Microsoft is testing an aggregated gaming library for the Xbox app on PC that will show installed games from third-party storefronts listed in the app. An Xbox blog post reports that the feature is rolling out to Xbox Insiders this week and will be available starting with the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X handhelds later this year.
The new aggregated library feature in the Xbox app will provide one central location to see all installed games on your PC — assuming all games are installed from supported third-party stores.
Battle.net, EA, and Riot Games (the latter two through Game Pass) are the only third-party libraries that Microsoft mentioned support for. And Battle.net is the only legitimate library since EA and Riot Games titles are already aggregated into the Xbox app thanks to Game Pass integration. However, Microsoft announced it will be rolling out additional support for more storefronts over time. Microsoft's next likely candidates should be Steam, Epic Games, and GoG.
If Microsoft can rope in all of the big third-party storefronts, particularly Steam, PC gamers will have an opportunity to have a library "experience" similar to console players, where all of their (installed) titles will be accessible under one UI. Technically, GoG Galaxy provides this same functionality, but the Xbox app will likely be the preferred route gamers choose for this functionality since the app is integrated directly into Windows 11.
This latest update further demonstrates Microsoft's plans to move Xbox to a service-based brand instead of a brand revolving around Xbox consoles. Microsoft first demonstrated this move with its Game Pass initiative, which supports both Xbox and PC. Now we are seeing a decisive shift in hardware with the introduction of Xbox-branded handheld gaming PCs from third-party manufacturers. Microsoft has also been adding Xbox-branded gaming features into Windows 10 and Windows 11 over the past several years, going so far as to shelve development of its own in-house Xbox handheld in favor of optimizing Windows 11 performance for third-party handheld PCs.
Microsoft neglected to share a mainstream launch of the new feature to all PCs, but with aggregation support starting with the ROG Ally handhelds during the holiday season, we expect mainstream support to come at the tail end of the year or in 2026.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
