Master Typing with Xbox: Windows 11’s Gamepad Keyboard Innovation

Microsoft is testing a new gamepad keyboard layout in Windows 11, designed specifically for Xbox controllers. This means you can use your Xbox controller to type or navigate around the OS with a much-improved on-screen keyboard. It’s a feature that’s been a long time coming, especially considering the growing importance of handheld gaming devices powered by Windows.

The new gamepad keyboard is now in testing as part of the beta channel for Windows 11, and it’s got some neat features. For example, you can use the X button for backspace, the Y button for spacebar, and the menu button to hit enter. The keyboard keys have also been vertically aligned, making it easier to type with a controller.

Microsoft’s new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11.

It’s great to see Microsoft adding features like this, especially as they’re now in a handheld gaming PC race against Valve. As I wrote last month, Microsoft is working to catch up with Valve’s Steam Deck, which is set to bring SteamOS to more Windows-powered handhelds.

However, Microsoft still has some basic issues to address, like not being able to log into Windows with a controller or not getting the on-screen keyboard when you tap into text fields. Hopefully, this new gamepad keyboard is a step in the right direction, but we still need to see a lot more progress.