The Xbox UI is set to change significantly in the future, and it may soon show Steam games that are installed on the system, judging from an image shared online that was promptly removed shortly after.
As reported by The Verge, an image was shared in a new blog post titled "Opening a Billion Doors With Xbox," which highlighted changes in the game industry and users now tending to engage with games across multiple devices, showing how the Xbox UI could change in the future to account for this tendency. What makes this new interface interesting is a clearly visible Steam label in all variants of the interface: TV, tablet and handheld. According to unspecified sources, Microsoft is working on an Xbox app update that will show every game installed on a PC, including games purchased on other digital storefronts like Steam and the Epic Games Store. As this Xbox app update is still in the early stages of development, however, the inclusion of all installed PC games in the interface may be scrapped as work continues.
Besides working on a new Xbox UI and app update, Microsoft is also hard at work on the hardware side of its next-generation plans, which include a premium successor to the Xbox Series X and a handheld console. In addition, the company is also reportedly working with ASUS on a handheld known as Project Keenan that will launch later this year. This handheld system, which will look markedly Xbox, will run full Windows with a focus on the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass. As such, it will definitely be able to run games purchased on Steam and other digital storefronts, so it wouldn't be surprising for the new UI featuring the Steam label to launch alongside the system.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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