Xbox Mode on Windows 11 does not support multiple monitors, full screen gaming mode disables secondary screens when active

Xbox Mode on PC aims to provide a "no compromises" gaming experience, putting all of your games in front of a controller-friendly full-screen interface mimicking Steam Big Picture mode. However, there is one compromise that Windows gamers have discovered: Xbox Mode does not support multi-monitor PC setups. User "Kidsmoove" on X posted a video showing Xbox Mode working on just their main screen, with their secondary screen completely blacked out.

Microsoft did not officially confirm whether or not Xbox Mode would support multiple displays, but the concept of the full-screen gaming mode alone somewhat implies that multiple monitors would not be supported. Microsoft also added performance optimizations baked into Xbox Mode at startup that stop programs from starting automatically, further suggesting that the lack of multi-monitor support was a conscious decision by Microsoft and not an afterthought. Having multiple monitors active does steal away system resources from games, even if the displays are showing nothing but the desktop.

One of the perks of PC gaming is the fact that you can have multiple monitors at your disposal, even while you have a game running. Having a YouTube video, music, Discord, a web browser, and many other apps visible on other monitors can be handy while you're gaming.

Windows has even been designed around this type of workload as well, now that borderless windowed mode has replaced classic full-screen mode. Alt-tabbing no longer boots you out of your game and allows you to interact with windows on other monitors almost effortlessly.

There's a chance Microsoft could introduce multi-monitor support down the road, if there's enough demand. However, comments from Kidsmoove's X post show significant support for Microsoft's current adaptation of Xbox Mode, with only a handful of users implying that multi-monitor support is a good idea.

For the uninitiated, Microsoft recently released a new Xbox Mode for Windows 11 PCs and handheld devices. The new mode brings elements of the Xbox UI from Microsoft's consoles to Windows 11, and is designed to provide a frictionless full-screen gaming experience for controller players.