Windows 11 insiders can now share Bluetooth LE audio over two pairs of headphones, so now you and your bestie can both sob over K-Pop Demon Hunters on the plane
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I'm far from the biggest Microsoft fan, but Windows 11 Insiders have been enjoying an early look at some features that I'm decidedly envious of—and I'm definitely not talking about the introduction of Ask Copilot in the taskbar.
No, I personally don't care much for any of that AI nonsense. In Preview Build 26220.7051, the real headliner for me is Shared Audio, a new feature that allows for two folks to watch the same movie or listen to the same playlist via two separate Bluetooth devices. It's the little things.
For Windows Insiders, it works much like connecting your Copilot+ PC to any singular Bluetooth audio device. Just navigate over to the 'shared audio (preview)' tile in the quick settings menu, select two compatible, already paired audio devices, and then hit 'share'. Now, there truly is no escape from my Miku Hatsune playlist.
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Well, that is unless my put-upon pals can avoid placing themselves within about 30 paces of a compatible device. There's a more in-depth Windows blog post about extending Bluetooth Low Energy Audio on Windows 11 and its role in this new shared audio feature, but the bottom line is that it's only supported on "select Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs" right now.
A suite of Surface laptops, Surface Pro tablets, plus Samsung Galaxy Book 4 and 5 models will enjoy support in the near future. Naturally, you'll also need a Bluetooth LE Audio compatible device. The blog post continues, "This includes, but is not limited to, Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Buds3 and Buds3 Pro, Sony WH-1000XM6, and recent LE Audio capable hearing aids from ReSound and Beltone."
Bluetooth LE audio on hearing aids? Great, so that means I can share all things Vocaloid with even more folks, right? Or otherwise arrange a bit of quality time with the family for yet another viewing of K-Pop Demon Hunters ("Gran, where are we dropping? And no, we can't both be Mira").
The other big addition in Preview Build 26220.7051 is the full screen experience coming to "additional Windows 11 handheld devices currently in market." That means better performance, smooth task switching, and uninterrupted gameplay on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. However, those aren't the only handheld gaming PCs that can enjoy this preview feature; James just wrote about the roll-out to the MSI Claw, the first non-Xbox devices to get the Windows Full Screen Experience.
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Jess has been writing about games for over ten years, spending a significant chunk of that time working on print publications PLAY and Official PlayStation Magazine. When she’s not investigating all things hardware here, she's either constructing a passionate defence of a 7/10 game, daydreaming about her debut novel, or feeling wistful about the last time she chased some nerds around a field with an oversized foam sword.
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