Microsoft recently introduced a much-appreciated feature to the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10 PCs. It’s the widget store that lets you install third-party apps to access useful features while playing a game. The store debuted with just a couple of widgets from Razer and XSplit but solo developers are already making simple yet handy new apps for this gamer dashboard.
The first set of Xbox Game Bar widgets include a calculator and a web browser. Since Microsoft is not the one offering these widgets, they don’t come baked into the Game Bar. Instead, you will need to head to the Microsoft Store to install them before they start showing up on the dashboard. The company baked a dedicated Widget Store in the Game Bar but sadly, it does not have any new listing apart from the original ones.
Now, I know there may have been times where a game crashes or just wouldn’t open once you ‘Alt+Tab’ to tweet or see chat messages in a browser. Well, the browser for Xbox Game Bar put an end to your woes as you can simply hit ‘Win+G’ to instantly access YouTube if you are stuck on a level or read up on something you noticed in-game. You cannot open multiple tabs or bookmark pages. The browser is bare-bones but serves the purpose.
The calculator too is a nifty addition to the Game Bar. It may come in handy when you are trying to keep track of points (yourself and rival teams) during a ranked or scrims match. It’s now accessible with the touch of a button, without jumping to the desktop and going AFK in the middle of the game. This is just the start, so keep your eyes peeled as we will update you on amazing new Xbox Game Bar widgets in the coming months.