Xbox overhauls its PC, web, and cloud apps with a faster design - The Verge
By Google News Technology ·
Microsoft is unveiling a new Xbox PC app that launches “up to 60 percent faster” than before, with an overhauled design to match new updates to Xbox Cloud Gaming on the web and smart TVs. Xbox Insiders will be able to start testing the updated Xbox PC app today, and the updated Xbox Cloud Gaming interface will start rolling out over the next few weeks. Ever since Microsoft launched its Xbox Ally handheld devices last year, it was clear the Xbox PC app still needed a lot of work to feel more like an Xbox console experience on Windows. Microsoft has greatly simplified the app now, with a design that no longer feels like you’re clicking a mouse when you’re using a controller. [Image: The new Xbox PC app has been redesigned to run faster. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/XBOX-PC-App-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] “The app now launches up to 60 percent faster,” says Jason Beaumont, VP of Xbox experiences. “Pages like Home, Store, and Game Pass load up to 50 percent faster, and in-app windows open up to 65 percent faster.” The Xbox PC app also has simplified navigation that should make it easier to use on a controller, and the library section now has updated filters and better ways to organize your installed games. Microsoft has improved the social parts of the Xbox PC app, too, with friends now listed in the main page and quick buttons to start a chat or join a party. The app overall feels less like a web one now, 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 this feel more like an Xbox dashboard experience. [Image: The new Xbox Cloud Gaming web experience is similar to the Xbox PC app…
Originally published by Google News Technology
