How to Uninstall the Xbox Game Bar from Windows (Really) No BS
So, here’s the deal. If you’re like me, the Xbox Game Bar just kinda sticks around, even if you don’t want it cluttering your screen or using resources. For some reason, Microsoft makes it surprisingly tricky to totally get rid of it, especially on Windows 11. It’s like they want to keep it buried deep and making it a pain to disable or uninstall. Anyway, after messing around with various methods, here’s what finally worked for me—mostly using PowerShell, but with a few caveats.
Using PowerShell to Remove the Xbox Game Bar
This is the most common approach I’ve seen people recommend and what I tried first. PowerShell isn’t exactly user-friendly if you’re not used to command-line stuff, but it’s pretty effective if done right. You’ve gotta open it as an admin, otherwise it won’t let you remove those built-in apps. To do that, hit Windows key + S, type “PowerShell”, then right-click on Windows PowerShell and select “Run as administrator”. Don’t skip this step because, trust me, regular permissions won’t cut it.
Once PowerShell is open, the first thing is to find the exact package name because Microsoft plays hide-and-seek with it. I ran:
Get-AppxPackage -Name *Xbox*This command lists all packages with “Xbox” in their name. Look for something like Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay or similar. The exact name can vary depending on your Windows version or updates, so don’t just assume it’s the same as other guides. The point is, find the right one that looks related to the overlay/system service for Xbox.
Once you spot it, you can try to remove it with:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay | Remove-AppxPackageThis should uninstall the overlay and stop it from running in your apps, but… here’s where I got stuck too. Sometimes it’s not enough, especially if Windows keeps reinstalling it after updates or from the store’s cache. And yes, I’ve read you might need to include the -AllUsers parameter or use Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage for system-wide removal — but that can get complicated and risky if you’re not 100% sure what you’re doing. Do it at your own risk. For example, to remove it for all users, you might need:
Remove-AppxPackage -Package <full_package_name>or
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName <package_name>Replace the placeholders with the actual package name you got from the earlier step. Executing these commands might require multiple attempts or a couple of system restarts because Windows sometimes “undo” your cleanup during updates or system maintenance.
Does it actually work? How to check.
I didn’t blindly trust that the power shell was working. After doing the commands, I went into Settings > Apps > Installed Apps (or in Win11, Apps > Installed Apps) and checked if the Xbox Game Bar was gone. If you see it still there, try running the commands again, or double-check you’ve got the right package name. Also, sometimes Windows Store updates or re-installs might bring it back, so resetting the Store cache can help. Just run wsreset.exe in the Run dialog (Win + R). That resets the Microsoft Store cache, which sometimes helps with stubborn built-in apps that reappear after updates.
Extra tips and random troubleshooting
Full on uninstalling the Xbox Game Bar is kind of a mess because it’s tied into Windows at a system level. The PowerShell move is the most promising, but it’s not foolproof. If it keeps coming back, you could consider turning off the overlay via Group Policy (good if you have Win10 Pro or Enterprise). Just hit Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and go to:
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Xbox Game Bar
- Disable “Allow Xbox Game Bar to record clips, screenshots, and broadcast” — this stops it from overlaying on your screen but doesn’t remove the app entirely.
If even that’s not enough, you might disable it through Optional Features (Settings > Apps > Optional Features), though that usually just turns off parts of it, not a full uninstall.
Like I said, this stuff can be flaky. Windows updates or OEM restrictions might restore or block removal entirely—especially on some tablets or OEM devices. If you’re desperate, avoid messing with deep system files unless you’re comfortable with risks. Resetting Windows or doing a clean install will definitely wipe it out, but that’s overkill for most people.
Final thoughts
This whole process is a bit of a hassle, honestly. The Xbox Game Bar is embedded pretty deeply, so no surprise it’s a pain to totally remove. But if you’re patient, cautious, and follow the PowerShell steps carefully, it’s doable—at least most of the time. Just watch out for updates sneaking it back in and back up your system if you’re about to do some serious cleanup.
Double-check your package names, run commands as admin, and reboot if things don’t seem to work at first. The whole process can be kinda frustrating, but hey—once it’s gone, it’s a relief. Hope this helped—took me way too long to figure out. Good luck out there!