Microsoft is rebuilding the Xbox app for Windows from the ground up, moving it closer to the look and feel of the Xbox Series X|S dashboard. The project, codenamed Garrison, pairs a cleaner interface with faster performance and clearer separation between games you download and games you stream.
Quick answer: The redesigned Xbox PC app (codenamed Garrison) is planned to reach Xbox Insiders by the end of 2026, with a unified store-and-library view, controller-ready navigation, and much faster loading for large collections.
What changes in the redesigned Xbox PC app
The rebuilt app folds store listings and your game library into a single interface, so you no longer jump between separate areas to browse and launch. A game’s store page and its library entry live in one place, as shown with the upcoming title Valor Mortis.
It also fixes a long-standing point of confusion. The app now clearly marks which games are available to install locally and which are only playable through Xbox Cloud Gaming, instead of mixing streaming and download options together.
- Merged store and library into one interface
- Clear labels for locally installable games versus cloud-only titles
- Support for both mouse-and-keyboard and controller layouts
- A reworked Xbox Cloud Gaming interface, codenamed Bastion
Faster loading for large game libraries
Performance is a major focus of the rebuild, and it shows most with big collections. A library holding more than 1,400 Xbox titles loads far quicker than on the current app, and moving between game listings feels more responsive.
Microsoft is still tuning that performance and the overall experience before switching on the app’s full set of features. The work is aimed at making the Xbox Game Pass library quicker to browse rather than piling on extra tools right away.
Controller navigation and Windows 11 Game Mode
The app plugs into Windows 11’s new Game Mode, letting you set it as your default home screen. When you launch that mode, the app switches to a controller-friendly interface, which makes it practical on handhelds such as the Xbox Ally.
On the desktop side, you get two dedicated modes, Desktop and Full-Screen, in the same way Steam separates its windowed and Big Picture experiences. You can also set custom launch parameters for individual games.
Early versions of the rebuilt interface already ship with some Windows 11 builds, so parts of it are rolling into the wider Windows gaming experience ahead of a formal release.
When the redesigned app arrives
Garrison is planned to reach the Xbox Insider program by the end of 2026, with a broader rollout to all users expected later. Microsoft has not confirmed a specific public release date or time, and some Microsoft Store pages inside the preview are not yet fully working.
Insiders already have access to related additions such as the Xbox Mythic achievement feature, and the app sits alongside other recent changes under CEO Asha Sharma, including the customizable console startup screen. If you want to test the new interface as it becomes available, you can install the current app from the official Xbox PC app download and join the Insider program through the Xbox Insider Hub.
You will know the redesign has landed when the app opens into the unified store-and-library view with console-style navigation sounds, large collections load without the usual wait, and cloud-only games appear plainly separated from installable titles.