I like to forget that the Xbox Game Bar even exists. I've wrestled with it enough, taking over my screen when I reflexively press the Xbox button on my controller, and the utilities Microsoft offers through Game Bar don't offer anything I haven't set up with more feature-rich third-party apps. The latest update to the overlay makes it more appealing and much easier to use, especially if you're flicking around with Compact Mode.

A much-needed facelift for Game Bar

Baby steps

Alongside updates to Xbox Cloud Gaming and rewards for Game Pass members, Microsoft revealed an overhaul for the Xbox Game Bar. The update is mostly visual. Microsoft redesigned the various widgets you can drag around and pin on your screen, but more importantly, it improved controller navigation when using the Game Bar. In its default configuration, you can flick around to the various widgets you have open. Pressing A will focus that widget and allow you to navigate its settings with your controller.

It's a fine update, though it can get a little messy flicking around to your different widget windows if you have several open. More useful for controller users is Compact Mode. Just like the Xbox App on Windows, you can use Compact Mode with the Xbox Game Bar. Unlike the normal overlay, Compact Mode is designed for controllers first. You get a main navigation tab where you can cycle through your widgets and settings, rather than focusing and unfocusing multiple windows that are clearly designed for mouse navigation.

Compact Mode looks great now, and it's super responsive when you're using a controller. A big addition to Compact Mode is the widget store, which now allows you to browse and install widgets with a controller. I'd forgive you if you didn't even know a widget store existed for the Xbox Game Bar. There are a few useful third-party additions, from Razer Cortex to Spotify, but the widget store is still pretty barebones. For instance, there isn't a Discord widget; Microsoft instead thinks you somehow want to use Teams when you're playing games with friends.

I probably won't use the Xbox Game Bar much on my desktop -- I'd rather use the Steam overlay or some performance overlay preset I have through RTSS -- but the update is a huge boon for Windows-based handhelds like the ROG Ally X. There's even an Armoury Crate widget available through the Xbox Game Bar, so you can quickly tab over to your handheld interface without returning to the desktop.

Microsoft has been taking baby steps toward improving the handheld experience of Windows for the last year or so. It's come a long way, but Windows still isn't ideal for a handheld gaming experience. Thankfully, SteamOS forks like Bazzite are looking to change that, while community mods like Winhanced look to improve the Windows experience.