Any PC with Windows 11 can become a next-gen Xbox (or Steam Machine) now
NOTE:
All of this is meant to replicate a "Console Experience" with any PC and using a Controller.
If you have a multi-monitor setup DO NOT use Xbox Mode as it may not work properly.
Stick with Desktop mode in that case.
Starting with Windows 11 build 26100.8328 (24H2) or 26200.8328 (25H2) which you can manually download as an update here , Microsoft officially ported the new "Xbox Mode" to all PCs, so it's not only a previously exclusive feature of ROG Xbox Ally and other handheld devices.
If you are still not seeing it popping up in Settings -> Gaming -> Xbox Mode section, you can download this app from MS Store, open it and just enter this Feature ID number, click Enable and reboot. If you still not see it appear, directly use the Xbox Mode Tool below in the guide.
What does "Xbox Mode" actually do?
When manually enabled in Xbox app, it automatically replaces the Desktop with a full screen version of Xbox app which you can configure to not only launch games downloaded from Xbox/MS Store, but also from other stores as Steam or EGS or you can even manually add any installed program in your PC as a launchable shortcut directly from Xbox app itself (so no need to go back to Desktop)
When enabled: it automatically "kills" the Desktop and other unnecessary Windows background services and processes in order to save up RAM and CPU usage and to focus resources on gaming only, improving performance and latency (but you can switch back to Desktop at any time)
It will optimize UI/UX for Xbox controllers or any controller connected with "XInput": no mouse & keyboard required. In worse case scenario (like old games or programs) where mouse is necessary, you can now enable an option in Xbox Game Bar (in Compact Mode) to control the mouse directly with the controller
More info in the video comparison here
I personally tried 12 games on my already very optimized PC (with a 7800X3D, RTX 4080, 32GB RAM DDR5 and 2TB NVMe Gen 4) and while I didn't have those stark differences, I still had a small Average fps improvement, a moderate 1% Low fps improvement and a big improvement in game pad input latency overall.
It also fixed some apparently unfixable random stuttering in (CPU bound) games like RE9 and Flight Sim 2024.
What "Xbox Mode" does NOT officially do at the moment?
It cannot be setup to automatically launch and replace the Desktop on boot (unlike ROG Xbox Ally)
If you have a Lockscreen with PIN, this can't be entered using a controller (unlike ROG Xbox Ally)
You cannot choose what to automatically launch in Xbox Mode and what to launch when entering in regular Desktop mode (unlike ROG Xbox Ally)
You cannot auto launch other Stores in full screen mode (like Steam Big Picture Mode) on boot
But you know what?
All these 4 limitations were already bypassed natively using:
Xbox Full Screen Experience Tool (Xbox Mode) v0.9.4 or newer :)
Basically all you have to do (after installing latest Windows Update and enabling Xbox Mode) is to download this tool from GitHub, open it like the screen above, make sure the "Simulate touch input" checkbox is ticked and then click "Enable Xbox Mode (FSE)".
The system will reboot and now you can enter your PIN with a Controller (!) plus if you go again in Windows 11 System -> Gaming -> Xbox Mode, you can choose the Home launcher for your PC (between Xbox Mode and None/Desktop)...
...or OmniConsole or AnyFSE (for more customizations) which are other optional/complementary software you can install if you want to auto-launch Steam in Big Picture Mode on boot instead, basically replicating a similar experience of SteamOS on any PC, or even try launching EGS o even better Playnite on boot instead! (which is what I recommend, even if it's a bit more difficult to initially setup)
Personally I will stick with my customized Playnite + AnyFSE combo for achieving the best and most "Console-like" experience while preserving the new Xbox Mode optimizations (see the video above!)
If you already applied my guides as:
PC Gaming: Optimized - The Ultimate Guide (including NVIDIA/AMD CP + G-Sync/Freesync + HDR Best Settings)
and/or
PC Gaming: Ultimate Anti-Stutter Guide (incl. Unreal Engine Universal Tweaks)
I can confirm that all of this will be compatible and will work perfectly fine ON TOP of my guides :)
Enjoy your "home made", next-gen Xbox PC or Steam Machine! ;)
-P
Comments (21)
Hello, how did you make this awesome fade animation on boot? Thanks in advance
Gamepad cursor stopped working after 2 weeks of work flawless :/ UPDATE: reinstalled “Microsoft gameinput” solve the problem;)
How do you get the splash screen to show up when exiting the game?
You also need Aniki Helper plugin and enable Splash Screen also there
Xbox mode works fine on multi monitor setups if you don't mind your secondary monitor/s being blacked out whilst you play. I mostly play singleplayer games and turn my second monitor off anyways so for myself, it's still worth using.
Good for you if its only effect is that. Many users reported driver crashes or even corruption when using multi-monitors and needed to clean reinstall drivers
If you don't mind, could you show me how you customize your Playnite setup? I noticed it's different from the video you linked, and I prefer your setup.
It's just latest version of Aniki Remake 3 and then I customized many of its 70+ options to my liking, including enabling auto-hide for both upper and lower bars, set transparencies to 0.6, using horizontal view, black theme (but now I'm using the Flat Gray theme), then you can remove a lot of buttons or functions you don't want to make it faster/cleaner. It was a long process but in the end you can really customize it as you want! I also used Custom Fade Animation plug-in and set it to PS5-style with 0ms (no) delay
Just finished setting up anyfse and playnite and I noticed heavy stutters on clair obscure which were never here before
Maybe you have installed too many plug-ins for Playnite or double check your AnyFSE settings. Try also seeing if regular Xbox Mode + Xbox App have them or not and maybe stick to that instead. In worst case go back to regular Desktop mode
For what it's worth, I've been using FSE on my gaming laptop connected to my LG and I haven't come across any issues. My laptop screen turns grey, but that's it.
UPDATE - 12/05/2026 - Guide updated including AnyFSE + Playnite configuration (which is my new recommended even if a bit more difficult to setup) - Added a video showcase of my setup!
Hi P40L0, I just started using the xbox mode without the tool. Too bad my corsair icue refuse to launch at the start of the xbox mode with the tool. Do you think that there is a big difference between the xbox mode toggle and the xbox mode at launch ?
Not sure if big but there's definitely a difference (in favor of the one at boot)
I just updated my experience so far: I personally tried 12 games on my already very optimized PC (with a 7800X3D, RTX 4080, 32GB RAM DDR5 and 2TB NVMe Gen 4) and while I didn't have those stark differences, I still had a small Average fps improvement, a moderate 1% Low fps improvement and a big improvement in game pad input latency overall. It also fixed some apparently unfixable random stuttering in (CPU bound) games like RE9 and Flight Sim 2024.
does this work on 23H2
No, 24H2 is the minimum required
If you have afterburner and fancontrol set to auto start with windows, does xbox mode turn these off?
Nope, both MSI Afterburner and RTSS overlays work perfectly fine in Xbox Mode too!
Is there a way to enable this feature on 11 IoT LTSC?
I enabled all of this on Win11 IoT LTSC 2024 without issues 😉