It’s no shocker to say that, for everything Microsoft has done for its Xbox app on Windows 10, the app is still not considering the needs and wants of PC gamers first – and Microsoft gaming lead Phil Spencer has just publicly recognized this.
For those out of the loop, the Xbox app for Windows 10 has brought many helpful, native gaming features to the platform, including broadcasting, party chatting with Xbox One and PC players alike, and a Game Mode that improves performance (albeit marginally).
Speaking during an E3 2018 Q&A, Spencer responded to an audience question regarding the state of the Xbox app for Windows 10.
“I’d say our early work in ... Xbox Live stuff for Windows was well intentioned, but anybody that’s a PC gamer – I play a lot of PC games myself – saw this kind of impostor console work coming over,” Spencer said. “You’ve probably seen us slow down on some of the progress we’ve made on some of our apps, and some other things because we’re reworking how we’re thinking about the PC audience to try to be more reflective of the PC community that’s out there instead of trying to pull people into the things that come from the console space.”
The work has already begun
Spencer went on to cite that Microsoft’s efforts to bring Discord and Xbox Live integration to the app are examples of turning the corner on this philosophy, “recognizing infrastructure that exists on the PC side, apps that exist and services that exist and try to be inclusive of the things PC gamers are about.”
Ultimately, while Spencer said that changes to the Windows 10 Xbox app are slowing down, he was keen to mention that future changes will be focused on things that will make the app much more in tune with what PC gamers have come to expect from the platform.
Of course, Spencer made no mention of when these changes are coming, but simply that Microsoft is focused on addressing those concerns.
This is a smart move by Microsoft that, frankly, was a long time coming, especially if the firm truly wishes to compete with the likes of Steam on its own operating system.
- E3 is the world's largest exhibition for the games industry, stuffed full of the latest and greatest games, consoles, and gaming hardware. TechRadar is reporting live from Los Angeles all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated E3 2018 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about the next year in gaming.
Via The Verge
