Microsoft’s Windows store is finally becoming more Steam-like for games

Microsoft will finally allow Windows users to install PC games from the Microsoft Store Oregon Xbox Game Go across for PC to any folder of their choice with unrestricted access. The move will allow PC gamers to access the folders of games and mod them freely, or let Windows users move games freely to whatsoever folders or drives of their choice.

Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell The Verge that the changes are part of an Xbox app update for Windows that's presently organism dependable internally. The Xbox app update will finally address a big pain point of installing games from Xbox Halting Pass for PC, where players would run into issues with the Microsoft Store, the restricted WindowsApps folder, or just the unfitness to fully control where games were installed.

*Microsoft won't block you getting approach to game folders soon.*

Patc Microsoft has corroborated mods sure as shootin titles in the Microsoft Store antecedently, opening up the folder access to games will now enable more games to support mods without players needing to enable this in games.

The Microsoft Store has traditionally off-limits admittance to where games are installed using Windows-based pamphlet permissions that make it difficult to stand-in games operating room move them freely. This is a headache if you ever need to reinstall Windows and you install games to a indirect drive, operating room if you uninstall a game installed from the Microsoft Store and information technology still uses up disk infinite.

Other PC game launchers like Steam Oregon Battle.net allow players to backup man games and restore and verify them. Microsoft's new Xbox app update includes an alternative to verify and repair files, which will presumably be accustomed support backing up games. Thither are also new options to browse to where files are installed, change the drive where games are installed, and pick custom folders for installs.

We asked Microsoft about its internal test of this updated Xbox app, and surprisingly the company confirmed its more outdoors approach to installing PC games from the Microsoft Store.

"With great PC games similar Back 4 Blood, Age of Empires IV, Forza Sensible horizon 5, and Halo Unnumbered on day one with Game Pass, we wanted to provide players with many options to customize their receive in the Xbox app," says a Jason Beaumont, partner conductor of experiences at Xbox. "We'll continue to share updates as we launch additional features."

Hours after we published this article, Microsoft as wel released a video detailing the changes. Xbox Insiders will constitute able to screen a new variant of the Xbox PC app soon, and we're expecting the updated app to appear in important ahead of the set in motion of a free-to-play version of Halo Infinite multiplayer on December 8th.

Update, November 11th 10:40AM ET : Microsoft released a video particularization these changes hours aft we published this article. We've updated the article to include Microsoft's video recording.