Xbox Game Bar

The Xbox Game Bar is a customizable gaming overlay that comes pre-installed with Windows 10/11, accessible through the Win+G shortcut. It is compatible with most PC games and provides a range of features such as screen capture and sharing, LFG for finding new teammates, and chatting with Xbox friends across Xbox console, mobile, and PC - all while you're still in-game.

By opening the Xbox Game Bar for PC, you can easily manage all your favorite gaming activities on your Windows 10/11 device. Additionally, it provides customization options that allow you to quickly switch between your game and other preferred activities.

When you launch the Game Bar, a range of Xbox gaming activities will be displayed, and you can select a feature from the Widget Menu to pop up as a widget. Many of these widgets can be resized, moved, or pinned to your screen, offering flexibility and ease of use.

How to open Xbox Game Bar?

Press the Windows logo key Win + G to open the Game Bar over your game, app, or desktop.

Activities

Widget menu (1) – Select the Widget menu icon to open a list of activities to choose from.
Mouse click-through (2) – Click-through ensures that all mouse activity will go through a pinned widget and straight to the underlying game or app. Select the mouse icon to enable or disable click-through.
Settings (3) – Select the Settings icon to adjust preferences such as your accounts, keyboard shortcuts, and what notifications you want to receive.
Audio (4) – Get the perfect mix by adjusting the sound levels of your game, chat, and background apps.
Capture (5) – Record a clip or take a screenshot when something awesome happens. For more info, see:

Use the app to capture game clips and screenshots on Windows

From the developer (6) – Stay in the know from the creators of your favorite games.
Gallery (7) – Your game clips and screenshots will show up here.
Looking for Group (8) – Use Looking for Group to find players for your favorite multiplayer games. For more info, see:

Use Xbox Game Bar to play and chat with friends

Performance (9) – Track your game’s frames-per-second (FPS) and other real-time stats. For more info, see:

Track your PC’s performance with the desktop app

Resources (10) – See what apps and processes are using system resources to help you optimize gaming performance.
Spotify (11) – Link your Spotify account to rock your games with your favorite songs. For more info, see:

Use Spotify in Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10/11

Xbox Achievements (12) – Track your games’ progress and see what you’ve unlocked.
Xbox Chat (13) and Xbox Social (14) – Start a text or voice chat, on one or in a group. Connect with friends or make new ones and join a friend’s PC game or invite them to join yours.

Use Xbox Game Bar to play and chat with friends

Widget Store (15) – Looking for more Game Bar widgets? Get them here.

What does Xbox Game Bar do?

The Xbox Game Bar by Microsoft is specifically designed for capturing gameplay, so you'll need to start playing a game on Windows 10 before you can begin recording. It's important to note that this feature is only available in Windows 10 build 1903, so it won't work in later versions. Once you've started playing the game, start recording by opening the Game Bar and getting the game up and running.

Opening the overlay to start recording gameplay is a simple process that doesn't involve any complicated procedures. To do this, just press the Windows logo key + G hotkey. This will allow you to manage the active overlays by toggling them on and off according to your preferences.

If the Game Bar doesn't appear, it's likely because the game isn't recognizing the keyboard shortcut or controller button being pressed. Fortunately, there are simple solutions to this problem. The Game Bar can be accessed while playing the game in windowed mode, but it may stop capturing or disappear from the screen when you switch to full screen.

PROS

• Real-time video game footage capture
• Ability to manage all active overlays
• Ability to record gameplay and take screenshots
• Compatible with both keyboard and controllers
• Frequent updates and improvements from Microsoft
• Supports multiple games and apps

CONS

• Requires a Microsoft account to access all features
• Some features may not work well with certain games
• Not available on older versions of Windows

Conclusion

All in all, the Xbox Game Bar is a powerful and customizable tool built into Windows 10/11 that offers a range of features for PC/Laptop gamers. It allows you to access widgets for screen capture, LFG, and chatting with Xbox friends, all while you're in-game. With its customization options, you can easily switch between your favorite activities and your game, providing a seamless gaming experience.

The Xbox Game Bar is an excellent addition to Windows 10/11 for gamers who want to enhance their gaming experience and streamline their gaming activities.