Free Microsoft gaming overlay
Xbox Game Bar is a free gaming overlay for Windows 10 that lets you record and share your experience similar to OBS Studio. When you press the shortcut keys ‘Windows’ button and ‘G’ together, the overlay appears. The widgets you have active displays on your screen, but you can close the ones you don’t use the most.
The Microsoft utility works with most PC games, giving you access to the ability to communicate with your friends. There are several audio functions you can adjust, but the primary feature is taking an in-game screenshot or recording your best game moments.
When you activate Xbox Game Bar, the recording menu is one of the first to appear. You can grab a screenshot, record gameplay, or speak over a mic for an audio recording. In the main menu at the top, you can click on various widgets to activate or deactivate the various windows.
Game recording features
Default game bar
The gaming bar is a default application with Windows 10, but you can download and install it with older operating systems. You can disable the feature or choose not to activate it at all, but uninstalling it isn’t an option. If you do disable it, you won’t be able to use the social feature to chat with your friends online.
Overlay widgets
The top widgets are listed in the main menu bar. There’s also a widgets menu where you can see more options if you’re looking for something specific. For instance, you’ll find Spotify, achievements, your gallery, capture modes, and system resources.
System performance monitor
Is your game slow or not performing as you expect it to? Xbox Game Bar has a performance monitor that inspects your computer resources to help you identify what the potential problem is. It includes GPU, CPU, FPS, RAM and VRAM indicators.
Control your gaming experience
If you’re an intense gamer, you’ll want the best experience when playing online. Microsoft introduced the Xbox platform to assist with performance and capturing fantastic gaming moments.
