OmniConsole 8bit2qubit

OmniConsole

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💡 What is OmniConsole?

OmniConsole serves as your Windows 11 Xbox Mode (FSE) Home shell on PCs and handhelds (ROG Xbox Ally X, etc.), with an OmniCharm Game Bar widget, Mouse Mode, and Steam shortcuts so everything stays on the gamepad. Whenever Xbox Mode (FSE) activates, OmniConsole launches your configured gaming platform. Any platform can be your Xbox Mode (FSE) Home — Steam, Xbox, Epic, Armoury Crate SE, Playnite, or anything you add.

• On boot: With "Enter Xbox mode (FSE) on startup" enabled, your gaming platform launches automatically at boot.
• During use: Press the Xbox button, then select "Home" in Game Bar to launch your gaming platform, or "Library" to open OmniConsole Settings.

✨ Features

• Automatic platform launch – Your configured gaming platform launches automatically whenever Xbox Mode (FSE) activates.
• Automatic Xbox Mode (FSE) entry – When you launch OmniConsole outside Xbox Mode (FSE) (e.g., from the Start Menu), it automatically triggers the Xbox Mode (FSE) entry dialog.
• Multi-platform support – Built-in support for Steam Big Picture, Xbox App, Epic Games Store, Armoury Crate SE, and Playnite Fullscreen.
• Custom platform support (experimental) – Add your own platforms via Protocol URI, executable path, or Packaged App (MSIX / APPX), with an optional card cover image. Launch arguments are available when using the executable path type.
• Platform import & export – Share custom platform configurations as JSON. Right-click or long-press a card to export; use the Import button to import shared configurations.
• Gamepad-compatible file picker – A custom-built file picker that replaces the system FileOpenPicker (which does not support gamepad input), letting you browse for executables and cover images with a controller. A "Browse (Windows)" button is also available for users who prefer the system file picker.
• Card-grid settings UI – Large icon cards designed for large-screen and handheld use, operable with mouse, touch, or Xbox controller.
• Game Bar integration – Game Bar's "Home" button launches your gaming platform; "Library" opens OmniConsole Settings.
• Troubleshoot page – A dedicated page for Xbox Mode (FSE) recovery: restarts Game Bar to fix issues such as the "Restart for better performance" dialog not appearing, then enters Xbox Mode (FSE).
• Environment snapshot – An "About" page that captures your system, hardware, and OmniConsole health status, with one-click copy as a Markdown report for easy bug reporting.
• Gamepad support – Navigate with D-Pad or Left Stick; A to confirm, B to exit, LB/RB to switch category tabs, Y to add a custom platform, X to edit, and Menu (☰) to set the focused platform as default and launch it immediately (when running inside Xbox Mode (FSE)).
• Gamepad Mouse Mode – Use your gamepad as a mouse and keyboard. Three modes: , (browsers, File Explorer, Steam, Epic Games Store, Discord), and (all apps except an exclusion list). Cursor speed is adjustable, with two controller layouts to choose from: and .

⚙️ Prerequisites

OmniConsole requires the Full Handheld edition of Xbox Mode (FSE). Microsoft is gradually rolling out a Limited PC edition to regular PCs — use Xbox Full Screen Experience Tool (XFSET) to switch to the Full Handheld edition.

• Desktops, Laptops, Tablets & Handhelds without the Full Handheld edition: Run XFSET first.
• Native Handheld Devices (e.g., ROG Xbox Ally series): Already on the Full Handheld edition — install OmniConsole directly.
• Xbox Controller Required: Game Bar, Xbox Mode (FSE), and all gamepad features require an Xbox-compatible (XInput) controller with an Xbox button.

🚀 Quick Start

1. Install OmniConsole

Download the latest release from the Releases Page.

Option A: Install.bat (Recommended)

1. Extract the OmniConsole_*_x64.zip file and run Install.bat. It will enable Developer Mode, install the certificate, install any missing framework dependencies, and install both MSIX packages automatically.

Option B: Manual Install

1. [Critical] Go to Windows Settings → System → Advanced and enable Developer Mode.
2. [Critical] Double-click the .cer file → click Install Certificate → Store Location: Local Machine → Place all certificates in the following store → Browse → select Trusted People → Finish.
3. (Optional — only needed on fresh/offline systems; online systems fetch these automatically) Double-click each file inside Dependencies\ to install the bundled framework packages (skip any that report an equal or newer version already installed).
4. Double-click OmniConsole_*_x64.msix to install the main app.
5. Double-click OmniConsole.PhantomLink_*_x64-widget.msix to install the OmniCharm widget.

2. Configure Your Default Platform

OmniConsole will present the Settings UI on first launch or after app updates. You can also open it manually anytime from the Start Menu:

1. Open "OmniConsole Settings" from the Start Menu (All Apps).

2. Select your preferred gaming platform from the card grid using a mouse, touch, or Xbox controller (D-Pad/Left Stick to navigate in all four directions, A to confirm):

   • Steam Big Picture
   • Xbox App
   • Epic Games Store
   • Armoury Crate SE
   • Playnite Fullscreen

   Your selection is saved automatically. Press B on your controller or click/press Exit to finish.

3. [Critical] Set as Xbox Mode (FSE) Home App

1. Go to Windows Settings → Gaming → Xbox mode (FSE).
2. Set "Choose home app" to OmniConsole.
3. Enable "Enter Xbox mode (FSE) on startup".

4. Done!

Your gaming platform now launches via any of these entry points:

• Game Bar: Press the Xbox button, then select "Home" to launch your gaming platform, or "Library" to open OmniConsole Settings.
• Boot: Enable "Enter Xbox mode (FSE) on startup" for automatic launch at boot.
• Start Menu: Launch OmniConsole directly to automatically activate Xbox Mode (FSE).

🔄 How to Revert

> ⚠️ Change the Xbox Mode (FSE) Home App setting before uninstalling OmniConsole. If OmniConsole is removed while it is still set as the Xbox Mode (FSE) Home App, Windows Task View will stop working on some builds. This is a bug in Windows itself.

1. Go to Windows Settings → Gaming → Xbox mode (FSE).
2. Set "Choose home app" to Xbox or None.
3. Right-click OmniConsole in the Start Menu and select Uninstall, or go to Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps to uninstall it.
4. Go to Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps and uninstall OmniCharm (the widget does not appear in the Start Menu).

🛠️ Troubleshooting

If you run into issues caused by a Windows bug, such as Game Bar failing to open or the "Restart for better performance" dialog not appearing when entering Xbox Mode (FSE):

1. Open OmniConsole Settings from the Start Menu.
2. Navigate to the Troubleshoot tab using the left menu.
3. Click the "Run" button next to "Restart Game Bar & Enter Xbox Mode (FSE)". This restarts Game Bar and enters Xbox Mode (FSE); once Game Bar is restarted, the dialog appears as expected.

💻 Tech Stack

• Primary Stack: C# & .NET 8, C++
• UI Framework: WinUI 3
• Packaging: MSIX

🛠️ Local Development

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/8bit2qubit/OmniConsole.git
   cd OmniConsole
   

2. Open in Visual Studio

   Open OmniConsole.sln with Visual Studio 2026 (18.0+). Ensure the WinUI application development workload is installed.

3. Run for Development

   Set the build configuration to Debug, select your platform (x64), and press F5.

🌟 Star History

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0).

You are free to use, modify, and distribute this software, but any derivative works must also be distributed under the same GPL-3.0 license and provide the complete source code. For more details, see the official GPL-3.0 terms.