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[namenotfound]

Good fucking luck. That app is one of the worst things I've ever used.

It's like they took all those bullshit arguments against PC gaming and designed the entire experience around it.

The storage leak is the worst part though. I actually ended up throwing another M.2 in my PC and ending up using it as my Game Pass drive so I could easily wipe it so that the storage leak didn't affect my main drive.

Does that still happen? I remember that happening back in the Windows 8 days and by the time I had GamePass Ultimate for 3 years because I got an Xbox, it was 2020 and I thought the problem would be fixed by then let alone end of 2024

 

[polybius80]

Yes taking away my ability to sell my pc cd games by giving activation keys on steam with the CD to play.

Those of us that bought half life 2 remember the stink and controversy.

yes I have a half-life 2 game in box, I dont say that everything steam did is good, but lets not fool ourselves here, this is a comparison with other stores, and steam keeps above them, things like linux support is wonderful even if the market is less than 4% is a market share that will support steam and its very vocal and well represented among youtubers that is the kind of things that generate goodwill

 

[Donald mac Ronald]

It's fucking garbage. It wouldn't let me install a game to a different hard drive the other day.

And the updates for big games are very slow. I had to hard exit the Xbox app. And let cod download via the windows store app just for it to download at a decent speed. Then reopen Xbox app .

All this has done has reminded me how garbage it is on pc and the hassle isn't worth it.

 

[Gamezone]

Make all games I purchase avaliable on console, PC and xCloud, and this is a good deal. No need to fuck around with GeForce Now and their shitty queue, prices and lackluster library support. Also achievements on Xbox is much more fun in my opinion. This is the one place Steam lacks.

 

[simpatico]

You guys know where this ends right? Microsoft is going to buy Valve. I think the investment thus far is so large that they have no choice but to win at all costs.

 

[Danknugz]

pro tip: manually check any drives you have with the /xboxgames/ folder because when i was clearing space yesterday there were a few games i had j installed, but their folder were still sitting there using all the space still. freed up about 500 GB

Does that still happen? I remember that happening back in the Windows 8 days and by the time I had GamePass Ultimate for 3 years because I got an Xbox, it was 2020 and I thought the problem would be fixed by then let alone end of 2024

 

[Bitstream]

Getting updates is a huge chore through Windows and some games would refuse to install at all.

My piss poor experience trying to install, and reinstall the COD beta for 4 hours ensured I'll never use their shitty platform again. They barely even have a functional launcher to begin with..

 

[lh032]

hope this succeed, steam need competition.

 

[Nonehxc]

You guys know where this ends right? Microsoft is going to buy Valve. I think the investment thus far is so large that they have no choice but to win at all costs.

If a company of 0.000something% number of all studios in the world cost them 68b...

How much would cost the company OF THEM ALL?

 

[onnextflix5]

If Microsoft really wants the Xbox App to be the PC gaming platform, then why are Xbox, Activision, and Blizzard titles still appearing on Steam? If they're serious about pushing exclusivity, they should go all-in and keep those games confined to the Xbox App.

Nothing's worse than a leader who can't make up his mind. Phil Spencer's indecision is steering Xbox right into the dumpster. He needs to pick a direction, commit to it, and move forward.

They tried that, it did not work, steam is a beast ur not taking that down, they need to focus on Xbox consoles/handheld and games, forget about pc and streaming nonsense.

 

[BennyBlanco]

My piss poor experience trying to install, and reinstall the COD beta for 4 hours ensured I'll never use their shitty platform again. They barely even have a functional launcher to begin with..

Exactly. As annoying as UPlay was it was at least perfectly functional.

 

[Gojiira]

Hahah! Oh wait they're serious?! Let me laugh harder AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAHAAAA….
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAAA….
Yeah not while Steam is a thing, fuck off Microsoft.

 

[TrebleShot]

Did the app update? People are talking about it but looks exactly the same from what I remember playing hellblade 2 and now indianna Jones.

I wouldn't count moving a few tiles around a shitty windows app as changing it. Christ how long did that take like an afternoon for someone.

They managed to add really annoying pre loading twice for Indianna Jones though.

 

[HogIsland]

They tried that, it did not work, steam is a beast ur not taking that down, they need to focus on Xbox consoles/handheld and games, forget about pc and streaming nonsense.

One thing they seem to be doing is exposing Steam to their Game pass users. The upside (to a player) being you have one interface to all these services. The upside (to ms) being they got you as an Xbox customer.

 

[namenotfound]

pro tip: manually check any drives you have with the /xboxgames/ folder because when i was clearing space yesterday there were a few games i had j installed, but their folder were still sitting there using all the space still. freed up about 500 GB

Damn. It's been over a decade for Windows Store storage issues. I just now remember last year when I dropped my gamepass sub, I was able to delete everything in the xbox game folder but not the folder itself so it wasn't taking any noticeable space but I couldn't get rid of the folder until I formatted the drive

 

[jaydogg691]

Can't imagine being mad at this news when nobody is forcing you to play games on the Xbox app and you've already planted your Steam flag loud and clear.

But then again…

 

[reinking]

Can't imagine being mad at this news when nobody is forcing you to play games on the Xbox app and you've already planted your Steam flag loud and clear.

But then again…

I believe many fear that if Microsoft got a foothold in controlling PC gaming they might (probably would) start making at least some of their games exclusive to their service. Microsoft typically does not play nice once they have the upper hand.

 

[MarkMe2525]

I don't use the Xbox app to do anything beyond initiate a GamePass download. The times I do interact with it, it looks fine, it performs as expected, and is stable. I don't see what makes it such an awful piece of software. (Speaking to those who make such claims)

edit: I also think the intent of the update is overstated and editorialized. MS states that they are "bringing all games with Xbox features into the Xbox app". This just makes sense. If a title supports "Xbox features", it logically follows that one should be able to access it form the Xbox app. In other words, it isn't trying to be the new steam, with this update at least.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Bro how do people like this even exist in 2024? Like sure you can main Xbox and all but somehow you have "zero interest" in a PS5 while every single Xbox game you can get on a PC Day 1, and somehow lie to yourself thinking Xbox still has exclusives even though that ended in like 2017 (or really 2016) since, again, everything's been Day 1 PC since then and now Steam Day 1 since 2020.

I gotta think there's a special crop of fans out there just competing for the Darwin Award in console gaming at this point. No other way.

 

[poppabk]

Without a MAJOR overhaul of the app, there is zero chance that anyone could even believe this could happen.

 

[Atrus]

So in a world where they cannot beat Nintendo or Sony they're trying to lead in a space where Steam has almost a 30 year head start?

In order to hit a highly ambitious target Microsoft needs to come up with a plan of action and if Microsoft has shown anything when it comes to gaming, it's that they don't have a fucking clue on how to get where they want to be.

 

[lmimmfn]

Absolutely everything M$ touches turns ro shit!

 

[Clintizzle]

I believe many fear that if Microsoft got a foothold in controlling PC gaming they might (probably would) start making at least some of their games exclusive to their service. Microsoft typically does not play nice once they have the upper hand.

I know potential exclusivity is a small example of what MS could do if they have the upper hand, but I have an issue with people giving MS grief for it and at the same time praising Sony, Nintendo and Rockstar for doing essentially the same thing.

 

[bitbydeath]

So in a world where they cannot beat Nintendo or Sony they're trying to lead in a space where Steam has almost a 30 year head start?

In order to hit a highly ambitious target Microsoft needs to come up with a plan of action and if Microsoft has shown anything when it comes to gaming, it's that they don't have a fucking clue on how to get where they want to be.

All they need to do is find a way to either hinder or remove Steam's ability to work on Windows.

This has been Gabe's fear for a long while and why he's now closer aligned with Linux.

 

[reinking]

I know potential exclusivity is a small example of what MS could do if they have the upper hand, but I have an issue with people giving MS grief for it and at the same time praising Sony, Nintendo and Rockstar for doing essentially the same thing.

A lot of people are giving Microsoft grief for the opposite right now (or at least in recent history) because they started putting games in other places. Let's not pretend people were not praising Microsoft for having exclusives in the console space. Exclusivity has been a part of the console market since the console market existed. While some have tried, the PC space is a bit different in that regard. Nobody wants to see the PC space become more fragmented with exclusive deals at every online store front. Or do we call those platforms now?

 

[Fess]

This was always the endgame.This is the purpose of their aggressive acquisitions. Once they own most of the content they will be able to delist all of it off of Steam. Other option would be to just buy Valve.

Embrace. Extend. Extinguish.

MS is currently still in the embrace and extend part of their PC strategy where they convince everyone they are the good guys.

This is quite obviously the endgame for everyone, Epic, EA, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Valve, and soon Sony. Launcher app for the whole ecosystem, available everywhere, then exclusives. They'll all rush to fail but they'll still do it, eventually launch app providers will start paying each other to include content in their apps. Like the TV space.

 

[demigod]

I hope Tencent create their own PC launcher. There needs to be more competition in the PC space

Never go full retard folks.

 

[ahtlas7]

Investors love to hear this.
PC Gamers hate to hear this.

 

[awwr999999]

You guys know where this ends right? Microsoft is going to buy Valve. I think the investment thus far is so large that they have no choice but to win at all costs.

Valve's not for sale but MS could give Valve access to more users by baking it into each copy of Windows and promoting it via giving away free MS studio owned games.
MS has the exclusive ability to add Steam to most of Earth's PCs in a way that it's impossible to permanently delete. Something like that would expand Steam's user base overnight.

At this point, now what would surprise me is if the next Xbox "console" was not the rumored hybrid/PC. It is right now the best or only way in which the multiplatform strategy would make sense or be understandable. Compatibility with the maintenance of its own ecosystem (with in-house manufactured devices/hardware) that could have the support of 3rd party Studios and Editors and that manages to bring together a healthy user base.

The 'everything is an Xbox' strategy will be a big deal if it grows to include Xbox One consoles which already have controllers. If all of the poor folks with old Xboxes could suddenly use them to stream new Xbox games via Gamepass it would likely put Gamepass subs through the roof. This could easily be part of a larger strategy to convert existing Xboxes over to gaming PCs and proceed to sell them on a massive catalog of PC games via the Xbox app.

 

[Little Chicken]

Never go full retard folks.

You should follow your own advice.

 

[Sunkrest]

More competition is always good. I love Steam, most of my games are in my Steam library but I'm playing on PC since the 90s and I want PC to stay PC, not turn into a Steam Box. I don't want one storefront to dominate the entire ecosystem. That's why whenever it's possible I'm buying games on GOG and direct downloads, sometimes even ea/ubi stores and Epic - as long as the games are cheap.

I can see myself using an Xbox app more of it's good. It's not right now - I'm playing new Indy game right now and every time I launch the app all my fans speed up to infinity and don't stop.

I miss buying physical games on PC

 

[SweetTooth]

I really hope this is just one of those shitty corporate sayings and not their actual intention.

Even if its their actual intent, MS cannot execute s*** . They fail in 95% of endeavors they enter. They company is basically carried by luck and Excel sheets.

 

[Esparadrapo]

Interest rates are going down again, they will soon be able to borrow money at favorable rates.

What borrowing money? Microsoft has enough cash to buy another ABK again this year. The problem is that Satya and the other ghouls at Microsoft's council are tired of Xbox failing to deliver for over a decade now. ABK was supposed to be a turning point and it failed again. Microsoft can't pull any exclusive stunt because it would erode into Xbox's financials even further and Satya's bonuses are tied even tighter to Xbox's results this year probably in response to it being neglected forever now. The only way out is progressively going full third party.

Now the one playing 4D chess here is Gaben. When Microsoft was doing the rounds offering CoD assurance contracts Valve was the only one that didn't sign and said it publicly that they "trust Microsoft" making it harder for any of these exclusive initiatives to happen. Valve already had the PC gamer mindshare and Microsoft can't do anything about it without triggering even more bad faith against them.

 

[skit_data]

Yes taking away my ability to sell my pc cd games by giving activation keys on steam with the CD to play.

Those of us that bought half life 2 remember the stink and controversy.

Oh yeah, I remember Steam being more of a necessary evil to play CS 1.6. Little did I know it would become the main storefront of PC gaming back then.

 

[amscanner]

If they want to make it, they should add controller native support on Windows first.

 

[SweetTooth]

There's not a lack, there just should be more

Millions of Chinese Steam users migrating to a Tencent launcher would be great for that gaming market. Japan should have their own regional PC launcher, perhaps by reputable success and software innovator, Sega

Saggy old tired PlayStation will probably drag it's feet to the party in 10 years when everyone else has

Ahhhhhhahhahhahhhhaaahahahahahhhahhhahahhaahaaha

 

[Astray]

What borrowing money? Microsoft has enough cash to buy another ABK again this year. The problem is that Satya and the other ghouls at Microsoft's council are tired of Xbox failing to deliver for over a decade now. ABK was supposed to be a turning point and it failed again. Microsoft can't pull any exclusive stunt because it would erode into Xbox's financials even further and Satya's bonuses are tied even tighter to Xbox's results this year probably in response to it being neglected forever now. The only way out is progressively going full third party.

Now the one playing 4D chess here is Gaben. When Microsoft was doing the rounds offering CoD assurance contracts Valve was the only one that didn't sign and said it publicly that they "trust Microsoft" making it harder for any of these exclusive initiatives to happen. Valve already had the PC gamer mindshare and Microsoft can't do anything about it without triggering even more bad faith against them.

Big companies don't use their cash for these things, at least not entirely, instead use leverage (or in other words debt) to be able to reduce your risks and get additional cash flow for cheap. This way you can continue to invest your cash while you complete your transactions.

These companies are also known to issue bonds as well, but I don't understand that game as much.

Notice how when interest rates began to drop, you got Phil talking about maybe making more acquisitions again.. Again, these things are correlated.

Also yes, I acknowledge that doing exclusivity moves are a risk. But Microsoft has IPs that are very, VERY valuable to the PC gamers and likely cannot be mass-ignored like what happened with the EGS timed exclusives. Alternative launchers have proven their success if the games are popular.

What I'm saying is, MS does have tools at its disposal than any past foe of Valve's. Does that guarantee success? No, nothing is guaranteed in this life.

But I do think we will see Valve have to adapt to it.

 

[Astray]

There's not a lack, there just should be more

Millions of Chinese Steam users migrating to a Tencent launcher would be great for that gaming market. Japan should have their own regional PC launcher, perhaps by reputable success and software innovator, Sega

Saggy old tired PlayStation will probably drag it's feet to the party in 10 years when everyone else has

 

[SaintALia]

Yeah makes sense. MS' CEO pay package is tied to how Xbox performs. They will likely head more into areas where they think they will perform well. I expect more studio closures and layoffs if there seems to be any sort of dip within that division as well and that's inevitable.

As for the actual service, I've been burned by GFWL and I try to use as little MS services and software as possible, with the exception of some MS software for work.

For the more positive outlook, maybe their focus here can lead to a more harmonious Windows environment for gaming, granted it'll more be for MS' own benefit, and some of it will likely benefit everyone on a whole as well, I'm hoping anyway.

 

[Pandawan]

Microsoft wants to make the Xbox app the home of PC gaming

To do that Microsoft needs to buy Steam, other way this goal is impossible for them. No matter how much money they will sink into this goal, if Steam is still there people will stick to it. At this point people are very attached to Steam and their library there.

I hope this will never happen. I hope Microsot will never but Steam. It would be a disaster.

 

[Three]

So I assume this is what Tom Warren was alluding to with "this is an xbox" making sense soon. He meant they want to make "xbox" only an app and ge finally wrote his article. I think everybody knew that already though

 

[jm89]

Who will use this?

Cause most pc gamers as well as the xbox refugees will probably use steam.

Casual xbox gamers are gonna be mostly headed to playstation imo.

Where does this it leave this app?

A few xbox faithfull who moved over to pc?

Steam is growing and they are pushing steam os, and whether people like to here it or not steam os could be a challenger to windows as a gaming OS.

Seems odd ms would continue supporting that growth.

 

[onnextflix5]

Microsoft own the Windows, you would think Xbox would be baked in the os right, nope it still dose not have a big picture mode lol, hell steam are so ahead with steam os and gamescope, it's just embarrassing for ms at this point.

 

[SeanyQuest]

Total losers. The strategy of giving players access to their Xbox libraries on something like PC and Phone should have been "ready to go" like 4-5 years ago. Not just gamepass or a handful at best of play anywhere titles… the full library. That would've been a real differentiator before steam deck was ever announced.

Instead we got like 10 "play anywhere" titles, a nuked Xbox game purchasing market because of game pass, another bad halo game, and thus the death of the Xbox console.

 

[ZehDon]

Total losers. The strategy of giving players access to their Xbox libraries on something like PC and Phone should have been "ready to go" like 4-5 years ago. Not just gamepass or a handful at best of play anywhere titles… the full library. That would've been a real differentiator before steam deck was ever announced.

Instead we got like 10 "play anywhere" titles, a nuked Xbox game purchasing market because of game pass, another bad halo game, and thus the death of the Xbox console.

Publishers and developers ultimately need to agree to this. Xbox Play Anywhere basically prevents devs from getting that sweet double dip revenue on PC sales. Microsoft cannot force this on everyone out of the blue. A hybrid console might allow them to side step that, but you're not going to get Xbox Play Anywhere for the entire Xbox platform.

 

[Warnen]

Only way this happens is if MS buys steam and renames it Steam Xbox app

 

[twilo99]

They gotta work on making the play anywhere thing available for more games since there are quite a few missing.

PC launcher used to be messy but I haven't had any major issues with it lately.. I'd say they got it in a decent state around mid 2022. It's basic, but it does the job.

 

[ManaByte]

Xbox Play Anywhere basically prevents devs from getting that sweet double dip revenue on PC sales. Microsoft cannot force this on everyone out of the blue.

If a game is added to PC and console Game Pass, and wasn't Play Anywhere originally, 99% of the time it's made Play Anywhere by the GP addition. So it kind of is forcing it.

 

[HogIsland]

Publishers and developers ultimately need to agree to this. Xbox Play Anywhere basically prevents devs from getting that sweet double dip revenue on PC sales. Microsoft cannot force this on everyone out of the blue. A hybrid console might allow them to side step that, but you're not going to get Xbox Play Anywhere for the entire Xbox platform.

the pc double dip era is over. pc is the primary platform. rockstar is gonna find out.

 

[Sorcerer]

Total losers. The strategy of giving players access to their Xbox libraries on something like PC and Phone should have been "ready to go" like 4-5 years ago. Not just gamepass or a handful at best of play anywhere titles… the full library. That would've been a real differentiator before steam deck was ever announced.

Instead we got like 10 "play anywhere" titles, a nuked Xbox game purchasing market because of game pass, another bad halo game, and thus the death of the Xbox console.

Microsoft likes the word "select" I have noticed. "Select games" will be Play anywhere. "Select games" that you own will be playable on the cloud as well. Just go into something wholeheartedly for Christ's sake. Of course, what I want is probably not possible and I am being unreasonable, but I would be more willing to embrace their eco-system if they did not seem to take a half-assed approached to everything.