Microsoft has started testing a new combined game library in the Xbox PC app. This new feature lets users open games from different PC stores, like Steam and Battle.net, directly from the Xbox app. This is a big step toward making the Xbox app the central place for all PC gaming.
This combined library is a big deal for PC gamers. For years, players have had to deal with a split-up system, needing multiple apps to open their games from different places. The Xbox app’s new combined library tries to make this easier by giving users one place to access games from Xbox, Game Pass, and other major PC stores. This single, organized approach should make gaming more convenient and seamless for people using Windows 11 PCs and handheld devices.
This feature may only be available to insiders for testing, but it’s coming to everyone soon. It’s expected to launch for everyone later this year, including on new gaming devices like the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. The benefits of this combined library go beyond just being convenient. When a player installs a game from a supported PC store, it will automatically show up in “My library” inside the Xbox PC app. These games will also appear in the “Most recent” list on the side of the app, making it easy to jump back into recently played games.
you’re able to also choose which stores to see in your combined library. If someone doesn’t want games from a certain store to appear, they can change this in the settings. By clicking their profile picture, going to “Settings,” then “Library & Extensions,” they’ll see a list of available stores. From there, they can select “Hide” for any store they don’t want to see, which will remove those games from the library display.
I’ve been waiting for this update for a while, and if you are like me, this news is a little disappointing. This means that the rumors that Steam would come to the console are not true, at least for now. This is exclusive to the PC and handheld versions of the Xbox app. Still, hopefully, consoles will get love in the future.
Microsoft has also said it plans to keep improving this feature. Right now, it works with Battle.net and Steam, but the company wants to add more PC stores over time. We may see a Humble Bundle, GOG, Epic Games, or even an indie site that hosts PC Games. Maybe this will mean the return of flash games on sites like Kongregate.
While PlayStation has stayed closed off and exclusive, Xbox has gone a different route, becoming more open to others. This inclusivity may be what makes more players move to Xbox since seeing its branding everywhere may help the company win over players.
