Xbox Game Bar

Purpose

Identifier: microsoft.xboxgamingoverlay

Setup Foundry can remove the package from existing user accounts and from provisioning for new accounts; this optional change is not selected by default.

Xbox Game Bar provides the gaming overlay opened with Windows key+G. Its controls and widgets cover features such as screen recording, screenshots, audio, performance information, and Xbox services including friends, chat, and game invitations.

The capture feature can record the video shown by a game or app together with the selected application or system audio and, optionally, microphone input. Videos are saved as MP4 files and screenshots as PNG files in the user's Videos\Captures folder.

Notes

Additional effects

Game Bar widgets and extensions depend on Xbox Game Bar as their host. This includes separately supplied widgets such as Microsoft Edge Game Assist. Without the package, these extensions can no longer be displayed through Game Bar or pinned over a game.

The Xbox app, installed games, and the separate Windows Game Mode feature are not part of this package and are not uninstalled with it.

Privacy and security

While recording, Xbox Game Bar processes the visible content of the captured game or application. Depending on the capture settings, the recording can also contain application and system audio and microphone input. Microsoft's documented capture feature saves the resulting files locally in Videos\Captures; creating a capture does not by itself upload that file to Microsoft.

Game Bar can make the current game context available to widgets. Individual widgets may have their own online features and data flows, such as Xbox communications or web content in Game Assist. Removing the package prevents access through the Game Bar interface and its widgets. It does not delete existing captures or data held in an Xbox or Microsoft account.

Effects of the change

After removal, Windows key+G no longer opens Xbox Game Bar. A controller's configured Xbox button can no longer display the overlay either. Game Bar's recording and screenshot shortcuts no longer have an installed Game Bar package to handle them, so game clips, retrospective captures, and screenshots cannot be created with this feature.

Audio, performance, resource, and Xbox Social widgets are no longer available over games. Removing the main package does not necessarily uninstall separately installed widget extensions, but those extensions cannot operate in Game Bar without their host.

Existing MP4 and PNG captures in Videos\Captures remain because Setup Foundry removes the application package, not those user files. Other recording applications, the Xbox app, installed games, and Windows Game Mode also remain installed.

The package is removed from provisioning for new user accounts as well. Xbox Game Bar can later be installed again from Microsoft Store while Microsoft continues to offer it there.

Microsoft documentation

Microsoft Support: Record your screen with Xbox Game Bar

Microsoft Learn: Capture game audio, video, screenshots, and metadata

Microsoft Support: Microsoft Edge Game Assist FAQ

Microsoft Store: Xbox Game Bar

See also

• Entry in the reference