Xbox Game Bar has been encountered by many Windows users without even realizing it. What is this option and why should you use it? Let’s find out!
Xbox Game Bar is basically an overlay that is compatible with most PC games. The software is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, and is developed by Microsoft. Xbox Game Bar is a freeware licensed application. Its main purpose is to allow players to use various widgets while they are playing a game.
Using an uncomplicated keyboard shortcut, such as Win + G, we gain access to a variety of program functions. These options include recording game clips, monitoring the performance of our hardware, or taking screenshots. There are, however, many more, and we zoom in on them a bit below.
One of the most popular options that the Xbox Game Bar offers is the ability to easily take screenshots during gameplay or record gameplay. To take advantage of this feature, turn on the Xbox Game Bar using the aforementioned keyboard shortcut and enable the screen capture option. This allows gamers to share selected moments with their friends or watch and analyze replays of their games. This option is also used by many people who do not play games, but sometimes need to save a recording of what is happening within any of the computer applications.
Many gamers also appreciate the ability to see how their hardware is performing during gameplay. When you turn on this widget, Xbox Game Bar will start compiling and showing the usage levels of such important parts of your computer as its processor, RAM and graphics card. This makes it easy to assess whether everything is working as it should, or whether we should think about upgrading our setup.
This is another of the particularly useful features of this application. Thanks to the Spotify widget, you can play music from this platform without having to turn off or minimize the game. This feature is especially useful for games where you should be focused all the time. Spotify, on the other hand, is an application that has already gained a lot of fans, and as a result, this widget caters to many people’s tastes.
Xbox Game Bar, when launched, displays the audio channels that are currently playing audio on the computer. The volume of the audio on each can be easily adjusted with a slider. Instead of adjusting the audio level in the volume mixer, Xbox Game Bar allows you to do so from within the game. This is useful for people who like to play games and listen to music at the same time, as well as those who frequently use voice chat.
Some of the features that the Xbox Game Bar is equipped with are related to social services. These include options such as “Xbox Communities,” through which you can get acquainted with new friends, or “Find Players,” which allows you to easily find potential gaming companions. Sometimes it happens that none of our friends can play with us at the moment – then these services can prove to be extremely helpful.
main photo: unsplash.com/Алекс Арцибашев
