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How Microsoft Is Bringing Xbox and Battle.net Games Together on PC

Microsoft is bringing installed games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net and other supported PC storefronts into one Xbox app library—but not merging stores or changing who owns each game.
Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Microsoft’s plan is to make the Xbox PC app a more useful place to find and launch games installed through Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net and other supported storefronts. The key change is a shared library view—not a merger of stores: a Battle.net game appearing in Xbox does not become an Xbox purchase or a Game Pass benefit.

What the Xbox PC app’s aggregated library does

Xbox first announced the feature as a preview for PC Gaming Preview members on June 23, 2025. It said installed games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net and other supported PC storefronts could appear in the Xbox app’s “My library” and “Most recent” views, where players could access them from one place. Xbox’s June 2025 announcement also named the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X as handhelds planned to offer the experience.

On September 15, 2025, Xbox said the aggregated library was rolling out to everyone on Windows PCs and handheld devices. Players can manage which storefronts appear through Settings > Library & Extensions. Xbox also described a “My Apps” tab for finding, downloading and launching third-party apps and storefronts. That gives players a central access point; it does not remove the need for the other apps. Xbox’s rollout announcement describes the feature and its settings.

What Battle.net integration means—and what it does not

The practical benefit is convenience: an installed Battle.net game can show up alongside supported games from other services in the Xbox app. The announcements describe a library and launch-access feature, not a transfer of purchases or licenses.

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  • It does: let supported, installed games from Battle.net appear in the Xbox app’s library and recent list.
  • It does not establish: that Battle.net purchases become Xbox purchases, that every Battle.net game is included in Game Pass, or that Battle.net is being shut down or replaced.
  • It does not erase storefront differences: ownership, subscriptions, account requirements and game-specific launch behavior remain distinct. The announcements do not enumerate every currently supported storefront or explain every title’s behavior.

In short, seeing a game in a combined library is not proof that you own it through Xbox or have subscription access to it. The feature organizes access to games already installed through supported services; it is not a new entitlement.

Microsoft’s wider push to make Xbox more useful on PC

More games discoverable in the Xbox app

In a December 11, 2024 update, Microsoft said nearly 400 PC titles that previously had not been discoverable or purchasable in the Xbox app had been added. More than 100 of those newly added games supported Xbox Play Anywhere, which allows a supported game purchase on Xbox console to include the Xbox PC version, and vice versa. These are figures from that specific update, not a current count of the app’s catalog. Microsoft’s December 2024 developer post details the changes.

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Game Pass content is a separate strand

Microsoft’s effort to bring Activision and Blizzard games to Game Pass predates the aggregated library. On February 15, 2024, Xbox announced that Diablo IV would join Game Pass on March 28, 2024, and said it intended to bring more Activision and Blizzard games to the service. That announcement concerns subscription content, not the later feature that lists installed games from multiple storefronts. Xbox’s announcement also cited 34 million XGP subscribers at that time; that is a February 2024 figure, not a current subscriber total.

Windows on Arm support

On January 21, 2026, Microsoft said the Xbox app was available on all Arm-based Windows 11 PCs and that more than 85% of the Game Pass catalog was compatible with those PCs at that time. This is a dated, Game Pass-specific compatibility snapshot—not a claim about every Xbox app game, Battle.net title or device. Microsoft pointed to Xbox Cloud Gaming as an option for some games that were not yet supported for local play. Microsoft’s Arm announcement gives the scope of the figure.

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Do you need a handheld to use the feature?

No. The rollout covers Windows PCs as well as handheld devices. A Windows gaming handheld such as the ROG Xbox Ally X is an optional way to play on the move, not a requirement for using the Xbox PC app. Compatibility still depends on the particular game and device; the broad Arm figure above applies only to the Game Pass catalog on Arm-based Windows 11 PCs.

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Why Microsoft is putting more emphasis on the Xbox app

Microsoft’s 2024 annual report frames the larger strategy as bringing gaming experiences to players on any device. It also describes Windows as a way to grow PC market share and engagement with services such as Xbox Game Pass. That is company-level context for the app changes, not evidence that aggregation alone will produce a particular business result. Microsoft’s 2024 annual report sets out that broader direction.

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For players, the concrete shift is modest but useful: the Xbox app can serve as a broader library and launch point while separate stores and subscriptions remain in place. Microsoft’s Xbox announcements describe access to installed games, not a unified PC storefront.

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