Windows 11 just got better for DX11 games and anyone who insists on playing with a controller

pcgamer.com:

The new Windows 11 update is rolling out from today, and if you're a PC gamer with a penchant for windowed gaming or using a controller there are some upgrades in this version you'll want to check out.

The headline feature for gamers in this update is something called Controller Bar. Essentially it's a popup bar that works in conjunction with Windows 11's integrated Xbox functionality to deliver a list of your most recently played games and launchers—all accessible via a few button presses on any controller you may have plugged into your machine. If you have an Xbox controller plugged in, you need only hit the Xbox button to bring it up.

Think of it as one way to make your PC a little more controller friendly, even if ultimately the controller experience on PC isn't all that great. At the very least, the new Controller Bar should allow you to boot your PC and load into the controller-friendly Steam Big Picture mode without relying on a mouse or keyboard at any point—a win for living room PC setups away from the desktop.

That's not all Microsoft has packed into the new release build. There are also improvements to the windowed gaming experience for older games; those running in the DX10 and DX11 APIs. These are set to «receive dramatically improved display latency, Auto HDR, and variable refresh rate (VRR)» while in windowed mode on the new OS version, which were previously features only available if you went fullscreen. That should come in handy if you want to dual-wield a DX11 game and, say, Discord or OBS, and switch between them with ease.

These features are already offered out freely to DX12 games but you can expect some improvements to these newer games. One such improvement is that AutoHDR—Microsoft's algorithm for