Microsoft’s Xbox Mode is coming to every Windows 11 PC

Microsoft seems more determined than ever to combine Xbox and Windows — so much so that the next generation of Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, You will also play computer games. Today we learned The alpha helix will go away in 2027. But the company isn’t waiting for Helix before pointing Windows gamers in the direction of Xbox. Starting in April, it will offer full-screen Xbox mode for all types of Windows 11 PCs, including laptops, desktops, and tablets. It has been renamed “Xbox Mode”.

But if Microsoft puts its full weight behind PC as the future of Xbox gaming, perhaps that will shake up the change. It certainly hasn’t stopped updating Xbox Ally; The more expensive version now seems quite reliablewhich is not something Windows laptops in general have been accused of before.

Here at the 2026 Game Developers Conference, Microsoft also says it will open its doors Advanced shading delivery For all developers in the Xbox Store, allowing them to speed up game load times by sending pre-compiled shaders when downloading games there. (I heard it’s a popular technology on consoles, and that Valve offers pre-compiled shaders with Steam.)

This suggests it will be bringing classic Xbox games to PC as well: “As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, we’ll be rolling out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past.”

If you consider yourself technical, you might want to check this out Microsoft blog post More GDC announcements, including updates to DirectX (move towards neural rendering), DirectStorage (fast-moving game assets for faster loading times) and graphics bug fixes.