In a blink and you’ll miss it moment, Microsoft quietly announced that it would launch the new Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) to all Windows-based handheld consoles starting Friday, November 21. Plus, it could soon be coming to a PC near you.
Xbox FSE is an Xbox mode that enables users to tap into launchers like Battle.net, the Epic Game Store and Steam. The feature limits Windows 11’s power and performance overhead by not loading the full desktop or background processes which makes for smoother performance and snappier UI interactions when you’re gaming.
The full-screen mode debuted on the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally handhelds last month. Tom’s Guide computing editor Jason England described the FSE as a “stellar UI to navigate.”
Around Halloween, MSI Claw owners who are also Windows Insiders were able to download a preview of Xbox FSE. Now, though, it will be available to all Windows-based handhelds, including some of the best handheld gaming consoles like the Lenovo Legion Go S.
Additionally, Microsoft said in a blog post that it is expanding FSE to “more Windows 11 PC form factors through the Xbox and Windows Insider programs soon.” However, the company did not share more details beyond that.
Both announcements were briefly shown during today’s Xbox partner preview. Even the recap of the event on Xbox Wire is only a couple of sentences.
Tom’s Guide has reached out to Xbox for more details on Xbox FSE and its expansion to other devices and platforms. We’ll update this story if and when we hear back from Microsoft.
How to enable Xbox Full Screen Experience
Once the update hits your handheld of choice, you can enable it by going to Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience. There, select Xbox as your home app.
Afterwards, your handheld will launch straight into the Xbox PC app upon startup. This will give you access to games from all your various libraries including the Microsoft Store, Battle.net, Steam and other gaming platforms. It also includes a Game Bar to navigate between games, launchers and a handheld-friendly task view. If you need to access Windows 11 you can back out of the app and see the desktop.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
