Microsoft temporarily pauses rollout of new gamepad keyboard layout for on-screen keyboard

Microsoft says that it’s temporarily pausing the rollout of the new gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard as the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2213 (KB5045885) for Dev channel insiders is now launched.

In the update’s changelog, Microsoft says that it has “temporarily disabled” the feature in order “to address some issues.” The company still, however, promises that it’ll roll out again in a future flight.

The Redmond company first tested the feature back in September and later in October’s KB5044384 and KB5044380 for Windows 11’s 23H2 and 24H2 versions. And with that, you can use your Xbox controller to type and move around the screen.

Microsoft has been betting big in handheld gaming to rival Valve, so much so that it’s been working on a few features to accommodate it. Besides the new gamepad keyboard layout, Microsoft also made the Windows Game Bar more compact and user-friendly for smaller screens.

Speaking of the update, though, Microsoft is also fixing a prominent issue in multiple monitor setups where desktop backgrounds may show big black areas instead. We’re also getting fixes for to Start menu spacing and reliability and adjustments to taskbar functions, including a more responsive search box when the taskbar auto-hides.

The update also lets you hide the IME toolbar in full-screen mode. And, we’re also getting a few improvements to Dev Drive accessibility and DirectAccess network connectivity.