When Windows 10X was put to rest, our team was repurposed to help with new gaming features for Windows 11!

As a PC gamer, this was great news to me!

Controller Bar

Over the course of about a year, I worked to architect, code, and ship the feature known as Controller Bar.

Controller Bar provides gaming users with quick access to their controller-friendly games without having to fuss around with a keyboard or mouse.

One tap of the “Nexus button” on the Xbox controller opens Controller Bar. From there, you can select from one of your most recently-played games, or a set of gaming-related software (like Steam, Xbox, etc.)

You can also navigate from Controller Bar to the Game Bar by selecting the “home” icon. Game Bar is an existing experience that provides access to a set of gaming-related utilities while you’re playing your games.