Enabling the New Xbox Full Screen Experience on Windows 11

Introducing the Xbox Full Screen Experience on Windows 11

The latest Xbox Full Screen Experience for Windows 11 optimizes handheld gaming PC performance by booting directly into a console-style dashboard. This setup favors controller input, full-screen gameplay, and minimizes background processes.
This exciting feature is now available in the Windows 11 25H2 preview build, accessible through ViveTool and Registry modifications.

Microsoft is set to revolutionize handheld gaming PCs, including devices like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Lenovo Legion Go 2, with the newly introduced Xbox Full Screen Experience. This launcher replaces the traditional desktop view with a game-centric interface tailored for controllers, significantly enhancing user interaction similar to that of console gaming.

Moreover, enthusiasts on platforms like Reddit have discovered that the “Full Screen Experience” settings can already be activated via the “Gaming” settings on compatible devices running the Windows 11 25H2 preview version. This can be achieved using ViveTool alongside specific Registry adjustments.

This guide details how to enable the Xbox Full Screen Experience on your handheld gaming computer running the latest preview build of Windows 11 25H2. Given that you’ll also be utilizing your device for standard computing tasks, ensure that you have peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse ready, as these may be required.

How to Enable the Xbox Full Screen Experience
How to Configure the Xbox Full Screen Experience

Steps to Enable the Xbox Full Screen Experience

Follow these detailed instructions to activate the Full Screen Experience on your handheld gaming PC running Windows 11:

Open Settings: Launch the Settings application in Windows 11.
Access Windows Update: Navigate to the Windows Update section.
Join the Windows Insider Program: Click on the Windows Insider Program option.
Get Started: Select the “Get started”button.
Link Your Account: Click the “Link an account”button to connect your Microsoft account.
Sign In: Enter your Microsoft account credentials to log in.
Continue: Click “Continue”to proceed.
Pick your Insider settings by selecting either the “Release Preview” or “Dev Channel” options. Note that the “Release Preview” tier may exhibit minor bugs.
Continue: Click “Continue”to confirm your settings.
Agree to Terms: Confirm your agreement by clicking “Continue”once more.
Restart: Choose the “Restart”button for changes to take effect.
Check for Updates: After rebooting, open Settings, go to Windows Update, and click “Check for updates”to ensure you have Windows 11 25H2 installed.
Restart Again: Follow through by restarting your computer once more.
Download ViveTool: Visit GitHub to download the latest version of ViveTool.
Extract ViveTool: Open the downloaded zip file and extract its contents using File Explorer.
Copy the Folder Path: Carefully copy the path to the folder where ViveTool was extracted.
Open Command Prompt: Search for Command Prompt in Start, right-click, and choose “Run as administrator.”
Navigate to ViveTool Directory: Enter the following command and hit Enter:

cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x

(Replace the path as necessary to match your system’s directory.)

Enable Xbox Components: Run the following command to activate the handheld mode:

vivetool /enable /id:52580392, 50902630

Restart the PC: Save your work and restart your computer.
Access the Registry: Search for regedit in Start, and open the top result to access the Registry Editor.
Navigate to the OEM Path: Locate this specific path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\OEM

Create a New Key: Right-click on the OEM key, select New, and choose “DWORD (32-bit) Value”.
Set Key Name: Name this new key DeviceForm and hit Enter.
Modify the Key Value: Right-click the new key created and select Modify to change its value to 2e (Hexadecimal).
Confirm Changes: Click the OK button to finalize the modification.
Restart Your Computer: Perform one last restart to apply all modifications.

Upon completing these steps, the “Full Screen Experience” settings will be accessible within the “Gaming” section of the Settings app for further configuration.

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Configuring the Xbox Full Screen Experience

Once you’ve successfully enabled the Xbox Full Screen Experience, you can configure it using the following instructions:

Open Settings: Navigate to the Settings app again.
Go to Gaming: Click on the Gaming section.
Access Full Screen Experience: Click on the “Full Screen Experience” page.
Windows 11 open Full screen experience page / Image: @Gogsi123
Select Home App: In the “Choose home app” setting, select the Xbox app.
Enable Xbox experience / Image: @Gogsi123
Enable Startup Feature: Toggle on the “Enter full screen experience on start-up” option to have your system launch directly into the console-like interface.
(Optional) Show Accessibility Controls: Activate the “Show accessibility control hints in Task View” feature to provide a simple button alternative for combo button presses.

After completing these setup steps, your handheld PC will offer a more immersive Xbox-like experience, functioning seamlessly for gaming. You might want to restart your computer to fully engage with this new interface.

The primary intention behind this revamped gaming mode is to create a user interface that caters specifically to handheld devices, making it easier to navigate using game controllers. Additionally, by replacing the traditional desktop experience, this mode optimally conserves memory and system resources, consequently enhancing performance and battery longevity during gameplay.

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