Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel have a new build of Windows 11 to install. Among the many features in the update is a gamepad keyboard.
Windows 11 Build 22631.5116 just shipped to the Release Preview Channel. The biggest change is arguably the gamepad keyboard, but the update also improves Task Manager and fixes several bugs.
The gamepad keyboard arranges keys vertically, making it easier to type with a controller. It also supports inputs such as using the X button for backspace.
The gamepad keyboard isn’t entirely new to Windows Insiders. Microsoft started rolling out the new gamepad keyboard gradually to the Release Preview Channel last October.
However, the feature was disabled for a while. It is now back and available for Windows Insiders.
Even if the feature had been available for testing all this time, the context of the new feature has changed quite a bit. With reports of an Xbox gaming handheld on the way, Windows 11 features that optimize devices for small screens and controllers become more important.
Even though Project Kennan is a device made by ASUS, the fact that Microsoft is involved is a big deal.
Considering the ASUS ROG Ally X and the ROG Ally are among the best gaming handhelds, Microsoft partnering with ASUS makes sense. Microsoft still needs to optimize Windows 11 for the form factor, and the new gamepad keyboard is a step in that direction.
Below is the full change log from Microsoft for the latest Insider build.
Windows 11 Build 22631.5116: Gradual rollout
- [File Explorer]
- New! As part of our ongoing commitment to improving File Explorer accessibility, this release includes increased support for the text scaling (Settings > Accessibility > Text size) across File Explorer, File Open/Save dialogs, and the copy dialogs.
- New! Context menu labels.
- [Settings]
- New! Enable Settings Home Page on Commercial Devices with “Your Accounts” Card.
- New! “Top cards” (such as storage, graphics, RAM, etc.) at the top of the About settings page.
- Fixed: For Japanese users, the name displaying at the top of Settings > Accounts shows “First Name” “Last Name” instead of “Last Name” “First Name”.
- [Input]
- New! We have enabled the Gamepad keyboard layout for the touch keyboard in Windows 11. 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.
- New! New experience to improve the discoverability of the emoji and more panel in Windows 11 with the introduction of a new system tray icon on the taskbar.
- Fixed: ctfmon.exe may restart when copying data from certain applications.
- [Task Manager] New! We are changing the way Task Manager calculates CPU utilization for the Processes, Performance, and Users pages. Task Manager will now use the standard metrics to display CPU workload consistently across all pages and aligning with industry standards and third-party tools. For backward compatibility, a new optional column called CPU Utility is available (hidden by default) on the Details tab showing the previous CPU value used on the Processes page.
Windows 11 Build 22631.5116: Normal rollout
- [File Systems (Filters)] This update adds support for a new function in Filter Manager that enhances the system’s ability to notify applications of directory changes while minimizing I/O operations.
- [Noto Fonts] This update enhances text quality and customer experience in web browsing for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages by introducing the Noto font family. This provides modern, comprehensive font support for these languages.
- [Remote Desktop] Fixed: Certain Get-Help troubleshooters might not run in a Remote Desktop session.
- [COSA] Updated: This update addresses an issue affecting mobile connectivity configurations for Connected PCs. It resolves incorrect Internet of Things (IOT) Access Point Name (APN) settings that were previously applied.
- [Printers] Fixed: Printers using Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers might unexpectedly output incorrect or unwanted text.
- [File System Fixed: This update resolves an issue for users with profiles redirected to a network Virtual Hard Disk (VHD or VHDX), where a specific failure could lead to a system crash.
- [File System Filter] Fixed: Addresses an issue where a stop error may occur during normal usage with a user profile redirected to a network VHD(X).
- [Deprecation] Suggested actions that appear when you copy a phone number or future date in Windows 11 are now deprecated and being removed.
