Microsoft is planning to streamline its Xbox gaming experience on iOS by combining the Xbox Game Pass app with the existing Xbox app.
Xbox-game-passing subscribers currently have a pair of sibling apps to contend with the Xbox Game Pass app, which delivers subscription access to a selection of games that can be downloaded onto an Xbox console, and the broader feature Xbox app, which helps friends chat and more gameplay streaming across its ecosystem. Microsoft hopes to improve on that by combining all of those apps into just one and making it easier for its gaming community.
More About Microsoft All-in-One Xbox App
Microsoft has also written a blog post about the September Update in which it explained an intent to move features from the Xbox Game Pass app to the Xbox app. These new features will be available later to the general public, but for now, they will enter the Xbox beta community. During this move, Microsoft will also prohibit Xbox Game Pass app downloads from taking place as of next month, effectively sending all customers to the Xbox app for their game content.
The current Xbox app will remain on iPhones and work as usual but with extensions to improve functionality. The idea behind this is to make sure that there’s no confusion regarding whether a user should and will open a specific application, by giving them one place to get all of their Xbox-related activities.
Alongside the changes for mobile users on iOS and Android, Microsoft is also detailing a number of updates to the Xbox app on Windows. These updates will allow players to play games when they go live after an update, bring new Wish List notifications, as well as house different quality improvements. This approach feels like Microsoft is dedicated to continue making tweaks and improvements to how gaming works regardless of where you play, as opposed to just trapping the experience behind multiple applications.
FAQs
When will the Xbox Game Pass app be removed?
New downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app will be blocked starting in November.
Will the existing Xbox app on iPhone change?
Yes, the existing Xbox app will remain functional and will receive new features as part of the update.
