How to Disable the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10 and 11

The Xbox Game Bar is the overlay Windows opens with Win + G. It hooks into every game to record clips and show performance widgets, and that hook can interfere with the loader. Turn it off before you play.

Windows 11

1. Open the Game Bar settings

   Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Gaming → Xbox Game Bar.

2. Turn off the controller shortcut

   Set Allow your controller to open Xbox Game Bar to Off.

3. Stop the Game Bar from running in the background

   Go to Apps → Installed apps, find Xbox Game Bar, open its menu and choose Advanced options. Under Background app permissions, select Never.

Windows 10

1. Open the Game Bar settings

   Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Gaming → Xbox Game Bar.

2. Turn the Game Bar off

   Set the Enable Xbox Game Bar switch at the top of the page to Off.

3. Turn off background recording

   Go to Gaming → Captures and set Record in the background while I'm playing a game to Off.

Tip: press Win + G inside a game to check. If nothing opens, the Game Bar is disabled.

Success: the Game Bar no longer starts with your games. Restart the game after changing these settings.