Microsoft is bringing PC gaming apps and stores to its Xbox app on Windows
Microsoft has started testing another handheld-friendly addition to its Xbox app, allowing PC gamers to quickly install and launch third-party apps like browsers, gaming utilities, and even rival storefronts. A new “My apps” feature is being tested in the Xbox app for Windows 11, and it looks like another way to avoid having to launch the main Microsoft Store or hunt for downloads online if you’re on a gaming PC.
“My apps is a new tab within the Xbox PC app’s library that allows players to locate, view, and download third-party applications and most commonly used storefronts,” explains Devin Dhaliwal, a product manager for Xbox experiences. “By consolidating gaming apps in one location, this feature supports the new aggregated gaming library, making it more straightforward to find, download, and launch games from multiple locations.”
Microsoft has already been adding Steam, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, and other PC games into to a unified library inside its Xbox app, but this my apps view will be useful on a handheld PC where you want to avoid using the Windows desktop interface as much as possible. “My apps enables players on an ROG Xbox Ally or other Windows 11 handhelds to more easily navigate between applications from the Xbox full screen experience,” says Dhaliwal.
I’ve briefly tested the My apps view today and it lists Battle.net, Chrome, and GOG Galaxy. I have Chrome and Battle.net installed, so it simply launches these apps, but with GOG Galaxy it tries to download and install the app all within the Xbox UI. I say try because it failed to install during my testing, but this is a beta so there are bound to be bugs.
Microsoft is testing this with a “tailored selection of apps” right now, and plans to expand support for additional apps over time. It’s an interesting move, particularly given Microsoft’s work on merging the best bits of Windows and Xbox together for the Xbox Ally handheld gaming PCs. Microsoft said last year that it wanted to make the Xbox app the home of PC gaming, and it’s sure trying to make that a reality.