Windows 11’s new gamepad keyboard lets you type with an Xbox controller | Gaming

Microsoft has started testing a new gamepad keyboard layout in Windows 11 that’s designed for Xbox controllers. The gamepad keyboard layout improves the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11, so you can use an Xbox controller to type or navigate around the OS.

The gamepad keyboard is now in testing as part of the beta channel for Windows 11 and even includes button accelerators so you can use the X button for backspace, the Y button for spacebar, and the menu button on an Xbox controller to hit enter. The keyboard keys have also been vertically aligned, so it’s easier to type with a controller.

It’s encouraging to see Microsoft add a feature like this, particularly as Windows-powered handheld devices need these types of…