Microsoft’s announcement and confirmation that its upcoming Xbox Project Helix console will support both Xbox and PC games raises more questions than it answers. Like, whether Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of games will shift to PC versions on Project Helix, and how exactly it will offer a closed, console-like experience like Valve’s SteamOS while still allowing access to third-party apps and competing storefronts like Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.
VIEW GALLERY – 2 IMAGES
Based on a recent update to the Xbox app on PC, spotted by the team at Pure Xbox using a recent preview build, it looks like we’ll see new features hit Windows 11 and devices like the ROG Xbox Ally as ‘early versions’ of what’s in store with Project Helix. And with that context, even though it’s a feature that’s been part of Steam for years, the Xbox app now lets users add any third-party game or executable to their library for quick, easy access.
The process is simple: click on the ‘+’ symbol in the ‘My Library’ section of the app, select the game or app, and then add it. From there, you can alter the name and even change the icon. Because it supports native Windows programs as well as games, this could be the first version of a Project Helix feature that integrates third-party software into the Xbox full-screen console experience.
Although using the Xbox app on a desktop gaming PC to fire up a third-party game is the sort of feature that only a handful of people might use when full access to their desktop is right there, it’s one that makes sense when viewed in context of the ROG Xbox Ally’s Xbox Full-Screen Experience mode and what that eventually evolves into ahead of Project Helix’s launch.
Microsoft does have the luxury of time to work out all of these features if the console isn’t likely to launch until late 2027 at the earliest, but with a massive shift away from Xbox being more or less a traditional console, the company will need to ensure that it gets it right on day one. And there’s no better way to do that than slowly rolling out new features that can be tested, refined, and tweaked in real-world scenarios on PCs and gaming handhelds.