Windows 10 Game Bar now helps you find people to play online games with
New Looking for Group feature is still in beta testing, though
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The Game Bar inWindows 10continues to be fleshed out withnew bits of functionality, and the latest introduction is a way for folks to easily find other likemindedPC gamersthey 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 Centralreports, 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 includesFortnite, Overwatch,Apex Legends, Destiny 2,League of Legends, and of course the likes ofMinecraftand Sea of Thieves fromMicrosoft.
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.
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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 inApex 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).
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