Microsoft has begun rolling out a significant update to Windows 11, introducing a dedicated gamepad keyboard designed to streamline text input for users navigating the operating system with an Xbox controller.
The new gamepad keyboard, now available in the Release Preview version of Windows 11 and poised for wider release in the coming weeks, represents a substantial improvement over the standard on-screen keyboard.
It addresses a long-standing challenge for users seeking to seamlessly interact with Windows 11 using a controller, particularly when entering text into various fields.
The gamepad keyboard boasts a number of controller-specific enhancements. Notably, it introduces intuitive shortcuts that mirror the Xbox dashboard’s control scheme.
The X button now functions as backspace, the Y button as the spacebar, and the menu button as enter, providing a familiar and efficient typing experience for Xbox users. Furthermore, Microsoft has vertically aligned the keyboard keys, facilitating smoother navigation with the controller’s directional pad.
“We have enabled the Gamepad keyboard layout for the touch keyboard in Windows 11,” Microsoft stated.
“This change introduces the ability to use your Xbox controller to navigate and type. This includes button accelerators (example: X button for backspace, Y button for spacebar) additionally the keyboard keys have been vertically aligned for better controller navigation patterns.”
The update follows a period of beta testing that commenced in September, allowing Microsoft to refine the gamepad keyboard based on user feedback. The transition to the Release Preview channel signals that the feature is nearing general availability, with users opting into the latest non-security updates expected to gain access within days.
