Microsoft has announced that it's planning to make its new Xbox full-screen experience generally available to all Windows 11 devices in April, and is rebranding the feature as "Xbox Mode" as it prepares the platform for the next-generation Xbox console project, codenamed Helix.
The news was announced during Microsoft's GDC keynote, where the company also unveiled a number of announcements for game developers building for Windows. It's clear that Microsoft views the future of Xbox game development and the future of Windows PC game development as sharing the same path.
Microsoft is pushing a unified Game Development Kit (GDK) that allows developers to build for PC, and by extension, have their game be ready for the next-gen Xbox. Additionally, the GDK also makes it easy for developers to compile their games for the current Gen9 series of Xbox consoles, maintaining compatibility with Xbox Series S/X hardware.
Posted by LootedToaster
17 Comments
They’re doing this, but the “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign failure was all Sarah Bond’s fault? Yeah, ok.
This is interesting! I wonder if you need to own an actual Xbox to utilise this or just game pass. If you don’t need to own an Xbox at all what’s the point of buying the new console?
Isn’t one of the potential benefits of the “Xbox Mode” better performance in games because it deactivates a lot of the current Windows bloat? That could be what wins over a lot of people if that ends being the case.
Big W here, as a PC gamer who transitioned from console not long ago.
Win11 desperately needs gaming improvements, so I’m here for it.
Xbox mode is so much better naming. I’m here for it.
Would love too see Windows PCs eventually being able to run Xbox OG and 360 titles through emulation if you own the discs or digital copies.
Perfect, unified ecosystem with the GDK, universal licensing making every new game Play Anywhere. Xbox One consoles are likely to lose native with next gen.
Just as long as it has better performance
So I could finally play Halo 5?
Looks really cool
>and is rebranding the feature as “Xbox Mode” as it prepares the platform for the next-generation Xbox console project, codenamed Helix.
This is completely unrelated to the new console.
Does this imply Helix is just a gaming PC running Xbox mode?
Remove the game mode, bring the Xbox mode. I hope that Windows will shut down unnecessary tasks effectively while on Xbox mode. And please make the OS more RAM friendly at least for Xbox mode.
This is compelling. I like it. I think someone posted if we only need gamepass or the console itself.
Any chance this will let me play my owned console games on my pc?
>Microsoft is pushing a unified Game Development Kit (GDK) that allows developers to build for PC, and by extension, have their game be ready for the next-gen Xbox. Additionally, the GDK also makes it easy for developers to compile their games for the current Gen9 series of Xbox consoles, maintaining compatibility with Xbox Series S/X hardware.
I don’t know much about this stuff, does this mean they are targeting devs making games optimized for the Xbox PC that shares similar architecture to the Series X?
full screen experience needs a lot more work before it is ready for prime time.