The new gamepad keyboard is part of a number of Microsoft efforts to make Windows more handheld-friendly.
The new gamepad keyboard is part of a number of Microsoft efforts to make Windows more handheld-friendly.
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Tom Warren is a senior editor and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years.
Microsoft is rolling out a new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11 that lets you type with an Xbox controller. It improves the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 making it a lot easier to navigate with an Xbox controller and type into text fields throughout the operating system.
The gamepad keyboard even has shortcuts that are designed for an Xbox controller, including the X button for backspace, the Y button for the spacebar, and the menu button to hit enter. These shortcuts are identical to the ones Microsoft uses in the Xbox dashboard, too.
This improvement to typing with an Xbox controller is part of the many changes Microsoft is making to Windows for handheld gaming PCs. Microsoft is working on combining the best parts of Windows and Xbox together, while addressing basic needs like being able to navigate with a controller.
Microsoft has also made the Game Bar in Windows more handheld-friendly, thanks to a compact mode for smaller screens. The main Xbox app for PC was also updated with controller improvements last year to make it easier to navigate with just a controller.
The gamepad keyboard first went into beta testing in September and is now available in the Release Preview version of Windows 11, meaning it will be available to all Windows 11 users in the coming weeks and to those who opt into the latest non-security updates in a matter of days.
