Microsoft revamps its Windows Game Bar

Microsoft is sharing several new Xbox gaming updates for March that include a new look for Game Bar on PC, a new Cloud Gaming feature, and fresh benefits for playing some free-to-play games through Game Pass.

Game Bar on PC, which gives you the ability to quickly launch games, control audio mixes, and monitor game performance, now comes with a cleaner UI. The Home Bar and widgets, including Capture, Performance, Resource, and the Widget Store, now look more lightweight with fewer lines and colors, giving them less of an Adobe Photoshop tools vibe. Microsoft says this is only the beginning of the visual changes rolling out this week.

The update happened the same week Discord changed its UI with improved spacing between sections in the app and support for a full dark mode overlay. Both Game Bar and Discord let you view widgets while playing a game.

As for the Xbox Cloud Gaming update, there’s now a way to shift between games without having to jump out and return to the Home page. For now, it only works with several Assassin’s Creed titles, but Xbox promises it will work with other cloud games soon. Also, Cloud Gaming is expanding more titles that support Stream Your Own Game.

Finally, Xbox is expanding in-game benefits to include more free-to-play titles such as Heroes in the Storm and, in April, Call of Duty: Warzone. It lets you acquire cosmetics, characters, in-game currency, and more in games like Overwatch 2 and Valorant.