Xbox console games are suddenly showing up inside the Xbox PC app

Jun 08, 2025 04:08 PM - 8 months ago 322195

Tom Warren is a elder editor and writer of Notepad, who has been covering each things Microsoft, PC, and tech for complete 20 years.

Something unusual is going connected pinch Microsoft’s Xbox app connected Windows. Over the past fewer days, the Xbox PC app has started showing Xbox console games wrong the library. While you can’t instal games for illustration the original Alan Wake for Xbox 360, it shows up if you ain it arsenic portion of the “My PC Games” database wrong the Xbox PC app.

I don’t judge this is simply a elemental bug, but much the consequence of Microsoft’s plans to much intimately harvester its Xbox and Windows stores. I wrote astir this effort successful March, when I revealed successful Notepad that Microsoft is moving pinch Asus connected a Project Kennan handheld. “It’s portion of a larger effort from Microsoft to unify Windows and Xbox towards a cosmopolitan room of Xbox and PC games,” I wrote astatine the time.

This effort besides involves enabling Steam and Epic Games Store games to beryllium visible successful the Xbox PC app library. Microsoft accidentally revealed mockup images showing Steam games successful the Xbox PC room earlier this year, and astatine the clip sources acquainted pinch the company’s plans told maine Microsoft was moving connected an Xbox app update that will show each crippled you person installed connected your PC.

Microsoft has besides been moving connected making the Xbox app the location of PC gaming complete the past year, and it has precocious started referring to its Xbox PC app arsenic simply “Xbox PC.” This caller branding first showed up successful Microsoft’s announcement of Gears of War: Reloaded, and a caller gameplay trailer for MIO: Memories In Orbit besides shows disconnected the Xbox PC branding and logo that we’re going to spot whenever Microsoft wants to fto PC players cognize the crippled is disposable connected its Microsoft Store.

The Xbox PC branding.

Microsoft is besides combining ‘the champion of Xbox and Windows together’ for handhelds, successful changes that we should spot later this year. Microsoft is successful desperate request of a consequence to SteamOS, peculiarly arsenic PC makers for illustration Lenovo are starting to put SteamOS connected their ain handheld gaming PCs.

All of these Xbox PC changes and the handheld activity intends we’re astir apt adjacent to seeing precisely really Microsoft lists further games successful the Xbox PC app. The large mobility will beryllium whether Xbox console games will really beryllium playable connected PC, and Microsoft whitethorn request to leverage its unreality infrastructure for that unless it has an emulation breakthrough fresh to yet make the dream of playing aged Xbox games connected PC a reality.