Xbox Game Bar has a keyboard shortcut for a lot of what you click every day. Here are 10 that work on Windows, grouped by what you’re trying to do.
We checked every one against Microsoft Support: Use a screen reader to record your screen with Xbox Game Bar on October 21, 2026.
Game Bar
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Win + G | Open or close Xbox Game Bar |
| Win + Alt + B | Turn HDR on or off |
Recording
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Win + Alt + R | Start or stop recording a clip |
| Win + Alt + G | Save the last 30 seconds as a clip |
| Win + Alt + M | Turn the mic on or off while recording |
| Win + Shift + R | Record a region of the screen (Windows Snipping Tool) |
Screenshots
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Win + Alt + PrtScn | Take a screenshot of the game or app |
| Win + Shift + S | Snip part of the screen to the clipboard (Windows) |
| Win + PrtScn | Save a full screen screenshot to Pictures > Screenshots (Windows) |
| Alt + PrtScn | Copy a screenshot of the active window to the clipboard (Windows) |
Good to know: Clips and screenshots are saved in Videos > Captures. Win + Alt + G only works when “Record what happened” is turned on in Settings > Gaming > Captures.
Good to know: Some games block the Windows key; you can set your own Game Bar shortcuts in Game Bar settings.
Get the Excel and PDF Version
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If you’d rather have it on your desk, the download below is a sortable Excel file plus a printable one-page PDF of all 10 shortcuts, for $0.99.
Want One Key to Do More?
Built-in shortcuts only work while Xbox Game Bar is the active window, and you can’t add new ones. These tools let you pick your own hotkeys:
- Prompt Assistant: paste a bug report template or your gamertag into chat with a hotkey you pick
- Quick Desktop Record: start and stop a desktop recording with your mic from a hotkey, outside of games too
- Device Mute: mute your mic or speakers with your own hotkey from any window
