How To Open Xbox Game Bar

How To Chat With Xbox Friends On Windows 10

How To Fix Xbox Game Bar Not Working/Not Opening in Windows 10

Joel Cornell has spent twelve years writing professionally, working on everything from technical documentation at PBS to video game content for GameSkinny. Joel covers a bit of everything technology-related, including gaming and esports. He’s honed his skills by writing for other industries, including in architecture, green energy, and education. Read more…

Connecting with your friends across different platforms is getting easier every day. By using the Xbox Game Bar app in Windows 10, you can chat by text or voice during play sessions through the in-game overlay.

What The Windows 10 Game Bar Buttons Actually Do

Turning on the Game Bar should release your mouse cursor from the game. You can mouse over the individual controls to see what they do and see their hotkeys, but here’s an overview from left to right.

The main Game Bar overlay in the top center lets you enable or disable different Game Bar modules.
The cogwheel at the top on the right grants access to additional settings.
The Broadcast & Capture module gives quick access to capture controls.
The camera icon depicts the screenshot button.
The recording symbol with an arrow depicts clip capture. Hit this to record the previous thirty seconds of footage from your DVR buffer .
Hit the recording symbol to start a recording.
The mic symbol allows you to mute or enable your microphone while capturing.
The broadcast symbol lets you stream to a connected Mixer account.
The Show all captures button opens up the folder where your captures are stored.
Below these, the Audio section allows you to control the sound mix of various sound devices and apps active on your setup.
You also have Windows 10 performance modules, Xbox social and chat tabs, as well as Spotify controls.

How To Disable The Xbox Button In Windows 10

By default, if you have an Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller connected to your Windows 10 PC, pressing the Xbox button will bring up the Xbox Game Bar.

If youd like to disable this, visit Windows Settings > Gaming, then uncheck the box beside Open Xbox Game Bar using this button on a controller.

Alternately, if you disable the Xbox Game Bar completely using the Enable Xbox Game Bar switch, then the Xbox button on your controller will no longer call up the Game Bar. But that also disables calling up the Game Bar using other methods . Happy gaming!

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See The Performance Of Your Computer While Playing Games

The Performance widget helps you get an idea of how well your computer performs while playing games. If you enable this widget, the Xbox Game Bar collects and shows you the levels of utilization for your computers main resources: processor, graphics card, and RAM. Furthermore, you can also see the number of frames per second rendered by the game, which can be pretty helpful if you want to check the quality of your game from time to time.

The Performance widget from the Xbox Game Bar

Using the information from here, you can learn whether your computer struggles running your game. In that case, you need to make adjustments to the games graphics quality to run it more fluently.

Keyboard Shortcuts For Xbox Game Bar

Xbox Game bar cant open because it is offline. The ...

When youre playing a game on your PC, here are shortcuts you can use to record clips and screenshots.

Windows logo key + G: Open Xbox Game Bar
Windows logo key + Alt + G: Record the last 30 seconds
Windows logo key + Alt + R: Start/stop recording
Windows logo key + Alt + B: Turn HDR on or off

Note: Applies to the Xbox Game Bar app version 5.721.7292.0 or newer. To update your Xbox Game Bar, go to the Microsoft Store app and check for updates.
Windows logo key + Alt + PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your game

Windows logo key + G: Open Xbox Game Bar
Windows logo key + Alt + G: Record the last 30 seconds
Windows logo key + Alt + R: Start/stop recording
Windows logo key + Alt + B: Turn HDR on or off

Note: Applies to the Xbox Game Bar app version 5.721.7292.0 or newer. To update your Xbox Game Bar, go to the Microsoft Store app and check for updates.
Windows logo key + Alt + PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your game

How Do I Fix My Game Bar Wont Open

If you cant launch the GameBar with all ways above, that is to say, no change happens or the Gamebar not open, you may try to fix the issue with the following guide:

Step 1. Make use of Windows + I shortcut to open Windows Settings. Or, you can just access Windows Settings in Windows Start.

Step 2. Click Gaming to enter the Windows Game Settings.

Step 3. In the default Game bar, make sure you have the Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar feature enabled. If the option is disabled, you cant open the game bar either by hotkey nor by the Xbox button on controller. To fix Xbox Game bar not working problem, just click on the switch icon to turn on the function.

Step 4. Next, make sure the Open Game bar using this button on a controller: is checked. If the square box before this option is unchecked, you cant launch Game bar using the Xbox button on Xbox console. To fix the Xbox open Game bar wont open issue, just tick this item.

Step 5. Under the Keyboard shortcuts theme, look at the shortcut for Open Game bar to see whether you have customized the shortcut or not. If you have, no wonder you cannot open the game bar with Windows + G. To fix Windows Game bar not opening error, just reopen it with your personalized hotkeys.

Here in above picture, you can learn the default shortcuts for other utilities related to Xbox game bar including:

Also, you can specify your special shortcuts respectively for all features above.

Check Game Bar Is Enabled In Settings

First of all open settings and check the windows 10 Game mode and Gambar both are enabled. To check and Enable them

Press Windows + I to open windows settings.
Click on the Gaming icon in the Settings app, to open the Game Bar section
Here check and make sure Now make sure that the Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar option is set to ON.
If its not enabled, click on the toggle button and set it to ON.
Also checkmark Open Game bar using this button on a controller so that you can open and control the game bar using keyboard shortcuts.
Now try to launch Game Bar using WIN+G hotkey and it should open without any problem.

Also move to Game DVR and make sure Record game clips and screenshots using Game bar is On.

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Check The Game Bars Settings

Open the Xbox app by clicking its Start menu tile. Or you can enter Xbox into the Cortana search box instead.

Next, sign in to the Xbox app. Note that a Microsoft Account is required to sign in to the Xbox app.

At the bottom left corner of the Xbox app, theres a Settings button gear icon on the sidebar. Click the Settings button and select Game DVR.

Now you can select Record game clips and screenshots using Game DVR option. If that option is off, click it to switch it back on.

Close the Xbox app and restart Windows.

Press the Win key + G again to open the Game bar.

It might be the case that the Game bar Record game clips and screenshots setting is switched off in Windows 10.

Then the Game bar isnt going to open when you press its hotkey. So you can check that option as described above.

Dont Run The Games In Full

How to Fix Xbox Game Bar not Opening

Is it the case that the Game bar isnt opening when youre running a game in full screen? The Game bar doesnt open in full-screen modes because most games dont recognize the Win key + G hotkey.

That doesnt mean you cant use the Game bars options in full-screen mode, but the overlay UI isnt going to open.

You can still record a game with the Win + Alt + R hotkey or take a snapshot by pressing Win + Alt + Prt. Run the game in a window mode and then press Win key + G to open the Game bar UI.

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Configuring Xbox Game Bar

1. This will open the Game Bar. Alternatively, type Game Bar into the Cortana search box and choose the top result.

2Choose whether you are viewing a game or not. If you are viewing a game, check the box labeled “Remember this is a game.”

3Link accounts to Game Bar. To do so, click on “Accounts” from the left tab, click on Sign in or Link next to the account name, and follow the prompts to sign in.

4Configure Game Bar shortcuts. Choose the “Shortcuts” tab, then click on the box underneath the shortcut you want to configure, then press the desired key combination.

5Choose the Game Bar theme. You can choose between Light, Dark, and System Default. Click on “Personalization”. From this menu, you can turn on/off Game Bar animations, as well as reset the overlay position.

6Change recording settings. To do so, click on “Capturing”. You can choose to record automatically when playing a game (where then you can retrieve the last 30 seconds by using the key shortcut WinG as well as show microphone recording notifications and what to record.

7Change notification settings. To do so, click on “Notifications”. You can silence all notifications while playing all or just fullscreen games, you can enable notifications when achievements are unlocked and when certain friends are online/send you messages, etc.

How To Set Maximum Recording Length On Game Bar In Windows 10

Game Bar is a popular software program that enables you to capture screenshots or record any game you are playing on your PC or Xbox. The Game Bar application settings and functionality were initially found in the Xbox application on Windows 10. But now, the latest version of Windows 10 has integrated the Game Bar settings as a standalone Gaming settings app. You can find a plethora of settings under the gaming settings. These include Game Bar, Game DVR, Game Mode, True Play, Xbox Networking, etc. Many users used to play games through this app, and thus, the Game Bar was sometimes referred to as an Xbox game DVR. Now the settings have been brought under the Settings app. You can change keyboard shortcuts, customize the gameplay, recording and broadcasting and enhance the overall gaming experience.

The Windows keyboard shortcut combinations are given below:

Open Game Bar: Win+G
Capture screenshot: Win+Alt+PrtScrn
Record Video: Win+Alt+G
Start/Stop Recording: Win+Alt+R
Show Recording Timer: Win+Alt+T
Microphone On/Off: Win+Alt+M
Start/Pause broadcast: Win+Alt+B
Show Camera in Broadcast: Win+Alt+W

The following tutorial will help you to set maximum recording length on Game Bar Windows 10. There are 4 values, 30 mins, 1 hour, 2 hour and 4 hours.

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Way 1 Make Sure Game Bar Is Enabled In Settings

In order to fix the error Xbox Game Bar not working, you can check whether the Game Bar is enabled first.

Now, here is the tutorial.

Press Windows key and I key together to open Settings.

Then click Gaming icon to continue.

In the pop-up window, go to the Game Bar panel, make sure the option Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Gaming bar is on.

After that, press Windows key and G key together to check whether Windows G not working error is solved.

What Is The Xbox Game Bar

How to Open the Xbox Game Bar (with Pictures)

In short, the Xbox Game Bar is a built-in Windows 10 feature that allows you to take screenshots, record, and stream games and apps without the need for expensive third-party tools.

This tool is constantly being improved and optimized, with new features and upgrades being added to match the newest gaming releases on the market.

Windows 10 Game Bar Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working

If the game bar does not appear with the Win + G shortcut, there is probably a conflict with the game or with the keyboard. Some games and gaming peripherals have been known to disable the Windows key to avoid accidentally pressing it while gaming.

To fix this problem, you will need to reassign the keyboard shortcuts for the Game Bar. Just follow these easy steps to reassign keyboard shortcuts:

Step 1: Head to Windows 10 settings using the Win + I keyboard shortcut and click on the Games option.

Step 2: Here, select the Game Bar option from the list on the left and scroll down to the keyboard shortcuts.

Enter a new keyboard shortcut of your choice in the blank next to each function and voila. Make sure not to press a keyboard shortcut that is already in use, or it could cause unnecessary conflicts.

Get A List Of Dism Packages That Match On Xbox

Search provisioned packages, you might see more packages than what you found via the Remove-AppxPackage cmdlet.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>  dism /online /get-provisionedappxpackages | select-string packagename | select-string xbox | ForEach-Object  Microsoft.XboxGameOverlay_1.47.14001.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay_3.34.15002.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider_12.58.1001.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe Microsoft.XboxSpeechToTextOverlay_1.21.13002.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe

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What Is The Xbox Game Bar 6 Things You Can Do With It

tutorialby Codrut Neagu published on 10.29.2021

The Xbox Game Bar from Windows 11 and Windows 10 is probably the best thing Microsoft could have done for gamers. It allows you to easily access and control all kinds of useful things during gameplay, such as sound controls, performance statistics, or framerate. It can record all your gameplay, take screenshots, and it even lets you play your favorite music on Spotify without having to exit or Alt + Tab your game. If youre curious to know the best things you can do with the Xbox Game Bar on Windows, read on:

How To Enable The Windows 10 Game Bar

How To Fix Xbox Game Bar Not Opening/Not Working in Windows 11

First, make sure the Game Bar is actually enabled. It should be turned on by default, but here’s how to find it.

Open the Settings menu by clicking the cogwheel in the Start Menu.

Select Gaming in the Settings Menu.

Select Game Bar.

Make sure it’s set to On as pictured above.

In this menu, you can also customize and review the hotkeys available for the Game Bar. It’s worth knowing where they are for future reference.

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Xbox Game Bar Appearing Overnight

Get answers from your peers

More a heads up on this. I’ve had a fair run of support calls regarding the xbox game bar and widgets appearing over the weekend . Whilst there’s a lot of historical cases of the xbox bar appearing for no reason over the years , it’s clearly happening more often this time around.

What happens is the screen darkens and there’s several boxes around the screen and a bar at the top.

It’s a little frustrating for remote users as they appear to be almost locked out as the mouse and keyboard don’t respond to inputs until either the PC is restarted or someone in the office presses a key.

So expect some cases coming your way.

Repair Or Reset Xbox Game Bar

Sometimes the entire Xbox Game Bar component is corrupted due to some reason, leading to Windows 11 Xbox Game Bar not working/starting/opening. According to reports, this issue appears if you upgrade old versions of Windows to Windows 11.

To solve your issue, you can first repair Xbox Game Bar. If this wont work, try to reset the component. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Also launch Windows 11 settings.

Step 2: Click Apps > Apps & features.

Step 3: Type Xbox Game Bar in the text box of App list and press Enter. Then, click the three-dot icon and choose Advanced options.

Step 4: Click the Repair button to fix Xbox Game Bar if it isnt working right. If this doesnt help to fix Windows 11 Xbox Game Bar not working/starting/opening, use the Reset feature and the data of this app will be deleted.

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Xbox Game Bars Interface

Since triggering the Xbox Game Bar produces an overlay on your screen, it will remove the mouse cursor from your game so that you can operate within the Game Bars interface.

That being said, try not to do it during intense gaming moments, such as in the middle of an online match.

This issue can instead be countered by learning the hotkeys by heart, so you dont have to use your mouse.

All the tools within the Xbox Game Bar are grouped up into sub-menus as follows:

The central menu

Lets you access all the other sub-menus
Grants you access to additional widgets

Capture:

Lets you record the past 30 seconds
Enables or disables your mic while recording

Audio

Grants you access to an audio mixer
Lets you switch between different audio output methods
Lets you switch between different audio recording devices

Performance

Shows your current CPU, GPU, RAM, and VRAM usage
Shows your current FPS count

Xbox Social

This menu grants you access to your Xbox accounts friends list, and you can also link it to your Steam account.

There are other tools as well that can prove handy while recording, such as Spotify controls, or the Looking for Group option that can come in handy in co-op and online games.

However, if youre planning on playing a resource-intensive game, know that activating the Xbox Game Bar might cause performance issues.

Press Win + G To Open Game Bar

Whatever task you are doing now, playing game, chatting, listening, writing, reading, etc. whatever screen you are on, game scene, streaming screen, application UI, Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Text interface or just on desktop, you are able to open the Game Bar by pressing the Windows key together with the letter G key.

No matter the Capslock is on or not, just hold down the key with Windows logo and press the G key. Then, a strip with the Xbox logo in the left will appear and locate in the most front layer. In other words, an overlay will pop up. That is the Windows Game bar.

The overlays on the Xbox Game Bar:

Audio
Xbox Social

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