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5h ago

Microsoft Rolls Out Xbox Full Screen Experience to Windows Handhelds on Nov. 21

The console-style mode boots into the Xbox app at startup, trimming Windows overhead by suppressing the Explorer shell to free roughly 2GB for games.

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Several Windows handheld gaming PCs laying down on a table. An Xbox logo is in the upper right corner of the image.
The Xbox Full Screen Experience attempts to make Windows handhelds feel more like consoles and improves performance.

Overview

  • General availability begins November 21 for Windows-based handhelds, following an initial launch on Xbox Ally devices and a preview on MSI Claw models.
  • On supported devices, users can enable the feature via Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience by setting Xbox as the home app, launching directly into the Xbox PC app that surfaces games from Microsoft Store, Steam, Battle.net, and more.
  • The experience limits background processes by not loading the Windows Explorer shell, with reported memory savings of about 2GB for gaming workloads.
  • Controller-friendly touches include automatic Compact Mode and disabled desktop notifications, and on PCs a new Settings option and an Xbox app button provide entry to the mode, which may prompt a restart for performance benefits.
  • Microsoft says it will expand support to additional Windows 11 PC form factors through the Xbox and Windows Insider programs, while a free, community tool on GitHub can enable the hidden mode on desktops today though it is unofficial.