Hands-on Review: Microsoft Edge’s New Gaming Feature “Game Assist” for Windows 11

Microsoft is introducing a new feature called Game Assist for the Edge browser, designed to enhance the gaming experience on Windows 11.

Have you ever found yourself needing information about a game character or struggling with a challenging level? This is a common dilemma for gamers, often leading them to pause the game or consult guides on their smartphones.

To address this issue, Microsoft is launching Game Assist, a helpful widget that resides at the top of your screen while you’re gaming, providing instant access to the information you require. Currently, Game Assist is in Preview mode, available in the Edge Beta version 132. Microsoft has indicated that the rollout is underway, but the feature will be visible only if you follow the specific steps outlined below.

According to Windows Latest, utilizing Game Assist requires adherence to certain procedures within Microsoft Edge and Windows 11.

How to Activate Game Assist in Edge on Windows 11

To begin, ensure you have downloaded and installed Edge Beta if you haven’t already.

Additionally, make sure to update both Edge and the Game Bar to their latest versions, and set Edge Beta as your default browser for opening HTTPS links.

Failing to follow these steps may result in the widget showing a “something went wrong” message.

Windows Latest successfully installed the Beta version of the browser and enabled the Game Assist widget through Edge’s settings. After this setup, they activated the widget, also accessible via the widgets panel in the Game Bar.

Is Game Assist Functional?

To test the effectiveness of Game Assist, we played Asphalt 8 on our PC (available for free on the Epic Store). We opened the Game Bar using the Win + G shortcut and pinned the Game Assist widget.

The widget is resizable, making it easy to adjust to your preference without obstructing your view.

Unfortunately, it did not recognize Asphalt 8, which was expected since it is not listed among the officially supported games. The list of compatible titles includes:

• League of Legends
• Minecraft
• Overwatch 2
• Diablo IV
• Fortnite
• Roblox
• Valuing
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga

Although Game Assist focuses on popular multiplayer games, it was not particularly useful during our gameplay session. Its standout feature is its game-awareness capability, which identifies the game being played and offers tailored content accordingly.

An official video illustrates how Game Assist functions with Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga, a notoriously challenging game, showing how the overlay provides relevant content for specific levels.

If you find yourself stuck on a level or mission, Game Assist can provide a textual walkthrough to guide you. You can also access gameplay videos on YouTube to help you navigate through challenging sections or solve puzzles.

During our use of Game Assist, we didn’t encounter any major bugs, although Microsoft does caution about potential crashes and other issues. These are common in the Insider channel, but only time will tell how stable the feature will be when released in the official version.