Xbox Full Screen Experience is now available for all Windows 11 PCs

Microsoft's Xbox Full Screen Experience (or FSE) for Windows 11 debuted with the ROG Xbox Ally gaming handhelds last month, marking the first time the OS delivers a console-like, controller-friendly experience for gamers. With XBE now rolling out to more Windows 11 gaming handhelds, Microsoft is also making it available to Windows 11 Insiders to test out and use on any laptop or PC.

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The big feature is the ability to boot straight into the Xbox app and interface for a smoother, faster gaming experience. By booting straight into the Xbox app, which still gives you access to other storefronts like Steam and the Epic Game Store, the FSE also disables unneeded non-essential and non-gaming Windows 11 processes to free up system resources and memory.

"Designed for controller-first navigation, it provides a gaming-first, full-screen environment where players can easily browse and launch titles from across their game libraries- including most popular PC storefronts," Microsoft explains, "A powerful Task Switcher enables quick movement between games and apps, delivering a seamless experience."

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To get access to the Xbox Full Screen Experience, you'll need to do a couple of things. First, join the Xbox Insider program, then open the Xbox Insider Hub app and select PC Gaming Preview. Second, you'll also need to enter the Windows Insider Program and join the Beta or Dev channels. This will give you access to the Windows 11 preview and the Xbox app with the FSE option.

In addition to becoming the main interface for PC gaming handhelds running Windows 11, the expectation is that the Xbox Full Screen Experience will also serve as the main interface for Microsoft's next-gen Xbox console, which it is already hinting will be a PC hybrid device. Of course, as the first version of the FSE for Windows 11, odds are Microsoft will update, optimize, and add new features as we get closer to the next Xbox console launch.