Microsoft has started rolling out a redesigned Xbox PC app to Xbox Insiders, and the headline number is hard to miss: the app now launches up to 60% faster.
The update began rolling out on November 5, 2026, and it is the biggest overhaul of the Xbox app on Windows in years. Alongside the speed work, the app gets unified search, friends in the main navigation, a better-organized library, and redesigned game cards.
How much faster is it?
Microsoft puts three numbers on the performance work, all from its own testing:
- App launch: up to 60% faster
- Home, Store, and Game Pass pages: up to 50% faster
- In-app windows opening: up to 65% faster
Those figures are upper limits, not guarantees. Microsoft’s own footnote says results may vary by device, internet connection, system configuration, and usage. The Verge, whose writer has used the new app for several weeks, reports it is noticeably faster on several devices and easier to move around with a controller.
What changed in the app
Speed is only half the story. Search is now unified, so games, installed titles, people, and add-ons all live in one place instead of separate searches. Friends and social features moved into the main navigation, so your friends list is always one click away.
The library got updated filters and better ways to organize installed games, and game cards got a redesign with more detail at a glance. The Home page and Settings were refreshed too, and the whole app is meant to feel simpler and more consistent with Xbox on the web and TV.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma summed it up on X: “We’re making XBOX on Windows faster and more responsive. Starting today, we’re rolling out updates that make our app up to 60% faster. A meaningful improvement, with plenty more to do.”
How to get it
The redesigned app is available to Xbox Insiders first. To join, download the Xbox Insider Hub on a Windows PC and enroll, then check the Microsoft Store for the update. Some Insiders may need to select the Switch button inside the app to see the redesigned experience.
Microsoft has not announced a date for the general release yet. The refreshed Xbox web experience rolls out to more players over the coming weeks, and a similar redesign is coming to Xbox cloud gaming apps on TVs and VR headsets. The Game Bar overlay on Xbox handhelds is also expected to be updated in the coming months. Insiders can send feedback through aka.ms/XBOXplayervoice.
The new app first leaked in October, and Microsoft briefed press on it earlier this week. For PC players who have long complained the Xbox app feels slow next to Steam, this is the update Microsoft is betting on to change that.
