Microsoft is rebuilding its Xbox PC app under the codename Garrison, and Windows Central's Jez Corden has tested an early build. The current app is widely criticized for being slow, particularly when loading large libraries or the store — the main target of the overhaul.
Corden reports the new app is significantly faster, even with his library of over 1,400 Xbox titles, though he shared no load time figures. The Verge's Tom Warren also posted screenshots on X, describing the design as "coming along nicely" and confirming clear performance gains.
In this build, game listings and store listings share a single page, although store pages are not fully functional yet. The app now distinguishes games installable locally from those available only via Xbox Cloud Gaming. It supports both mouse/keyboard and controller layouts, and can be set as the default home screen when Windows 11 enters gaming mode — likely Xbox mode, expanded to laptops, desktops and tablets in April.
There are few new features yet, and Steam still leads on community tools and reviews. Microsoft has not announced a release date, but Corden suspects a rollout to Xbox Insiders on PC in the coming weeks, as it is reportedly already bundled into Windows 11 builds.
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing