Summary
Yesterday, insider eXtas1s claimed thatXbox was testing Steam integration for the Microsoft Storein preparation for its next-gen console. This has been rumoured for months, withMicrosoft even posting a mock-up Xbox UI featuring a ‘Steam’ tab, supporting the reports that its new console is more of a gaming PC hybrid. If that’s the case, there are some interesting implications.
Not only would Xbox have access to decades of gaming history, meaning built-in backwards compatibility, but it would also be privy to Steam’s growing library of PlayStation exclusives. That meansThe Last of Us,God of War,Helldivers 2, and more.
Many have wondered how PlayStation might respond to its games suddenly being made available on its competitor, and that conversation has been kickstarted again in light of the new rumours. But Windows Central executive editor Jez Corden already gave his two cents earlier this year. “For those saying PlayStation can’t block their games on Steam arbitrarily from an ‘Xbox’ PC: they absolutely 100% can,“he posted on Twitter. “GeForce Now found this out the hard way.”
Not Everyone Agrees: Some Are Doubtful That PlayStation Can Block Its Games On Xbox
Corden’s tweet was met with some pushback, as commenters argued that the GeForce Now example was “about licensing” and that “it’s doubtful PlayStation blocks their games via Steam”. The Verge reporter Tom Warren, whoreported earlier this yearthat Microsoft wants to make every game installed on your PC visible via the Xbox app, which lines up with eXtas1s' claims, likewise had doubts.
“I’m super curious how Sony can force Valve to block Steam games on particular Windows hardware,” Warren replied. “I’ve never heard about a policy or instance of publishers being able to do this with Steam”.
However, Corden insisted that he knows “for a fact PlayStation can do this if they feel inclined, so keep expectations in check”. Onr/GamingLeaksAndRumours, some speculate that Sony could do this by blocking its games “from running on whatever custom OS” that Xbox uses. There are plenty of games that don’t support macOS, for instance, and kernel-level anti-cheats already prevent games likeCall of Dutyfrom running on platforms like the Steam Deck.
That’s not to mentionPSN requirementsrendering games unplayable in certain countries, though that’s a little different to blocking a platform.
As Corden says, we’re still a few years away from the next-gen Xbox anyway,with a handheld reportedly set to launch first, so it’ll be a while before we find out how it all works. Just don’t count on playingHorizon Zero Dawnon your new Xbox when it finally hits store shelves.
