How to Disable Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11
If you’re looking to have a distraction-free Windows 11 experience, you may want to consider disabling the Xbox Game Bar. The Xbox Game Bar was introduced with Windows 10 as a convenient way to access gaming related features. While this feature may be convenient for some gamers, many users find it unnecessary for their computing needs. So if you’d prefer to keep the Xbox Game Bar off, here’s what you need to do:
Disable Xbox Game Bar from the Xbox App
The quickest way to disable the Xbox Game Bar is to do it directly through the Xbox app:
- Open the Xbox app. You can do this by searching for it in the start menu or by clicking on the Xbox icon on your taskbar.
- Click on the Settings gear icon. This will open the Settings menu.
- Locate the Game bar option. This can be found in the left-hand pane, under the Game DVR section.
- Toggle the switch on the right-hand side to Off. This will immediately disable the Xbox Game Bar from your system.
Disable Xbox Game Bar Through the Registry Editor
If for some reason you cannot disable the Xbox Game Bar from the Xbox app, you can also disable it from the Windows registry:
- Open the Registry Editor. You can do this by searching for it in the start menu.
- Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionGameDVR
- Locate the AppCaptureEnabled value. This will be on the right-hand side of the window.
- Change the value to 0. This will disable the Xbox Game Bar.
Conclusion
Disabling the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11 is a relatively easy task that can be done by either the Xbox app or the Registry Editor. Both methods are relatively painless and should only take a few minutes. And once you’ve disabled the Xbox Game Bar, you’ll be free to enjoy a more distraction-free Windows 11 experience.
