Xbox is on a mission to bring more features to its PC app, but it might have unintentionally let slip a new one that not many foresaw.
We recently got the scoop on Project Kennan, a partner venture between Microsoft and ASUS. This marks the beginning of a new initiative at Xbox, aiming to collaborate with OEM partners traditionally linked to Windows PCs to shape the future of gaming hardware for Windows.
If you’ve handled devices like a Lenovo Legion Go or ASUS ROG Ally, you’re probably familiar with how different the interface feels compared to something like the Steam Deck. That’s because Windows hasn’t been designed for this kind of set-up, but those days seem to be numbered.
Microsoft has introduced fresh features to the Xbox Game Bar, such as a compact mode, and has even made it possible to use Windows’ on-screen keyboard with a controller. This latest leak, however, indicates a potentially major shift forward.
The folks at The Verge caught wind of a Microsoft blog post — which quickly vanished — showcasing Microsoft’s efforts to engage developers across a multi-platform gaming environment. A closer look reveals a curious feature that the Xbox app’s game library doesn’t currently boast: a Steam filter.
To clarify, the Xbox Game Bar can already launch recent Steam games when switched to compact mode. It recognizes the Steam games installed on your system and can launch them accordingly. Personally, I’ve been diving back into Final Fantasy 7 Remake this way on my Lenovo Legion Go. However, the Xbox app itself doesn’t yet offer this capability, nor can it detect your complete Steam library.
This could be an oversight or perhaps an ambitious vision from the designer who created the interface mockup. Alternatively, it might suggest something more substantial, hinting at the long-speculated partnership between Microsoft and Valve to potentially bring Steam to Xbox consoles. Given that Xbox consoles appear in the image, one might infer that Microsoft intends to include them within the Xbox realm. Then again, it could very well just be a simple mistake.
Indeed, The Verge reported that Microsoft removed the image after inquiries were made about its deeper significance.
Does it mean anything?
If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say Microsoft is planning a revamp of the Xbox app library on PC. Currently, the game library section is arguably its weakest point, cluttered with outdated Windows Phone games in its "owned" filter and lacking options to hide defunct beta tests or demos. Microsoft is already slowly weaving Steam into the compact version of the Xbox Game Bar. Xbox head, Phil Spencer, has mentioned in interviews his ambition for partner devices like Kennan and the ROG Ally to replicate an Xbox console experience as closely as possible.
Microsoft is hard at work aligning Xbox and Windows game development for a unified future. Windows Central has learned that traditional Win32 will likely be the preferred development framework for upcoming Xbox consoles, with the Xbox One/Series X|S "ERA" gradually phased out. The future of our existing library of Xbox ERA games is uncertain, but it appears Microsoft is exploring emulation for backward compatibility and game preservation.
The question remains if this will enable those games to run on Windows devices, such as Kennan, the ROG Ally, or any regular gaming PC. It’s a bit of a gray area legally, given the contractual limitations on what Microsoft can do with third-party titles within its ecosystem.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment on the matter, but regardless of the outcome, the situation is undoubtedly growing more intriguing.
