Game Pass isn’t the only Microsoft presence coming to PC.
According to Microsoft, the decision to distribute more titles on Valve’s Steam platform came after the company thought that it would be much better for customers to have the choice to buy from just one destination. Previously, Microsoft only had games available on its Xbox Live service on its own game console platform, Xbox, or, in a few cases, on the Microsoft Store.
“Our intent is to make our Xbox Game Studios PC games available in multiple stores, including our own Microsoft Store on Windows, at their launch,” Xbox chief Phil Spencer said in a blog post about the company’s new strategy. “We believe you should have choice in where you buy your PC games.”
Spencer said that the company will continue to add to over 20 Xbox Game Studios titles on Steam, including Gears of War 5 and Age of Empires I, II, and III. He said, “We know millions of PC gamers trust Steam as a great source to buy PC games and we’ve heard the feedback that PC gamers would like choice.”
Aside, from this, Spencer added that Microsoft is also opening up Microsoft Store support for native Win32 games. “We recognize that Win32 is the app format that game developers love to use and gamers love to play, so we are excited to share that we will be enabling full support for native Win32 games to the Microsoft Store on Windows.”
“This will unlock more options for developers and gamers alike, allowing for the customization and control they’ve come to expect from the open Windows gaming ecosystem,” Spencer concluded.
