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You can add a Microsoft Store or Xbox app game to your Steam library by creating a non-Steam shortcut. In Steam, select Games > Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library, choose the detected game or browse to an installed program, then click Add Selected Programs. This puts an entry in Steam; it does not convert the game into a Steam purchase, move its files, supply Steam updates, or prove ownership on your Steam account. Some Store-packaged games may also behave differently when started from a generic shortcut because their Gaming Runtime launch context is not always available.
How do I add a Microsoft Store game to Steam?
The documented method is Steam’s non-Steam game feature. It creates a library shortcut that points to a program already installed on your PC.
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- Open the Steam desktop client and sign in.
- Open the Games menu in the top navigation.
- Choose Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library.
- Wait for Steam to populate its list of detected programs. Select the game if it appears.
- If it is not listed, choose the option to browse and locate an installed program that the game can launch.
- Click Add Selected Programs.
The new entry appears in your Steam library as a non-Steam shortcut. Steam’s support documentation describes the result plainly: “This will only add a shortcut to your game in the Steam client.” Steam Support’s instructions do not describe a Store migration or a license transfer.
What does the Steam shortcut actually change?
It gives you a Steam library entry from which you can attempt to start the existing installation. It does not change where the game is installed or which account owns it.
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| Capability | Microsoft Store/Xbox app game added as a non-Steam shortcut | Game purchased through Steam |
|---|---|---|
| Library entry | Yes, as a shortcut to an existing program | Yes, as a Steam-managed game |
| Game download supplied by Steam | No | Yes, subject to the game’s Steam listing and availability |
| Updates supplied by Steam | No; the Store or Xbox app remains the relevant distribution channel | Yes, through Steam’s normal update system |
| Proof of Steam ownership | No; adding a shortcut does not create a Steam license | Yes, when the title is purchased or otherwise legitimately activated on Steam |
| Existing installation moved or converted | No; the feature only adds an entry in the client | Steam installs its own copy or uses a Steam-supported installation process |
These distinctions matter if you are deciding whether the shortcut is enough. Steam explicitly says its non-Steam feature does not provide downloads or establish ownership on your Steam account. The shortcut is therefore a convenience for launching an already installed game, not a replacement for buying or installing a Steam edition.
Why might a Microsoft Store game not behave like a normal executable?
Some Store and Xbox app titles are packaged and launched with Microsoft-specific context rather than functioning as a completely independent Win32 executable. A generic Steam shortcut may start a process without all of that registered context.
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Registered launch context
Microsoft’s GDK documentation explains that app-launch supplies registered contextual information to the game. A process started without that context cannot properly use certain Gaming Runtime and gaming cloud services. This does not establish that every Store title will fail from Steam; it explains why behavior can differ from a conventional desktop program. See Microsoft’s PC launch guidance for the distinction between app-aware launching and directly starting a process.
MicrosoftGame.config and packaged titles
Microsoft also documents the role of MicrosoftGame.config. A PC game can run by launching its executable without that file, but it runs without Gaming Runtime features. The configuration is required for Gaming Runtime features, title identity, MSIXVC packaging support, and Microsoft Store submission. Consequently, finding an executable is not proof that launching it outside its normal Store context will preserve every service the title expects. The relevant configuration details are in Microsoft’s MicrosoftGame.config overview.
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What should I do if the game does not appear in Steam’s list?
Use Steam’s browse option, but treat it as a pointer to an installed program rather than a way to discover or convert Store packages.
Check the detected-program list first
After choosing Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library, review the complete list before browsing manually. If the game is listed, select that item and add it. The detected entry is the least ambiguous choice because Steam has already identified a launchable program.
Browse only to an installed launch program
If the title is absent, use Browse and select an installed program that starts the game. Steam’s documented workflow supports browsing for an installed game, but it does not provide a universal path for Microsoft Store or Xbox app installations. Store packaging can hide or organize files differently from a traditional desktop installation, and a visible executable may depend on the Store’s app-launch context.
Do not substitute a random helper executable
Adding a launcher, updater, crash reporter, or unrelated executable can create a Steam entry that does not start the game. If several files appear plausible, use the program that the game’s own installation or documentation identifies as its launch target. Avoid renaming, moving, or replacing packaged files merely to make Steam’s picker accept them; the shortcut feature is not an installation repair tool.
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What happens when I click Play on the shortcut?
Steam attempts to start the target associated with the shortcut. Whether the game then reaches its normal menu, signs in correctly, or exposes all of its services depends on that title’s launch requirements.
Successful launch
If the game opens and behaves normally, you can keep the shortcut in your library for convenient access. The installation and its account relationship remain with the Microsoft Store or Xbox app ecosystem, even though Steam is the place from which you initiated the launch.
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A failure does not necessarily mean that Steam’s shortcut was created incorrectly. The selected program may require Store registration, a package identity, or app-launch context that a generic process start does not provide. Confirm that the game still launches from its original Microsoft entry point. If it does, the difference is likely related to how it is being started rather than to a missing game installation.
Game opens but a service is missing
Microsoft’s documentation warns that launching without registered context can leave information unavailable to Gaming Runtime and gaming cloud services. A title may therefore open while a connected feature does not work as expected. The available evidence does not identify one workaround that fixes this for every Store game, so use the game’s current support instructions for title-specific requirements instead of assuming that changing the Steam shortcut target will solve it.
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Can Steam update a Microsoft Store game added this way?
No. The non-Steam feature does not make Steam the game’s distributor. Updates, repair operations, and entitlement checks remain tied to the service through which the game was installed and licensed. Open the Microsoft Store or Xbox app when the game needs an update, and do not expect a Steam download queue to display or manage that update.
Does adding the shortcut give me a Steam license?
No. A shortcut records a way to start an existing program in the Steam client; it does not add a purchase to your Steam account. If you later remove the Microsoft installation or lose access to the account that licensed it, the Steam entry cannot restore that entitlement.
Should I use the shortcut or buy the Steam version?
Use the shortcut when you already own and have installed the Store edition and mainly want a single Steam library entry. Consider the Steam edition separately when you specifically need Steam’s distribution, update, or ownership system. The two editions should be treated as separate licenses and installations unless the publisher explicitly documents another arrangement.
- Choose the shortcut when avoiding a second download is more important than having Steam manage the game.
- Choose a Steam purchase when you want the title delivered, updated, and recognized through Steam itself.
- Keep both ecosystems in mind when the game relies on Microsoft identity, Gaming Runtime, or cloud services; a Steam shortcut does not remove those dependencies.
What are the safest troubleshooting checks?
Work from the least invasive checks toward title-specific support. This avoids altering a packaged installation that may depend on its registered identity.
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- Launch the game from its original Microsoft Store or Xbox app entry. If it fails there too, repair the game through that service before troubleshooting Steam.
- Reopen Steam’s non-Steam game dialog and verify that the shortcut points to the intended installed program, not an updater or helper.
- Try the shortcut again after the original launcher has finished any sign-in or update operation required by the title.
- If the game starts but a Gaming Runtime or cloud feature is unavailable, consult the game’s current support page for its launch requirements. Microsoft’s GDK guidance explains why a generic process start may lack registered context, but it does not prescribe one universal Steam workaround.
- If no reliable launch program can be selected, leave the installation unchanged and use the original Microsoft entry point. A Steam shortcut is optional and should not be treated as a requirement for playing the game.
There is no supported, universal method in the documented material for turning every Microsoft Store or Xbox app title into a fully Steam-native game. Compatibility is title-specific, particularly for packages that rely on MicrosoftGame.config, MSIXVC packaging, or Gaming Runtime services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will adding a Store game to Steam move its files to my Steam library folder?
No. The feature records a shortcut to an existing program. It does not copy, relocate, or reorganize the installation, so the original Store or Xbox app location remains in use.
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Can I uninstall the Microsoft Store version after adding it to Steam?
No, not if you still want the shortcut to launch the game. Steam does not contain a replacement installation; removing the original package leaves the shortcut without the program it points to.
Why does the game launch from the Xbox app but not from Steam?
The original app launch can provide registered context that a generic process start lacks. Microsoft says that context can be required by Gaming Runtime and gaming cloud services, so the difference may be a packaging or launch-context issue rather than a damaged shortcut.
Is there one command or utility that fixes every Store game shortcut?
No universal fix is established. Store titles differ in packaging, identity, and runtime requirements, so a solution that works for one game cannot be assumed to work for another.
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