PC gamers are critical to the future of Xbox and gaming says Microsoft

Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has been underlining the vital importance of PC gamers to the company – and to the future of the Xbox console, and gaming in general – along with talking about how revamping the Microsoft Store experience for gamers is top priority.

In an interview with PC Gamer, Spencer, who is executive VP of gaming at Microsoft, said that the firm’s “first priority is delivering a new Store experience for games that factors in all of our learnings from past challenges on the PC.”

That will be 8-bit music to the ears of many PC gamers who have bought titles from the Microsoft Store, but subsequently struggled with the various issues and glitches that the platform has been known to suffer from.

• We’ve listed all the best Xbox One games
• And these are the best PC games of 2019
• Also check out our top free games to download on PC

Spencer further acknowledged that Microsoft has “made some mistakes” in its journey with PC gaming, and he said at E3 this year – and throughout 2019 – folks will see how Microsoft is set to push forward and deliver not just with games in the Microsoft Store, but with Windows gaming in general.

Could the mention of E3 here be a hint that Microsoft will have some big announcements to make at the show about PC gaming? Well, we’ve recently heard that the incoming Windows 10 April 2019 Update could allow for playing native Xbox One games on the PC, so maybe it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that one of the revelations will be along these lines?

As we previously discussed, native support for Xbox One games would make it much more convenient and quicker for developers to get their console titles onto the PC. And maybe all this is moving towards having just one store across PC and Xbox, and that’s a piece of the puzzle for this improved gaming experience on PC in the future.

All that’s speculation, of course, but what is clear is that Spencer was keen to underline the importance of PC gaming as far as Microsoft was concerned.

PC is paramount?

While E3 may see major revelations about the alleged next generation of Xbox machines – reportedly codenamed Lockhart and Anaconda – Spencer noted that “delivering [a] great gaming experience to PC players is critically important to the future of Xbox and gaming at Microsoft.”

In the interview, he also mentions on two separate occasions that PC gamers are at the center of decisions Microsoft is making.

PC Gamer also questions Spencer on whether future Xbox Games Studios titles will be released on other digital distribution platforms outside of the Microsoft Store, such as the likes of Steam.

Microsoft’s VP of gaming wouldn’t be drawn on that, just observing that it was a good question, and something that the company has spent a lot of time thinking about. He added: “I expect us to share more details on our plans here soon.”

• These are the best gaming PCs of 2019

Via Ubergizmo