Xbox PC app: faster launch, new library and cloud tabs

Xbox has started rolling out an updated version of the Xbox PC app to members of the Insider programme. The company says the goal is a faster and simpler experience than the version used in recent years. The redesign had leaked earlier, and it brings a cleaner visual style with changes to how you move around the Microsoft Store, your game library and the Game Pass section. The rollout begins with Insiders, not everyone at once. Pure Xbox reports that, if all goes well for Insiders, the PC app should reach everyone soon.

The library gets simpler navigation, updated filters and new ways to organise your games, so browsing your collection should be quicker. Friends and social features now sit in the main navigation, which makes it easier to see what friends are playing, start a chat or join a party. Search now covers more of Xbox from one place: results include games, installed titles, add-ons and people. The look also changes, with refreshed game cards, Home, Settings and animations meant to make the app easier to scan.

Xbox says the new app is faster and more responsive. Internal tests suggest it launches up to 60% faster, while pages such as Home, Store and Game Pass load up to 50% faster. In-app windows open up to 65% faster. These are figures from Xbox's own testing, not an independent measurement. The app is also coming to Windows handhelds and has been better optimised for controller support. Xbox says there is more to do and that feedback will shape what comes next.

A new interface for Xbox Cloud Gaming on the web, already available to test for some time, is rolling out automatically over the next few weeks. A new Library tab brings together the games you can play through cloud, whether you own them or access them through Game Pass. You can browse, sort and filter by recently played, genre and input options. Desktop mode uses the space on PCs and larger displays better. You can pick dark or light mode, plus five new high-contrast options. The refreshed look will also appear on supported Smart TVs and VR headsets.

If you are in the Insider programme, the updated PC app is the version to look for now. Everyone else has to wait for the wider rollout, which Xbox has not tied to a confirmed date. The cloud interface arrives automatically over the coming weeks, so you do not need to do anything to get it. The speed figures come from Xbox's internal tests, so treat them as the company's own numbers until you see how the app behaves on your machine.