Windows 11 Insiders get Xbox controls and expanded search tools
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider builds add new search tools and quick settings for Xbox mode. The changes aim to make common controls and tasks easier to reach without interrupting gaming, while expanding what users can find and do through search.
Xbox mode shortcuts provide access to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and power settings. Search can filter by files, actions or web results, and handle tasks such as adjusting brightness or volume and acting on a connected phone, including making calls. Results may show file details, stock charts or weather forecasts, and users can rate results with thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons. The features are available to Insiders in Beta Build 26220.9836 and Experimental Build 26340.9843.
In short
- Xbox mode adds quick access to key device settings.
- Windows search can filter results and perform actions.
- The features are available in two Insider builds.
Explained simply
Windows 11 is Microsoft’s operating system for personal computers. Its Insider programme lets volunteers try features before they are offered to the wider public, so changes in these builds may still be revised.
Xbox mode is a set of gaming-focused controls in Windows, designed to make settings easier to reach while playing. Search is also built into Windows, helping people find files and settings or look up information. These tools matter because they affect how quickly users can manage a PC and find what they need without leaving what they are doing.
Microsoft develops Windows and decides which features are tested through the Insider programme. The reported changes are in Beta and Experimental builds, which are separate testing channels; their availability there does not establish when or whether they will reach all Windows users.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Windows 11 tries new shortcuts for Xbox gaming mode and search”.