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 its next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, will also play PC games. Today we learned that Helix will go to alpha in 2027. But the company isn’t waiting for Helix before steering Windows gamers to Xbox. Starting in April, it’s bringing its full-screen Xbox mode to all types of Windows 11 PCs, including laptops, desktops, and tablets. And he renamed it “Xbox Mode”.

But if Microsoft throws its weight behind PC as the future of Xbox gaming, perhaps that will change. It certainly hasn’t stopped updating the Xbox Ally; the more expensive version now seems quite reliable, something I haven’t generally accused Windows handhelds of before.

Here at the Game Developers Conference 2026, Microsoft is also announcing that it is opening Advanced Shader Delivery to all developers in the Xbox Store, allowing them to speed up game load times by sending precompiled shaders when you download games there. (I’ve heard this is a common technique on consoles, and Valve offers precompiled shaders with Steam.)

If you consider yourself technical, you may want to check out Microsoft’s blog for more GDC announcements, including updates to DirectX (moving toward neural rendering), DirectStorage (moving game assets faster for faster load times), and graphics debugging.