The Daily Populous Saturday March 22nd, 2025 day edition
Authored by gamespot.com and submitted by samiy2k

Microsoft has recently revealed a new UI mockup for Xbox that shows what games players own across a variety of devices and storefronts, including Steam.

As spotted by The Verge, Microsoft posted a new blog post that had a picture of the proposed UI, but it was subsequently removed. In the picture, you can see games like Diablo IV and Microsoft Flight Simulator in the "recently added" in the UI. However, you can also see the "Steam" and "Game Pass" tabs, indicating that you'll be able to see sort games based on which platform you purchased them on.

It seems like the UI is just a mockup for now, as the "owned" and "action-adventure" tabs are listed twice. The blog post is about how Xbox is trying to reach a larger audience, as younger generations regular switch between platforms and expect seamless integration. So having a UI that displays different platforms makes sense. Microsoft is also reportedly working on an Xbox handheld that's due out later this year, which is part of its strategy to unify Windows and Xbox towards a universal library of Xbox and PC games.

According to The Verge, Microsoft is in fact currently working on an Xbox app update that'll let players see all the games that they own through Steam and the Epic Games Store. The update is reportedly in its early stages, so there's a chance that it might actually never see the light of day, but this mockup provides a glimpse into what it possibly could look like. GOG Galaxy already has the functionality to let you see what games you own across a variety of platforms, such as Steam.

Microsoft has recently been putting the Xbox experience on other devices, as well as putting its first-party titles on rival platforms. The company ran an an called "This is an Xbox," which showcased how Xbox intends to reach new audiences.

Zaphod1620 on March 21st, 2025 at 21:54 UTC »

How about an update that will fix me having to update the Xbox app every damn time I open it.

gameryamen on March 21st, 2025 at 17:54 UTC »

Currently, in order to "show my Blizzard games" in the Xbox PC app, the Battle.net launcher demands to be open any time the Xbox app is open. I cannot close the Battle.net launcher before closing the Xbox app or I get a popup yelling at me. In other words, the practical outcome of this silliness is that the Battle.net launcher gets to pop up and show me flashy promo banners every time I want to play any Xbox game. That obnoxious implementation makes me very wary to connect my Xbox app to other launchers.

That's not to mention how much worse the experience of looking for games to play is on Xbox. It's surprising how often I can't find a gameplay trailer within the app. I usually have to go search online or on Steam to actually get details like the genre of game and the basic gameplay elements.