Microsoft unveiled a redesigned Xbox PC app that Xbox Insiders can start testing today, alongside a refreshed Xbox Cloud Gaming web experience rolling out over the next few weeks.

According to Xbox Wire, the app now launches up to 60% faster, pages like Home, Store and Game Pass load up to 50% faster, and in-app windows open up to 65% faster, though Microsoft notes results may vary by device and connection.

Xbox Wire frames the changes as part of its work to make Xbox "faster, simpler, and more familiar wherever you play."

The redesign follows criticism that the old app felt awkward on Windows, especially after last year's Xbox Ally handhelds highlighted the gap between the PC app and a console-style Xbox experience. The Verge reports the refreshed cloud interface will also reach supported smart TVs and VR headsets.

Wccftech notes the overhaul was previously spotted in testing under the internal codename "Garrison," with early hands-on impressions pointing to much snappier browsing of large game libraries, and that Xbox chief Asha Sharma shared a side-by-side responsiveness demo on X. What stands out is the scale of the claimed gains — up to 60% faster launches and 65% faster in-app windows — arriving in a single redesign rather than incremental patches.

The redesign also rethink the app around controller-first navigation, so it no longer feels, as The Verge puts it, like clicking a mouse while using a controller.

The redesign is more than a speed bump.

Xbox Wire details an easier-to-use Library with updated filters and new ways to organize games, Friends moved into the main navigation so players can see what friends are playing, start a chat or join a party, and a unified search covering games, installed titles, add-ons and people.

The look is refreshed too, with new game cards, updated Home and Settings pages and smoother animations.

The Verge's Tom Warren, who used the new app for weeks, says it is noticeably faster across a variety of devices and much easier to navigate with a controller, though he notes the Game Bar interface on handhelds now feels out of place until Microsoft updates it in the coming months.

On the cloud side, the web experience adds a Library tab, a desktop mode for larger screens, dark and light modes and five new high-contrast accessibility options.

The timing also coincides with growing interest in cloud gaming, a trend currently spiking in search interest. Wccftech observes that whether the redesign can meaningfully narrow the usability gap with Steam remains to be seen.

Beyond the PC, Microsoft is pushing a consistent Xbox experience across TVs, VR headsets and browsers, betting that familiarity — finding your games, knowing what you can play, getting into a game quickly — will keep players inside its ecosystem wherever they play.

The Cloud Gaming updates also improve accessibility, with the five high-contrast options Xbox Wire says are designed for different visual needs.

The updated PC app began rolling out to Xbox Insiders on November 5, while the refreshed web experience will expand automatically to more players over the coming weeks, with early access already available at play.xbox.com.

Wccftech reports Microsoft has not specified a general release date for the redesigned PC application, and ChannelNews likewise notes the company has not confirmed when smart TV and VR headset updates or the full PC rollout will arrive.

Insiders can share feedback via Xbox's Player Voice site and the Xbox Insider subreddit, and Xbox Wire encourages anyone to join the Xbox Insider Program through the Xbox Insider Hub on Windows PC or console to try the changes early.

Microsoft says player feedback will continue shaping what comes next as it extends the new design across devices.