Windows 10 Game Bar now helps you find people to play online games with

Image Credit: Microsoft

The Game Bar in Windows 10 continues to be fleshed out with new bits of functionality, and the latest introduction is a way for folks to easily find other likeminded PC gamers they can enjoy multiplayer titles with online.

The Game Bar is a compact overlay which provides easy access to a range of features and that now includes the aforementioned Looking for Group (commonly abbreviated to LFG) option, although it’s still in beta right now.

That means only Game Bar testers can access it, and you can expect bugs because this is an early version: as Windows Central reports, for starters, the mouse scroll wheel doesn’t work in the LFG tab.

Doubtless there will be other teething issues, and indeed the range of games supported is fairly slim right now, but we can expect it to be considerably bolstered by the time this feature hits the release version of the Game Bar.

A number of big-name titles are already supported, though, and that includes Fortnite, Overwatch, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, League of Legends, and of course the likes of Minecraft and Sea of Thieves from Microsoft.

Find your ideal group by setting various parameters (Image credit: Windows Central)

Find your ideal group by setting various parameters (Image credit: Windows Central) (Image credit: Windows Central)

Power of parameters

The power in the LFG feature lies in being able to specify custom parameters for the sort of game you’d like to get involved in, so for example, you can specify that ‘trash talking’ is fair game, or you could make a game session specifically for new players in which you’re willing to help newbies get to grips with things.

It’s also possible to specify how many players you want for any particular session, and a proposed start time along with other variables. Before anyone joins your group, you can chat to them and vet them, either via voice or text.

Obviously, some folks might prefer to play with a regular group of friends online, but people won’t always be around, so even in this case, LFG can be a great way to get a pick-up group going for a session – particularly given all the parameters you can adjust to try to find likeminded gamers. Not to mention you’ll possibly make new friends…

It’s also pretty nifty to be able to get a premade party together rather than rely on in-game matchmaking that may land you with toxic teammates. At least this way, you can vet them first, and there are possible added benefits too, such as potentially grabbing the experience point bonus for playing with friends in Apex Legends, for instance.

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Latest in Windows
Acer Aspire 14 AI laptop display showing the Windows 11 login screen
Shock, horror – I’m not going to argue with Microsoft’s latest bit of nagging in Windows 11, as this pop-up is justified
A laptop on a desk with the Windows 11 background on its screen.
Microsoft is adding image editing and compression to its Windows Share feature - and I couldn't be happier
AOC Agon Pro AG276FK gaming monitor tilted slightly to the side, showing the Windows desktop screen
Windows 11 users get ready for more ‘recommendations’ from Microsoft – but I’m relieved to say these suggestions might actually be useful
Microsoft Store logo on a blurred background
There's finally a fix for an annoying Microsoft Store bug that's older than Windows 11
Portrait of African-American teenage boy studying at home or in college dorm and using laptop, copy space
Windows 11’s Notepad gets AI-powered ‘Rewrite’ feature, but not everyone’s going to be happy about it
Copilot on a laptop
Microsoft quietly updates Copilot to cut down on unauthorized Windows activations
Latest in News
Vision Pro Metallica
Apple Vision Pro goes off to never never land with Metallica concert footage
Mufasa is joined by another lion, a monkey and a bird in this promotional image
Mufasa: The Lion King prowls onto Disney+ as it finally gets a streaming release date
An American flag flying outside the US Capitol building against a blue sky
Sean Plankey selected as CISA director by President Trump
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on a table with its retail packaging
Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU spotted in Acer gaming PC, suggesting rumors of imminent launch are correct – and that it’ll run with only 8GB of video RAM
Indiana Jones talking to a friend in a university setting with a jaunty smile on his face
New leak claims Indiana Jones and the Great Circle PS5 release will come in April
A close up of the limited edition vinyl turntable wrist watch from AndoAndoAndo
This limited-edition timepiece turns the iconic Technics SL-1200 turntable into a watch, and I want one