Xbox App Now Launches Games From Steam And Other Game Stores

Microsoft is hoping to turn the Xbox app into the one-stop destination for players to launch games on PC and Windows handheld devices, pushing an update that integrates titles from other major gaming storefronts into the app’s library.

Xbox Insiders have had access to this aggregated library feature since June, but now, all users of the Xbox PC app can see their installed games from Steam, Epic Games Store, Battle.net, and “other leading storefronts.” Players can launch these games directly from the Xbox app, and recently played games appear in a side tab, no matter which store they were installed from.

Additionally, the Xbox app’s library also has a tab for apps, allowing you to open other storefronts and web browsers to install and launch games from outside the Xbox storefront. The app’s settings also let you toggle different stores if you don’t want games from those sources to appear in the library.

This major update arrives not long before the ROG Xbox Ally handheld device’s scheduled launch on October 16. Those using the Xbox Ally will be able to make full use of the aggregated library feature to play installed games from various storefronts. Additionally, an update to the Xbox app later this month will sync up your cloud-playable games and recent play history across all your devices, according to the Xbox Wire blog.

Other PC applications like GOG Galaxy and Playnite integrate games across all libraries, but Xbox is emphasizing cross-device functionality that seamlessly syncs up your experiences no matter where you’re playing your games from. The Xbox app also benefits from controller support for those who want to launch their games using a gamepad.

There are still some limitations to this update, however–for instance, the Xbox app doesn’t seem to pull any cover art or metadata for non-Xbox games. Selecting any of these titles returns a mostly blank page, only featuring a play button and a link to the game’s page on the storefront it’s from. Still, it’s a big step for the Xbox ecosystem that will surely receive more updates over time.