Xbox has announced a new update for Game Bar, its gameplay overlay feature that lets players capture video footage and manage their games. It’s called Compact Mode and it’s currently only available for Xbox Insiders currently enrolled in PC Gaming Preview–at east for ow.
Compact Mode simplifies the Game Bar and makes it easier to use on small screens, controllers, and Windows handhelds. All players have to do is go to “Settings,” then under “General,” turn on the “Compact Mode” toggle.
In Compact Mode, players can use a controller to easily switch between widgets with the left and right bumpers, as well as view any running and recently played games on the Home widget. Game lauchers such as Steam, EA Play, and Ubisoft Connect can also be easily accessed.
Additionally, players can now quit a game by going to the Home widget, selecting it, and then pressing close. This is a faster way to do so than quitting from the game itself or going back to the desktop or home screen.
Xbox Game Bar is one of the easier ways to record gameplay while playing on PC, and this new update now makes the feature more intuitive for smaller screens. Xbox Cloud Gaming is also now available on other devices like Fire TV 4K Sticks, which means a console isn’t even required to play Xbox games.