One thing unusual is happening with Microsoft’s Xbox app on Home windows. Over the previous few days, the Xbox PC app has began displaying Xbox console video games contained in the library. When you can’t set up video games like the unique Alan Wake for Xbox 360, it exhibits up for those who personal it as a part of the “My PC Video games” listing contained in the Xbox PC app.
I don’t consider it is a easy bug, however extra the results of Microsoft’s plans to extra carefully mix its Xbox and Home windows shops. I wrote about this effort in March, when I revealed in Notepad that Microsoft is working with Asus on a Challenge Kennan handheld. “It’s half of a bigger effort from Microsoft to unify Home windows and Xbox in direction of a common library of Xbox and PC video games,” I wrote on the time.
This effort additionally entails enabling Steam and Epic Video games Retailer video games to be seen within the Xbox PC app library. Microsoft unintentionally revealed mockup photos displaying Steam video games within the Xbox PC library earlier this yr, and on the time sources aware of the corporate’s plans advised me Microsoft was engaged on an Xbox app replace that can present each sport you will have put in in your PC.
Microsoft has additionally been engaged on making the Xbox app the house of PC gaming over the previous yr, and it has just lately began referring to its Xbox PC app as merely “Xbox PC.” This new branding first confirmed up in Microsoft’s announcement of Gears of Conflict: Reloaded, and a brand new gameplay trailer for MIO: Reminiscences In Orbit additionally exhibits off the Xbox PC branding and emblem that we’re going to see at any time when Microsoft needs to let PC gamers know the sport is out there on its Microsoft Retailer.
All of those Xbox PC modifications and the hand held work means we’re most likely near seeing precisely how Microsoft lists extra video games within the Xbox PC app. The massive query will likely be whether or not Xbox console video games will really be playable on PC, and Microsoft could have to leverage its cloud infrastructure for that except it has an emulation breakthrough able to lastly make the dream of enjoying previous Xbox video games on PC a actuality.