Microsoft said Wednesday that it will merge features from the Xbox Game Pass app into the Xbox app on mobile platforms this week. A new simplified Xbox app with Game Pass features will be available on iOS, Android and iPadOS. Microsoft will also stop all downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app starting in November. In addition, the company announced several other Xbox-related features for PC and consoles, including Game Bar Compact Mode and improvements to the Xbox app on PC.
Xbox app to get Game Pass features
Xbox Game Pass app features will be combined with the Xbox app as part of an update available to Xbox beta members on mobile devices this week. The new all-in-one Xbox app will soon be available to all users. As of November, Microsoft will no longer support new downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app.
Some of the features coming to the Xbox app will include the ability to explore Microsoft’s game subscription service and manage your membership. “You’ll be able to browse the entire Game Pass catalog to find your favorite games and stay up-to-date with alerts about new games coming to the service,” the company said in an Xbox Wire announcement on Wednesday.
Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will also be able to browse and claim their benefits and stream select games through Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS or Android.
The usual features of the Xbox app will remain the same for all users, including its social features, game updates, group chat during gameplay, the ability to check achievements and remotely install games on your console, and more.
Xbox updates on PC
As part of the September update, Microsoft has also confirmed that Game Bar Compact Mode, first announced in August, is now available for all PC gamers. Initially available to Xbox Insiders, the new mode optimizes the Xbox Game Bar for smaller screens and Windows-based gaming handhelds.
The Game Bar allows Windows gamers to view recently played games, access game launchers, capture gameplay footage, and more. Compact mode brings simplified access to game bar widgets on smaller screens. A new feature in the Game Bar compact mode now allows users to quit the game directly from the Home widget.
To turn on the compact mode of the game bar, users can go to the Settings of the game bar and turn on the compact mode switch located on the General tab.
Users can view and manage plugins in one place
Photo credit: Microsoft
The Xbox parent also rolled out an update to the Xbox app on PC that improves the in-app game management experience. Users can now see and install related game plugins while installing that title, instead of searching for available plugins in the app. Users can also manage add-ons or additional game content by right-clicking on an installed title, selecting “Manage” and going to the “Add-ons” section.
Improved game management on Xbox consoles
On Xbox consoles, players can now pre-download game updates and start playing as soon as the update is released. You can do this by going to My Games & Apps on your Xbox console, then selecting Manage and then Updates. Here, users will be able to see all available pre-downloads for their games. This feature is currently supported by select games and will be available for more titles later.
Finally, Xbox users will now be notified when a wishlist game is published, joins Game Pass, or becomes available as part of a Free Game Day promotion.