- Windows 11's update for May has just arrived
- It packs a new Xbox mode that'll be welcomed by gamers
- There are also new features for haptic touchpads, useful changes for voice typing, and updates to the Windows 11 interface in general
Windows 11's May update has arrived, and it's quite a busy one, bringing in several changes for those who install the patch. There's some good stuff here, and I'm going to round up the highlights in this article.
Read on to find out what patch KB5089549 — which is for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 — packs, and if you're currently trying to decide whether or not it's worth making a beeline for it. Although I'd always advise a little caution with jumping straight to download an update, as it's worth waiting a day or two to see if there are any nasty bugs crawling around in the works.
Note that these changes may have already been grabbed by some folks who installed the optional update for Windows 11, which was made available at the end of April (as it was a preview version of this May patch).
1. Xbox mode — a big one for gamers
One of the major changes with the Windows 11 update for May is the deployment of Xbox mode. This is without doubt a keenly-awaited feature for many Windows 11 gamers — especially those with handhelds like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.
Xbox mode is a full-screen experience (in fact, it was previously called that, or the 'FSE' for short) with a simplified interface that's controller-friendly, and it also reins in Windows 11's resource usage to help games run more performantly. When you're planning a gaming session, this is the mode you can switch to on handhelds, laptops, or desktop PCs.
Note that this feature is in a controlled rollout, meaning that you may not see it immediately – or indeed that it could take some time to arrive (and we've discussed that elsewhere today).
2. Haptic goodness
The May update brings in haptic feedback for compatible input devices which will happen during certain actions — Microsoft mentions snapping or resizing windows, or aligning objects in PowerPoint. It should be a feature that seriously elevates the experience for laptops with haptic touchpads, as you'll get a nice physical 'snap' when those objects are aligned, for example.
Note that this also pertains to compatible stylus hardware which includes the Surface Slim Pen 2, Asus Pen 3.0, and MSI Pen 2. Microsoft adds that some mice, like the Logitech MX Master 4, should play nice with this feature in time (but not yet — only when the hardware gets an update).
3. Voice typing gets better
Voice typing is one of those Windows 11 features that flies under the radar, but it's something I still use from time to time (and in the past, I've found it invaluable and used it a lot to help with fending off Repetitive Strain Injury symptoms).
So, it's good to see that you can now rename files using voice typing, and on top of that, the May patch "improves the persistence of Fluid Dictation setting in voice typing". In other words, the fluid dictation feature, which gets rid of filler words ('you know' or 'like') and corrects grammar and punctuation errors automatically, will now remember the settings you use with it (instead of randomly resetting them).
On top of that, using voice typing when you've pulled up Windows 11's touch keyboard has been improved as there's no full-screen overlay anymore, and the voice typing animations appear directly on the keyboard's dictation key. That's a much neater way of working and a useful tweak.
4. Interface refinements – for File Explorer in particular
While not about a single feature as such, there's a good deal of work that has gone into honing Windows 11's interface and fixing problems with it, and this amounts to part of what makes the May update worth downloading.
This work includes, but isn't limited to, improvements for File Explorer, such as ensuring that your view (and sort) preferences are maintained more consistently (whereas, as you may have noticed, opening certain folders sees the view layout reset to something else, which is very annoying). Speaking of very annoying, this new update also (finally) puts an end to the 'flashbang bug' where distracting white flashes appeared on the screen in certain circumstances (such as when opening 'This PC').
There's also a performance tweak to ensure File Explorer's processes are properly put to bed when you close it, so as not to prove an unnecessary drain on system resources.
Away from File Explorer, Microsoft has made Windows Hello facial recognition more reliable, which is going to be useful for those who use it for their laptop logins. They've also improved the general reliability of loading the system tray (at the far right of the taskbar). Certain 'unexpected' errors when installing apps from the Microsoft Store have also been cured.
As this year progresses, we will no doubt see a lot more interface refinements and performance improvements, which will all be part of the big effort to fix Windows 11 in 2026.
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