May Updates for the Xbox App on PC

Earlier this month, we shared that PC Game Pass is now available in 40 new countries, the ability to take the expansive Game Pass library everywhere you go with the Asus ROG Ally, and the new PC Game Pass Friend Referral program where you can invite your friends and play together. You can find Friend Referral invitations on the Game Pass Home screen in the Xbox App on PC, just click the “Give PC Game Pass” button to share with up to 5 friends.

Now, we’re excited to share the latest Xbox app update to improve your PC gaming experience. Let’s explore the new features and improvements.

Improved Discovery with Updated Game Card, Filtering, and New Collections

We’ve updated game cards throughout the app to give you more information and convenience. Now, you can see the game’s title along with contextual metadata like publisher, pricing, HowLongToBeat time, coming to Game Pass date, leaving Game Pass date for those games leaving soon, and more! You will see all this information as you browse through games in the app. We have also made it easier for you to filter and sort game collections and your library with new filter options, including accessibility features and game ratings, as well as introducing HowLongToBeat as a new sorting option. This way, you can easily find the games you love and discover new ones that match your preferences. 

Speaking of discovering new games to play, we have new collections to help you find that next game. Want to play what’s currently popular in your region? Check out the Trending collection. We’re also bringing you new collections powered by HowLongToBeat. You will soon see collections such as “Take a game break”, which highlights games that take less than 5 hours to complete, or “Clear your schedule”, which introduces a collection of games which will require more time to complete.

New Accessibility Options & Menu

Another important update focuses on unifying your accessibility settings, ultimately elevating your PC gaming experience. The new centralized location allows you to customize your accessibility settings, such as enabling or disabling animations and background images, or customizing the ability to browse for games by accessibility features. We have made it easier for you to manage all these settings, as well as PC gaming-related settings in one place. To learn more, check out this short video.

At-a-Glance Social

Now, you can keep your friends list, chat, and party windows up even while you’re in game! If you have two desktops, simply drag these windows onto the desktop that’s not in a full-screen game and continue to stay updated with your friends, all at-a-glance.

Instead of a dedicated tab, enjoy seeing all your online friends at-a-glance in a streamlined friends list at any time and even pop it out on your desktop to always be ready for multiplayer gaming with your favorite people. Simply click on an active friend to open a chat window and begin chatting with them, all while browsing for your next favorite game.

We’ve made it easier than ever to discover and add new friends directly from the friends list. See everyone you’ve recently played with on one click or link your Steam account to bring your friends into the Xbox ecosystem to play together.

This feature is only available to our Insiders audience, sign up today to get access to the latest.

Thank you for continuing to provide us your feedback. We are listening to improve your gaming experience with the Xbox App on PC. Keep dropping your comments in the Feedback Hub, to us on Twitter @XboxGamePassPC or the Xbox Insiders Reddit.