Microsoft’s Xbox PC app has quietly shed the role of a one‑trick Game Pass storefront and evolved into a genuine, controller‑friendly hub that now aggregates your installed Windows games across multiple launchers — Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Battle.net and Microsoft’s own libraries — and surfaces them inside a single “My Library” view so you can find and launch titles without hunting through separate clients.
For more than a decade, PC gaming has been fractured across competing storefronts and launchers. Steam remains the dominant discovery and community hub for most players, but Epic Games Store, GOG Galaxy, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, EA App and others each host titles, updates, DRM and social features that keep users switching apps. That fragmentation is tolerable on a desktop with a mouse and keyboard, but it’s far less convenient on the increasingly popular wave of Windows handhelds and couch‑style setups where controller‑first navigation and single‑screen browsing matter.
Microsoft’s response is a staged reimagining of the Xbox PC app. The company has added an Aggregated Gaming Library that scans for installed games from supported PC storefronts and lists them in the Xbox app’s Library and “Most recent” surfaces. A companion My Apps tab centralizes third‑party storefronts and utilities so you can open Steam, Battle.net or other clients quickly without leaving the Xbox shell. Microsoft also plans cross‑device play history and cloud session continuity — a “Jump back in” experience that follows your recent sessions across console, PC and handheld. These changes are rolling out from Insider previews into broader Windows 11 availability.
Microsoft’s update to the Xbox PC app is a meaningful evolution: it doesn’t rewrite the rules of DRM or anti‑cheat, nor does it instantly replace third‑party launchers, but it does make Windows gaming more accessible and controller‑friendly by offering a single, searchable catalog for installed and cloud‑playable titles. The real test will be whether Microsoft provides transparent documentation about scanning, telemetry, and compatibility and whether middleware vendors and storefront partners cooperate to make the experience consistent across the diverse PC game ecosystem. For now, the new aggregated library and My Apps serve as powerful productivity and UX improvements for the growing audience of Windows handheld and controller‑first gamers — useful today, with meaningful potential if Microsoft and partners maintain openness and clarity as the feature matures.
Source: Tom's Guide The Xbox PC app now gives you access to all your Windows games — launch titles from Steam, Epic Games and more
For more than a decade, PC gaming has been fractured across competing storefronts and launchers. Steam remains the dominant discovery and community hub for most players, but Epic Games Store, GOG Galaxy, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, EA App and others each host titles, updates, DRM and social features that keep users switching apps. That fragmentation is tolerable on a desktop with a mouse and keyboard, but it’s far less convenient on the increasingly popular wave of Windows handhelds and couch‑style setups where controller‑first navigation and single‑screen browsing matter.Microsoft’s response is a staged reimagining of the Xbox PC app. The company has added an Aggregated Gaming Library that scans for installed games from supported PC storefronts and lists them in the Xbox app’s Library and “Most recent” surfaces. A companion My Apps tab centralizes third‑party storefronts and utilities so you can open Steam, Battle.net or other clients quickly without leaving the Xbox shell. Microsoft also plans cross‑device play history and cloud session continuity — a “Jump back in” experience that follows your recent sessions across console, PC and handheld. These changes are rolling out from Insider previews into broader Windows 11 availability.
What changed — Feature deep dive
Aggregated Gaming Library: one place for installed titles
- The Xbox PC app now discovers installed games from supported storefronts and surfaces them under My Library and the Most recent list.
- Each tile shows an origin indicator so you can tell whether a title is from Game Pass, Steam, Epic, GOG, Battle.net or another partner.
- You can launch games directly from the Xbox app; the app will either start the game executable or hand off to the native launcher as required by DRM or publisher requirements.
My Apps: curated access to storefronts and utilities
- A new My Apps section lists commonly used clients, browsers and gaming utilities.
- For installed apps, the Xbox app can act as a direct launcher; for apps not present, it surfaces a simple “get/install” flow to bring them in (behavior varies during Insider previews).
- My Apps is optimized for controller and handheld navigation so users don’t have to switch back to the desktop just to open a storefront.
Cross‑device play history and “Jump back in”
- Microsoft will sync cloud‑playable games and recent play history across consoles, PCs and handhelds so sessions can be continued on another device.
- Expect a “Jump back in” list on the Home screen of console, PC or handheld that surfaces recent activity and cloud‑playable matches. This ties installed games and cloud streaming into a single activity timeline.
How it works (and where the limits are)
Discovery and scanning model
- The Xbox app scans the system for installed titles from supported storefronts and aggregates them into the Library view.
- Users can control visibility: go to your profile → Settings → Library & Extensions and toggle storefront listings on or off to tailor what appears in your aggregated library. This gives you granular control over which stores the Xbox app will surface.
Launcher orchestration, not DRM replacement
- The aggregation is primarily a discovery and launch orchestration feature. It does not remove the need for original launchers or replace DRM systems in most cases.
- Many titles will still require the native launcher or background services (for anti‑cheat, patching, multiplayer and social features) even when launched from the Xbox app. The app will either start the game binary directly or invoke the original client to satisfy those requirements.
Compatibility gating (anti‑cheat, DRM, platform support)
- Publisher middleware — especially anti‑cheat drivers that may run in kernel mode — can block local execution on some devices (notably Windows on Arm or handhelds using emulation).
- Where local execution is infeasible due to driver or middleware limitations, Microsoft will rely on cloud streaming as a fallback for playable experiences. Expect variability between titles until middleware vendors and Microsoft certify broader compatibility.
Why this matters: practical benefits
- Faster time‑to‑play. Aggregating installed titles reduces friction and gets players into games faster — especially valuable for handhelds and couch gaming.
- Controller‑first UX. The library and My Apps flows are optimized for controller navigation, full‑screen mode and compact displays, improving the experience on devices like the ROG Xbox Ally and other Windows handhelds.
- One catalog for everything. Instead of scanning multiple clients to remember where a game lives, you get a single searchable surface that shows your installed and cloud‑playable titles.
- Cross‑device continuity. Syncing play history and cloud sessions means you can meaningfully continue gameplay between Xbox console, PC and handheld devices without hunting session states.
Strategic and ecosystem implications
For players
- Casual players and handheld owners gain immediate, tangible improvements: less app swapping, simpler discovery, and an interface tailored for controllers.
- Power users will still rely on native clients for mod management, DLC, advanced settings and community features.
For third‑party storefronts and publishers
- Microsoft frames the Xbox app as an orchestration layer rather than a replacement. But the app’s role as a discovery and launch surface could influence traffic and discovery economics.
- How Microsoft treats third‑party metadata, search ranking and discovery will shape whether stores view the new Xbox app as a complement or a competitive threat.
For Microsoft’s platform strategy
- The aggregated library aligns with Microsoft’s broader push to unify console, PC and cloud experiences.
- It strengthens Microsoft’s position in the handheld market by improving Windows’ ergonomics for small, controller‑based devices and by showing a clearer path between local installs and Azure‑backed cloud play.
Risks, unknowns and areas that need scrutiny
Privacy and telemetry questions
- A launcher that scans local installations raises legitimate questions about what metadata is collected, how long it’s retained, and whether installed‑title lists are telemetry‑enabled.
- Microsoft has promised visibility controls (the ability to hide storefronts), but independent documentation on scanning mechanics and telemetry retention is limited in early releases. Users and admins should demand clarity.
Anti‑cheat and DRM friction
- Titles that rely on kernel‑level anti‑cheat drivers or strict DRM may require the original launcher to be running; some titles may not launch at all from the aggregated view until middleware is updated for new platforms (for example, Arm devices).
- Competitive multiplayer players should verify anti‑cheat stability before relying on Xbox app launches in ranked matches.
Potential commercial tension with other stores
- If the Xbox app becomes an influential discovery surface, stores with different business models or revenue shares may seek formal agreements or demand more neutral handling.
- Microsoft will need to balance convenience with platform neutrality to avoid regulatory scrutiny or commercial backlash.
Stability and installer flows
- Insider previews showed inconsistent installer behavior when the Xbox app attempted to initiate app installs. Production polish will determine whether My Apps can actually replace desktop flows for average users.
How to enable and manage the aggregated library (step‑by‑step)
- Open the Xbox app on Windows 11.
- Click your profile picture in the top corner.
- Go to Settings → Library & Extensions.
- Locate the list of supported storefronts and toggle each storefront on or off according to your preference.
- Check My Library and Most recent tabs to see discovered titles. If a title doesn’t appear, toggle visibility for that storefront or restart the app to trigger a rescan.
- If you prefer to keep storefronts private or separated (for example, to avoid auto‑surfacing work or family installs), toggle that storefront off rather than disabling scanning globally.
- Test critical/playable titles first — especially competitive multiplayer games — to confirm anti‑cheat and matchmaking behavior before relying on the Xbox app for day‑to‑day launching.
Troubleshooting and best practices
- If a game fails to launch from the Xbox app, try launching it through its native client to see whether a background service or login step is required.
- For titles that require anti‑cheat or extra services, ensure those launchers are allowed to run in the background and are up to date.
- Use the storefront visibility toggles to trim noisy entries; hiding whole storefronts is quicker than individually managing tiles.
- If you’re privacy‑minded, audit the Xbox app’s telemetry and diagnostic settings in Windows and compare them to your organizational policy if using managed devices.
How this compares with Playnite, GOG Galaxy and other managers
- Playnite and GOG Galaxy have long offered aggregated libraries and launcher orchestration. The Xbox app’s approach is similar in goal but different in intent: Microsoft is baking aggregation into its platform‑level gaming shell and tying it to cross‑device cloud features.
- Unlike Playnite (open‑source) or GOG Galaxy (platform‑friendly, DRM‑free ethos), the Xbox app will operate within Microsoft’s ecosystem policies, which affects telemetry, discovery and integration depth.
- For users who prioritize maximum control or advanced plugin ecosystems, third‑party launchers will remain attractive. For most mainstream users, having aggregation built into the Xbox app reduces friction without additional configuration.
Developer and publisher considerations
- Publishers should validate how their launchers behave when invoked via the Xbox app, particularly around patching, notifications and anti‑cheat interactions.
- Storefront operators may seek formal integration or API-level contracts to surface richer metadata and control discovery. Microsoft’s future documentation will determine the extent of such partnerships.
- Enterprise and managed‑device administrators should review the Xbox app’s scanning and visibility controls and consider Group Policy/Intune controls where available before rolling it out widely in controlled environments.
Final analysis — strengths, trade‑offs and recommendation
Strengths- The aggregated Xbox app materially reduces launcher friction and improves time‑to‑play, especially on handhelds and controller‑first environments.
- Cross‑device continuity and cloud integration are powerful differentiators that leverage Microsoft’s console and cloud investments.
- User controls (storefront visibility toggles) offer immediate mitigation for those who want to limit what appears in the aggregated catalog.
- Aggregation doesn’t — and likely can’t — eliminate launcher dependencies for DRM, anti‑cheat or platform features; users should expect mixed behavior across titles.
- Telemetry, metadata retention and the precise mechanics of scanning remain under‑documented at launch; privacy‑conscious users should monitor Microsoft’s published documentation and settings.
- Commercial dynamics between stores could create tension if the Xbox app becomes a dominant discovery channel without transparent agreements.
- For casual players and handheld owners, enabling the Xbox app’s aggregated library delivers clear convenience and is worth trying. Start by selectively enabling storefronts, test the titles you care about, and keep the native launchers installed for management tasks.
- Power users, competitive players and IT administrators should test in a controlled environment first and review privacy telemetry settings and anti‑cheat behavior before broad adoption.
Microsoft’s update to the Xbox PC app is a meaningful evolution: it doesn’t rewrite the rules of DRM or anti‑cheat, nor does it instantly replace third‑party launchers, but it does make Windows gaming more accessible and controller‑friendly by offering a single, searchable catalog for installed and cloud‑playable titles. The real test will be whether Microsoft provides transparent documentation about scanning, telemetry, and compatibility and whether middleware vendors and storefront partners cooperate to make the experience consistent across the diverse PC game ecosystem. For now, the new aggregated library and My Apps serve as powerful productivity and UX improvements for the growing audience of Windows handheld and controller‑first gamers — useful today, with meaningful potential if Microsoft and partners maintain openness and clarity as the feature matures.
Source: Tom's Guide The Xbox PC app now gives you access to all your Windows games — launch titles from Steam, Epic Games and more