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Microsoft is making changes to its Xbox app to better reflect PC users

Microsoft's Xbox app for Windows 10 is being reworked to reflect the wishes of PC users.

Game Developer, Staff

June 15, 2018

1 Min Read

Microsoft's Xbox app for Windows 10 is being reworked to reflect the wishes of PC users, as the company announced its plans for actively making changes to features like game management and the Xbox app.

The Xbox app brought in streaming features, Xbox party chat, and game management to Windows 10, but PC users expressed criticism over feeling pushed into the Xbox Live sphere, which mainly dominated consoles. 

"You’ve probably seen us slow down on some of the progress we’ve made on some of our apps," explains Microsoft's Phil Spencer during a Q&A at E3 this week.

"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.”

As reported by The Verge, Spencer says that efforts like Discord and Xbox Live integration are an example of "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.”

Spencer notes that the company is winding down on updates to the Xbox app for right now, saying that "the long-term goal is for us to be much more native in the PC gaming environment, as opposed to this thing that feels slightly different than what PC gamers are looking for.”

It's currently unclear when the proposed changes to the Xbox app will go live. 

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