Microsoft Is Doubling Down on PC Gaming Support - IGN

They're bringing Game Pass to PC and adding more XGS games to Steam

By Jon Ryan

Microsoft has announced that a version of Xbox Game Pass will be coming to PCs, and that more Microsoft Store exclusives titles will be available on Steam.

In a blog post by Phil Spencer, Microsoft's EVP of Gaming and Head of Xbox, he admitted that the software giant has "not always lived up to our aspiration" when it comes to meeting players needs on PC, and would be taking steps to improve the gaming experience on Windows.

"We believe the player should be at the center of their gaming experience and be able to harness the unique benefits of the devices they choose to play on," Spencer said. "As the creators of Windows, we have a unique responsibility to ensure we’re investing in experiences that benefit players everywhere, while respecting the PC community’s preference for an open, highly customizable platform."

Xbox Game Pass on PC

The first point in Spencer's plan is to make the Xbox Pass Game subscription service available to players on PC. "It’s called Xbox Game Pass, just like the original," he says, "but it’s a new experience that we are building together with the PC community."

Exit Theatre Mode

While there's no word yet on exactly how the PC version of Game Pass will differ from its console counterpart, subscribers will have access to more than 100 games from over 75 developers such as Bethesda, Paradox and Devolver Digital, and will also include day-one access to Xbox-studios exclusives from developers like Obsidian and inXile. Subscribers will also get a 20% discount when purchasing full games from the Microsoft Store that appear in the Game Pass library.

Microsoft Games on Steam

"Our intent is to make our Xbox Game Studios PC games available in multiple stores," Spencer says. "We believe you should have choice in where you buy your PC games." The post pledges that the company will continue adding Xbox Studios games to Steam, starting with Gears 5.

Exit Theatre Mode

The post didn't specifically say anything about other digital PC distributors like the Epic Games Store or GoG, but Spencer did make a point of saying, "We also know that there are other stores on PC, and we are working to enable more choice in which store you can find our Xbox Game Studios titles in the future."

More Flexible Developer Tools

The last item that Spencer addressed in his post was that the Microsoft Store will be receiving updates allowing for games and apps that run on Win32 architecture instead of the Universal Windows Platform that its been supporting since Windows 8. "When I think about the role we play as a company to support and evolve gaming on Windows," Spencer says, "it’s critical that we make decisions that reinforce the open nature of the PC."

The post also says that Microsoft intends to have all new games from Xbox Studios support cross-play between PC and consoles, "To bring players together to create a shared player community regardless of where they play."

Spencer promised that more information on PC support - along with Xbox's biggest upcoming games - would be coming during their briefing at E3 2019. You can tune into every E3 press conference, from Microsoft to Square Enix, right here on IGN.

JR is IGN's Senior Editor of Features, and you can follow him on Twitter if you're into that.

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