UPDATE (April 19, 2025): Sources acquainted with Microsoft’s plans inform me a repair is being prepped for the under points.
PC Sport Move is superior, the app you need to use for it is not.
Microsoft’s Xbox app on PC is a supply of on-going disappointment, notably for customers of Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem throughout Xbox Play Anyplace and Xbox Sport Move. Nearly as good as it’s to take Xbox console save recordsdata to PC and vice versa, the app we’ve got to make use of to entry these options is mild years behind shut rivals like Steam.
Microsoft has very step by step, and really slowly made enhancements to the Xbox app on PC, however typically updates to the service lead to a “one step ahead, one step again” improvement cycle. This newest “change” appears to exemplify that.
As what I might describe as one thing of an Xbox PC app energy consumer, I’ve written tons of articles critiquing and providing suggestions on the Xbox app for PC. Issues have improved, however one space of immense disappointment is the app’s sport library.
The best way the Xbox app shows owned video games is solely diabolical, and inexplicably, just lately, it has gotten even worse. However there could be a superb motive for it.
I’ve written extensively about how a lot I like Xbox Play Anyplace, so think about my disappointment once I scroll via my library, begin seeing a bunch of recent video games, solely to search out they are not playable.
Certainly, now, by default, the Xbox app on PC has begun displaying dozens of Xbox console video games. Nonetheless, the set up button merely shows a “Content material didn’t load” message, greyed out and unclickable. What’s worse, the Xbox app additionally began displaying Home windows Cellphone video games as effectively regardless of the actual fact Home windows Cellphone is now not with us (RIP).
Offended Birds and different bizarre cellular video games I would not set up in 1,000,000 years at the moment are sharing an inventory with unplayable Xbox 360 video games like Banjo-Kazooie, in addition to Xbox One video games I really want to play on my Lenovo Legion Go like Darkest Dungeon. After all, none of them work, and you’ll’t take away or disguise them out of your library both.
Placing apart the truth that the Xbox app’s sport library nonetheless wants a TON of labor, why may this be taking place?
Proof of the grand Xbox singularity?
Microsoft’s future Xbox {hardware} platform seems to be set to bridge the Xbox console and Home windows gaming worlds greater than ever earlier than. Though we’ve got but to see the complete reveal, there are hints.
A latest Xbox idea artwork piece appeared to recommend Steam itself will get full Xbox app integration sooner or later, which coincides with earlier feedback from Xbox lead Phil Spencer that he’d wish to see third-party storefronts on Xbox console {hardware}. Xbox can be working with ASUS on a handheld codenamed Kennan, which is its first foray into the shape issue forward of its personal Microsoft-designed Xbox handheld. That is all about bringing Xbox console and Home windows PC improvement collectively, the place Xbox Play Anyplace is the default.
If Microsoft’s Xbox and PC gaming empires are about to converge, you’d most likely count on to see retailer library listings for Xbox console video games seem on the platform. Nonetheless, I doubt Microsoft intends for individuals to see useless cellular video games like Offended Birds Home windows Retailer version mild up alongside video games they really care about.
If I needed to guess, a few of that is the results of information base work designed to facilitate a future convergence between the Xbox console and Xbox PC gaming shops. It is simply reasonably inelegantly cobbled collectively proper now, notably should you’re somebody who actively makes use of the Xbox app on PC.
Microsoft must do a ton of labor to get the Xbox PC app as much as par with the likes of Steam. Cloud saves, library administration, massive image mode, avoiding annoying issues like Consumer Account Management pop ups, “app permissions” and different annoying issues actually, actually frustrate the expertise. Seeing abandonware and cellular slop seem in my library is only a little bit of a mouldy cherry on prime proper now.
Both method, I’ve reached out to Microsoft to remark.
Do you utilize the Xbox app on PC? Do you utilize PC Sport Move? How have your experiences been? Hit the feedback.