Microsoft has introduced a new gamepad keyboard across Windows 11, allowing users to type via the Xbox controller. This feature greatly enhances the on-screen keyboard experience, making navigation and text entry easier across the different fields of the operating system.
This improvement in controller typing is part of a larger design vision by Microsoft which is to make Windows better for handheld gaming devices. The company wants the best of Windows and the Xbox, but also with some core considerations like ease of navigation with a controller.
Microsoft also redesigned the Windows Game Bar for handheld compatibility and it has also introduced a compact mode for the users who are using small screens. The focus was also on the updates to the controller to make it better and also to pay attention to the primary Xbox app for PC last year.
Initially, the gamepad keyboard was available in the beta testing in September, however, not it is available for the users in the Release Preview. It indicates that it will soon be made available to all users of Windows 11, especially for those who are opting for the latest non-security updates in a matter of days.
The gamepad keyboard also has some specific commands for the Xbox controller, including X backspace, Y spacebar, and menu for entry. These commands are just like those that are there on the Xbox dashboard.
The gamepad keyboard has been tested since October 2024, but Microsoft disabled it in subsequent builds, as Windows Central reported. Targeting the upcoming Xbox gaming handheld, codenamed ‘Project Kennan’ which is co-developed with ASUS with features that optimize Windows 11 will take place as speculated. It is expected that the device might feature an AMD Ryzen APU and may be launched for users this year. The starting price of the device is supposed to be $499.
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