Technology1 min read

Xbox overhauls its PC, web, and cloud apps with a faster design

By · Via The Verge · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The revised PC client delivers dramatic speed enhancements, cutting launch times by up to 60 percent alongside faster page loading throughout the store and home screens. It also revamps game cards and moves party chat features directly onto the primary navigation screen for quicker interaction. Meanwhile, Xbox Cloud Gaming gains high-contrast accessibility options and a unified library tab combining owned titles with Game Pass. Microsoft additionally plans to update the handheld Game Bar interface in the coming months to match this new visual standard.

Key points

  • Microsoft is standardizing its gaming experience across personal computers, smart televis…: Microsoft is standardizing its gaming experience across personal computers, smart televisions, and virtual reality headsets.
  • Usability on portable gaming hardware will see further improvements through upcoming refi…: Usability on portable gaming hardware will see further improvements through upcoming refinements to the handheld Game Bar.
  • Xbox Insiders can access the PC upgrades immediately, whereas cloud gaming enhancements w…: Xbox Insiders can access the PC upgrades immediately, whereas cloud gaming enhancements will arrive in the coming weeks.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Microsoft is unveiling a new Xbox PC app that launches “up to 60 percent faster” than before, with an overhauled design to match new updates to Xbox Cloud Gaming on the web and smart TVs. Xbox Insiders will be able to start testing the updated Xbox PC app today, and the updated Xbox Cloud Gaming interface will start rolling out over the next few weeks.

Xbox overhauls its PC, web, and cloud apps with a faster design

Xbox Insiders can start testing the new PC app today.

Xbox Insiders can start testing the new PC app today.

Ever since Microsoft launched its Xbox Ally handheld devices last year, it was clear the Xbox PC app still needed a lot of work to feel more like an Xbox console experience on Windows. Microsoft has greatly simplified the app now, with a design that no longer feels like you’re clicking a mouse when you’re using a controller.

“The app now launches up to 60 percent faster,” says Jason Beaumont, VP of Xbox experiences. “Pages like Home, Store, and Game Pass load up…

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