiet on when the new app will officially drop.

What do you think of the console-style makeover? Are you excited for a faster, sleeker Xbox app on your PC, or do you prefer the classic Windows look? Let us know in the comments!