Microsoft is unveiling a new Xbox PC app that launches “up to 60% faster” than before, with a revamped design to match new Xbox Cloud Gaming updates on the web and on smart TVs. Xbox Insiders will be able to start testing the updated Xbox PC app today, and the updated Xbox Cloud Gaming interface will begin rolling out over the coming weeks.
Since Microsoft launched its Xbox Ally handheld devices last year, it was clear that the Xbox PC app still needed a lot of work to feel more like an Xbox console experience on Windows. Microsoft has now significantly simplified the app, with a design that no longer feels like clicking a mouse when using a controller.
“The app now launches up to 60% faster,” said Jason Beaumont, vice president of Xbox Experiences. “Pages like Home, Shop, and Game Pass load up to 50% faster and in-app windows open up to 65% faster. » The Xbox PC app also features simplified navigation that should make it easier to use on a controller, and the library section now offers updated filters and better ways to organize your installed games.
Microsoft has also improved the social portions of the Xbox PC app, with friends now listed on the main page and quick buttons to start a chat or join a party. Overall, the app feels less like a web app, with what appears to be a mix of native and web elements. Microsoft has also refreshed the Game Card UI, as well as the home and settings sections. Even the animations have been updated to make it feel more like an Xbox dashboard experience.
I’ve been using this new Xbox PC app for a few weeks and it’s noticeably faster on a variety of devices I own. I found that it’s much easier to navigate with a controller and the search interface no longer tries to appear when you move between sections.
However, this redesign makes the Game Bar interface on handhelds look a bit out of place now. I understand that Microsoft is looking to improve this in the coming months, and there should be design updates to more closely match this updated Xbox PC app.
This new user interface is also coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming. “We’re also bringing the refreshed Xbox web experience to more gamers and rolling out updates to Xbox Cloud Gaming apps on supported TVs and VR headsets,” says Beaumont. “These changes are part of our work to make Xbox faster, simpler, and more familiar wherever you play.”
The refreshed web version of Xbox Cloud Gaming has a similar look and feel to the Xbox PC app. A new Library tab highlights cloud games in your own library and Xbox Game Pass. A desktop mode makes better use of larger screens, and you can choose between dark and light modes, as well as five new high-contrast options designed to improve accessibility support.
A similar design will also soon be available on smart TVs and VR headsets, but these designs are not exactly the same on PC, web and smart TVs because Microsoft has customized them. “Playing on a PC, TV, or VR headset is different, and each experience needs to work well for the display you’re using,” says Beaumont. “Wherever you play, the basics should feel familiar: finding your games, knowing what you can play, and getting into a game quickly.”
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