Xbox has easily been the most talked about player in gaming this year. It’s almost like murmurings of Starfield going to PS5 grabbed everyone’s attention.
The rumbling rumors that Microsoft was going to become an entirely third-party publisher were eventually tucked into bed and were briefly told “nighty-night” following the underwhelming announcement that merely four Xbox games would be going multi-platform. Wooh!
During a recent interview with Polyon at GDC 2024 (Games Developers Conference), CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer revealed plans about the possibility of other digital storefronts coming to Xbox consoles in an interesting chat.
The big takeaway? When Polygon asked him directly if he could envisage a future where the likes of PC gaming platforms such as the Epic Games Store may appear on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, he certainly seemed open to the notion. “Yes” was Phil’s simple, oh so direct answer.
The big takeaway? The Xbox boss could envisage a future where the likes of the Epic Games Store appear on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S"
“Nobody would blink twice if I said, ‘Hey, when you’re using a PC, you get to decide the type of experience you have [by picking where to buy games], Spencer continued. There’s real value in that.”
Although in the case of Epic's storefront, and for as much as I appreciate the impressive library of games it’s amassed and monthly free titles, hot damn does that Epic launcher crash on me way too often. Trying to get a game downloaded on it even with one of the best gaming PCs can often feel like a challenge akin to squaring off against a raging bull armed only with a small dessert spoon… while wearing an entirely red tracksuit.
But Phil certainly seems open to well, “opening” up the industry. “(Subsidizing hardware) becomes more challenging in today’s world,” revealed Spencer at the latest GDC. “And I will say, and this may seem too altruistic, I don’t know that it’s growing the industry. So I think, what are the barriers? What are the things that create friction in today’s world for creators and players? And how can we be part of opening up that model?”
A sea change
Using Sea of Thieves as an example — the high seas sociable pirate sim being one of the foursome of titles jumping to rival consoles, as I previously mentioned — doubles down on the idea Spencer genuinely wants to break down as many barriers as possible to allow gamers to play together, regardless of platform.
“If I want to play on a gaming PC, then I feel like I’m more a continuous part of a gaming ecosystem as a whole,” said Spencer. “As opposed to [on console], my gaming is kind of sharded — to use a gaming term — based on these different closed ecosystems that I have to play across.”
It’s not exactly like the Xbox big cheese hasn’t actively tried to smash down the walls between Xbox and PC gaming for a long while. The best Xbox Series X games have been available to play through Xbox Game Pass via (the annoyingly unstable) Xbox App and through the Microsoft Store on Windows 11 on PC and the best gaming laptops for years now. And let me tell you, playing Halo Infinite in 4K at 120 fps is a Master Chief delight.
Could Steam come to Xbox?
With the PS5 and PS5 Slim currently smashing Xbox Series X in terms of units sold, turning the two Series systems into hybrid consoles/PCs that potentially have access to even the mighty Steam would feel like an absolute game-changer. Though seeing as there’s no currently easy way to get Xbox Game Pass titles working on the Steam Deck without jumping through painful hoops, it might take quite the sales pitch from Phil to get Gabe Newell to allow Valve’s iconic platform to arrive on Xbox consoles.
Editor's note: since this article was initially published, somewhat prominent X user Kariam Jovian has posted the following regarding a newly engaged partnership between Microsoft and Valve:
🚨Breaking Xbox Steam Rumor Alert 🚨Microsoft has been working on this for a while now with Valve! Wouldn’t be surprised if there is an upcoming announcement in a new partnership between Microsoft and Valve to launch the Steam platform on Xbox Series X and Series S devices, as… pic.twitter.com/j9FGPsM3eZMarch 28, 2024
Xbox clearly has to do something drastic in terms of turning the tide of its current console war with PlayStation. Perhaps leaning into Microsoft’s enduring software legacy and opening Xbox’s doors to other distribution platforms could give Phil and his team the momentum swing they appear to so desperately need.
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