Microsoft Details Coming Improvements to Xbox App for Windows 10

If you’re using Windows 10 Technical Preview 2, you will soon get an updated version of the Xbox preview app that adds a number of new features. Among them is Game DVR for PC games, which will let you record short video clips of the Windows games you play.

Microsoft notes that this updated app will require “an upcoming Windows Insider update (build 10061 or higher),” so I assume we can expect that build to drop soon too. Like today or tomorrow.

Here’s what’s coming in the April 2015 Xbox app preview.

Game DVR for PC games. As with the similar feature on Xbox One, this will let you record video game clips of Windows PC games using a new Game bar that is found in Windows 10. You display the Game bar by typing WINKEY + G. From there, you can record the last 30 seconds of game play (directly: WINKEY + ALT + G) or manually start and stop recording game clips (directly: Windows + Alt + R).

Take game screenshots. You can also use the Game bar to take game screenshots at any time, or just type WINKEY + ALT + PrtScr at any time.

Avatar app. Already available in the Windows Store, this app works like similar apps everywhere else and lets you customize your Xbox avatar. Nothing more needs to be said about this stupidity.

Real name sharing. As with the same feature on Xbox One, you can now choose to share your real name on the Xbox app with all of your friends or with everybody, instead of your Gamertag.

Xbox controller drivers. This isn’t a feature of the Xbox preview app but the drivers for Xbox controllers are now included with Windows 10 (presumably build 10061 and higher), so you no longer have to download and install controller drivers on Windows 10.

Live TV streaming and PIP (picture in picture). If you can access live TV on Xbox One, you can now stream it within your home from your Xbox One to any Windows 10 PC running the Xbox app. (This feature is also available in Xbox One SmartGlass on Windows 8 PCs, Windows Phone 8, iOS, and Android devices.) OneGuide on mobile devices now also provides PIP (picture in picture) support, so you can continue streaming and watching TV while you are using OneGuide.