The Xbox PC app is both a game store and a library hub. You can install Xbox and Microsoft Store games, download PC Game Pass titles, launch supported games installed through other PC storefronts, and manage storage, updates, add-ons, and uninstall options. The exact buttons depend on your Windows build, Xbox app version, account, region, and the game itself, so use the visible command on your screen rather than assuming every title has the same menu.
What the Xbox PC app actually manages
There are two different kinds of games in the app, and knowing which kind you have prevents most confusion.
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| Game source | How the game gets into the app | Who controls ownership | Who usually controls installation and updates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox or Microsoft Store PC purchase | Find the title in Home, Store, Game Pass, or Library and select Install. | Your Microsoft account and the applicable Xbox or Microsoft Store license. | The Xbox app and Windows gaming services, subject to the title’s support. |
| PC Game Pass | Open the game’s page while signed in to the account with the subscription, then select Install. | Your active PC Game Pass entitlement and Microsoft account. | The Xbox app for supported titles; access can end when the subscription or catalog availability changes. |
| Steam, Battle.net, or another supported PC storefront | The installed game can be detected and shown in My Library or Most Recent, or the storefront can be enabled under Library & Extensions. | The original storefront account and license. | Usually the original launcher. The Xbox app is primarily a launcher and organizer for the entry. |
Microsoft describes the app as a central place to discover, install, launch, and manage PC games from Xbox and PC Game Pass while also exposing installed games from supported storefronts. A listing from another storefront does not move the license into your Microsoft account, merge saves, or replace that storefront’s launcher.
Before adding a game
- Use the right Microsoft account. Sign in to the account that owns the Xbox or Microsoft Store game, or the account that has the PC Game Pass subscription.
- Update Windows and the Xbox app. The app’s navigation and integration controls change over time. An older build may not show the same library or extension options as a current build.
- Check storage and permissions. Large PC games need substantial free space, and Windows may ask you to choose an available drive or approve a default installation location.
- Install the original storefront client when required. A third-party entry may only launch correctly when its source launcher is installed and signed in.
- Expect regional and title-level differences. Catalog availability, cloud features, add-ons, and integration support vary by region, account type, Windows version, and publisher.
How to install an Xbox or PC Game Pass title
- Open the Xbox app and sign in. Confirm the account avatar is the one associated with the purchase or subscription. If the wrong account is active, the game may appear unavailable even though another account owns it.
- Open a discovery area. Use Home for recommendations, Store for purchases, Game Pass for subscription titles, or Library to browse games already associated with your account.
- Open the game’s product page. Check the edition, platform, and included content. A console-only entitlement is not automatically a Windows PC entitlement; the page must offer the PC version or PC installation.
- Select Install. If the button is missing, check whether you are signed into the owning account, whether the title is still in the Game Pass catalog, and whether your Windows build meets the game’s requirements.
- Choose the drive or folder when prompted. Use a drive with enough free space and avoid disconnecting it while the download is active. The default location can differ between Windows installations and app versions.
- Wait for the installation to finish. Progress is shown in the app’s queue or library area. Network interruptions can pause the download; resume it from the same queue rather than starting a second copy.
- Launch from the library. Select Play on the game page, or open My Library and choose the installed title.
Some games install extra components, launchers, or services. Those prompts belong to the title and may not match the Xbox app’s interface. A game can also be listed in the catalog but unavailable for your device, account, or region.
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- VERSATILE CONNECTIVITY — Connect via USB-C for plug-and-play on console and PC, or quickly pair and switch between supported devices with XBOX Wireless and Bluetooth support.
- BUILT-IN AUDIO SUPPORT — Plug in compatible headsets using the 3.5mm audio jack for direct voice chat and immersive in-game sound.
Where to find My Library and installed games
Open the app’s Library area and select My Library if that tab is shown. Depending on the release, the same screen may include filters for installed games, owned games, Game Pass games, and games detected from other storefronts. The Most Recent view is useful for returning to a title you launched recently.
If navigation looks different, use the app’s current sidebar or profile menu. Microsoft has been changing the PC app’s layout, so a missing word such as “My Library” does not necessarily mean your games are gone; the library may be represented by an installed-games filter or a redesigned sidebar entry.
Manage an installed game
Open the game’s context menu from the library or open its details page. The available commands are title- and version-dependent, but common options include the following.
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Use the game page to inspect installed content, downloadable add-ons, and available extras. Add-ons may require the same account that owns the base game, and a separate entitlement can be required even when the base game is installed.
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- MODERNIZED DESIGN — Experience the modernized design of the XBOX Wireless Controller with sculpted surfaces and updated geometry that enhances comfort and control during long gaming sessions.
- PRECISION PERFORMANCE — Stay on target with a hybrid D-pad and textured grips on triggers, bumpers, and back case for improved accuracy and handling.
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- VERSATILE CONNECTIVITY — Connect via USB-C for plug-and-play on console and PC, or quickly pair and switch between supported devices with XBOX Wireless and Bluetooth support.
- BUILT-IN AUDIO SUPPORT — Plug in compatible headsets using the 3.5mm audio jack for direct voice chat and immersive in-game sound.
Update the game
Updates may download automatically through the Xbox app or appear in the app’s queue. If a title reports that it needs an update, open its management view and look for an update or resume command. For a game owned by another storefront, perform the update in that storefront’s client because the Xbox app may only launch the installed entry.
Move the installation
When a title supports relocation, its management menu can offer Move or a storage-location control. Select the destination drive, confirm the operation, and keep both drives connected until Windows reports completion. If no move command appears, the title or its installation technology does not expose relocation in your current app version; do not manually drag the folder, because that can break registration and update detection.
Repair or reset
Some titles expose a repair action in their management controls or through Windows app settings. Repair attempts to correct damaged files while preserving the installation. A reset is more destructive and can remove local app data, so use it only when the title’s support instructions call for it and after backing up any saves that are not synchronized.
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Uninstall
Choose Uninstall from the game’s context or management menu, confirm, and allow Windows to remove the registered installation. Uninstalling does not normally revoke ownership; an owned title or eligible Game Pass title can be installed again while the entitlement remains available. A third-party game should generally be removed through its original launcher.
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- MODERNIZED DESIGN — Experience the modernized design of the XBOX Wireless Controller with sculpted surfaces and updated geometry that enhances comfort and control during long gaming sessions.
- PRECISION PERFORMANCE — Stay on target with a hybrid D-pad and textured grips on triggers, bumpers, and back case for improved accuracy and handling.
- SHARE BUTTON: Seamlessly capture and share content such as screenshots, recordings, and more with the new Share button.
- VERSATILE CONNECTIVITY — Connect via USB-C for plug-and-play on console and PC, or quickly pair and switch between supported devices with XBOX Wireless and Bluetooth support.
- BUILT-IN AUDIO SUPPORT — Plug in compatible headsets using the 3.5mm audio jack for direct voice chat and immersive in-game sound.
How to show Steam, Battle.net, and other storefront games
The Xbox PC app’s aggregated-library design can display installed games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts. Microsoft has described this as a way to make previously separate installations visible in one place. The entry is usually a shortcut to the existing installation, not a second download.
Automatic detection
Install the game through its original storefront and sign in there. When the storefront is supported and the Xbox app can detect the installation, the game may appear automatically in My Library and Most Recent. Detection is not guaranteed for every title, launcher, drive, or app version.
Enable a storefront integration
- Open the Xbox app’s profile or settings area.
- Find Library & Extensions or the similarly named library-integration section.
- Turn on the storefront you want the Xbox app to display.
- Return to My Library and refresh or reopen the app if the entries do not appear immediately.
Microsoft’s rollout of these controls has continued across releases, so the exact setting name and supported-storefront list can differ. If a store is not listed, the current build may not support that integration.
What the Xbox app cannot do for a third-party entry
- It does not transfer the purchase or subscription from the original storefront.
- It does not guarantee that installation, patching, cloud saves, achievements, overlays, or refunds are handled by Microsoft.
- It may open the original launcher before the game starts.
- Removing the shortcut from the Xbox library is not necessarily the same as uninstalling the game from its source client.
For ownership, billing, installation errors, updates, and account access, use the storefront that sold the game. The Xbox app is most useful here as a unified place to find and launch the installation.
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Use game hubs for per-title information
Opening a game from the library or sidebar can expose a game hub rather than only a Play button. Microsoft announced game hubs for all PC players in April 2024. Depending on the title and your account, a hub can include:
- Progress and activity information.
- Installed or available content and add-ons.
- Friends and social activity.
- Captures.
- Developer news and announcements.
Game hubs are contextual. A third-party listing may have fewer sections than an Xbox or Game Pass title because the original storefront controls much of its metadata and service integration.
My Apps and other preview features
Some Xbox Insiders have received a My Apps tab for locating, viewing, and downloading third-party applications and commonly used storefronts. Treat this as preview functionality unless it is visible in your build. Insider features can arrive before general release, change labels, or be withdrawn, so do not use the absence of My Apps as evidence that your account or installation is faulty.
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The game is not in the library
- Verify that the Xbox app is signed into the Microsoft account that owns the game or Game Pass subscription.
- For a third-party title, open Library & Extensions and enable the relevant storefront if it is available.
- Launch the original storefront once and confirm that the game is installed there and visible to that client.
- Close and reopen the Xbox app, then check My Library and Most Recent.
- Install the latest Xbox app and Windows updates if the integration controls are absent or detection remains incomplete.
The Install button is unavailable
Check the title’s PC availability, account entitlement, Game Pass status, region, and Windows compatibility. A console license, an expired subscription, or a catalog title removed from your region can leave the page visible without allowing a PC installation.
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The game starts the wrong launcher or does nothing
Make sure the source storefront client is installed, updated, and signed in to the account that owns the game. If the game was moved manually, restore it through the original client’s library or reinstall it so the launcher can rebuild its registration. The Xbox app cannot repair a broken third-party installation it does not control.
The game is installed but updates or add-ons are missing
Open the source client for a third-party game and check its update queue and downloadable-content page. For an Xbox or Game Pass title, use the Xbox app’s management view and verify that the add-on belongs to the same Microsoft account and edition.
The app shows different controls from this guide
That is expected when the app, Windows build, account type, region, or title differs. Look for the equivalent visible action in the game’s details or context menu. Microsoft has continued rolling out aggregated libraries and game hubs, and Insider functionality can precede the standard release.
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Choosing the right place to perform each task
| Task | Xbox PC app | Original storefront |
|---|---|---|
| Discover Xbox and PC Game Pass titles | Primary location | Not applicable |
| Install a supported Xbox or Microsoft Store PC game | Primary location | Not applicable |
| Install or patch a Steam, Battle.net, or other third-party title | Usually a shortcut or organizer | Primary location |
| Confirm purchase, subscription, refund, or account ownership | Only for Microsoft-held entitlements | Primary location for that storefront |
| See a combined list of installed games | My Library, Most Recent, and supported extensions | Shows only that storefront’s library |
| View progress, captures, friends, add-ons, and developer news | Game hubs when supported | Depends on the storefront and title |
What changed in the catalog and why results vary
Microsoft reported in 2024 that nearly 400 previously undiscoverable or unpurchasable titles had been added to the Xbox app catalog. That expansion does not mean every game is installable through the app: catalog visibility, PC rights, regional availability, and storefront integration remain separate questions. A game can be searchable, owned elsewhere, detected as installed, or directly installable through Game Pass, and each status produces a different control.
The safest way to interpret any entry is to check three things on its page: who owns it, whether the page offers PC installation, and which launcher opens when you select Play. Those answers tell you whether the Xbox app is managing the game or simply presenting it in your combined library.
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