Okay, so here’s the scoop. Microsoft, in a stroke of — I don’t know if it’s brilliance or confusion — is playing around with this idea of smooshing all your third-party games into one neat little corner of the Xbox app on PC. Sounds nifty, right? They’re calling it an aggregated gaming library. I read somewhere (maybe an Xbox blog post or a whisper in the wind) that they’re trying this out with Xbox Insiders and it’ll hit those cool ROG Xbox Ally gizmos a bit later this year.
The idea is you get to see all your games in one place. Cool, yeah? But here’s the catch — only if those games are from places like Battle.net, EA, or Riot Games. Battle.net is legit here, but the other two are sort of already part of the Xbox because of Game Pass. Microsoft’s teasing us, saying more will come soon. I’m guessing Steam, Epic, maybe GoG — not that I really know. Just a hunch.
Now, if Microsoft does pull off wrangling in all those other gaming stores — imagine it, like trying to herd a bunch of cats (or I guess store logos). Anyway, it could let PC gamers feel a bit like console players with everything cozy in one interface bubble. GoG Galaxy already does this, but Xbox app could be the new groove since it’s sitting pretty in Windows 11 already. Is it a monopoly if it’s convenient? Who knows.
What’s clear here is Microsoft’s not-so-secret plan to morph Xbox into a service-driven brand. Game Pass was the grand opening act, both on PCs and consoles. Plus — and this is wildly interesting — there’s a shift towards those handheld Xbox doodads from third-party folks. Microsoft’s even set aside its DIY handheld project to spruce up Windows 11 for these third-party toys. Go figure.
No word yet on the feature busting out to all PCs soon, but with the ROG Ally gadgets getting it during the holiday season, a full-blown Christmas miracle might roll up by year’s end or next. Anyway! If you’re into these techie things, maybe give Tom’s Hardware a follow wherever you get your daily news kick. Or, like, don’t. Totally up to you.
