Xboxjust can’t come up with a way to market its games on PC, and the latest pointless Xbox PC name change proves it yet again.
AsMicrosoftand Xbox continue to delve into the idea promoted by President Sarah Bond in February 2024 of “every screen is an Xbox,” it has become difficult to determine what is classified under the Xbox PC name. Since it was seemingly first discovered in May 2025 (back then, it was changed from “Xbox App on Windows PC”), Xbox has shifted course and made another pointless name change. While fans have continually gotten used to the terminology after Xbox showcases filled with announcements, the small Xbox PC will begin to appear differently moving forward.
The Xbox on PC branding was first discovered by Tom Warren,and he exposed the name change in a Twitter post that can be seen below.
Considering Microsoft ended last year by claiming “This is an Xbox,” and showing numerous devices that don’t look like Xbox consoles, it’s baffling why they didn’t call Xbox on PC, “Xbox on Xbox.” The rebranding echoes the same confusion fans had when HBO Max changed to Max, and then right back to HBO Max.While the “every screen is an Xbox” campaign sounds good in theory, it appears that calling everything just “Xbox” makes even less sense.
The Xbox PC Rebrand Turns It Into Xbox On PC
Back when the branding was changed to Xbox PC, Windows Forums did a good job of explainingwhy the rebrand mattered, claiming the branding is more consistent with ecosystem development, rather than the limitations of one gaming console.
As pointed out in Tom Warren’s post, this new branding can be seen in marketing materials for bothGrounded 2and Age of Mythology Retold: Heavenly Spear, just as the May 2025 Xbox PC branding was found. With those two being recent releases, it’s likely to pop up more and more in the future.
The issue is whether the change is pointless in the grand scheme of things. If Xbox PC is now “Xbox on PC,” what will Microsoft call playing Xbox on an iPhone, or a smart monitor? Surely it won’t be ‘Xbox on Apple,’ right? Either way, Xbox PC appears to have gained a middle name for branding purposes, whether people care or not.
