Microsoft to Merge Xbox and Game Pass Apps on iOS and Android, Rolls Out New Features on PC, Consoles

Microsoft said Wednesday that it would be merging features from the Xbox Game Pass app to the Xbox app on mobile platforms this week. The new streamlined Xbox app with Game Pass features will be available on iOS, Android and iPadOS. Microsoft will also halt all downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app from November. Additionally, the company announced a few other Xbox-related features for PC and consoles, including Game Bar Compact Mode and improvements to the Xbox app on PC.

Xbox App to Get Game Pass Features

Features of the Xbox Game Pass app will be combined with the Xbox app as part of an update available for Xbox beta members on mobile this week. The new all-in-one Xbox app will be available to all users soon. Starting November, Microsoft will no longer support new downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app.

Some of the features coming to the Xbox app will include the ability to explore Microsoft's game subscription service and manage your membership. “You'll be able to browse the full Game Pass catalog to find your favorite games and stay in the loop with alerts for new games coming to the service,” the company said in an Xbox Wire post Wednesday.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will also be able to view and claim their perks, and stream select games via Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS or Android.

The regular features of the Xbox app will remain the same for all users, including its social features, updates on games, party chat while gaming, the ability to check achievements and remotely installing games on your console, and more.

Xbox Updates on PC

As part of its September update, Microsoft also confirmed that Game Bar Compact Mode, first announced in August, was now available for all PC players. Initially available to Xbox Insiders, the new mode optimizes Xbox Game Bar for smaller screens and Windows-based gaming handhelds.

Game Bar lets players on Windows view recently played games, access game launchers, capture gameplay footage and more. The Compact Mode brings simplified access to Game Bar widgets on smaller screens. A new feature in Game Bar Compact Mode now allows users to quit a game directly from the Home widget.

To turn on Game Bar Compact Mode, users can head to Game Bar Settings and switch on the Compact Mode toggle found in the General tab.

Users can view and manage add-ons at one place
Photo Credit: Microsoft

The Xbox parent also rolled out an update to the Xbox app on PC that improves the game management experience on the app. Users can now view and install related add-ons for a game, while installing that title, instead of searching for available add-ons on the app. Users can also manage add-ons or additional content for a game by right-clicking on an installed title, selecting “Manage,” and heading to the “Add-ons” section.

Improved Game Management on Xbox Consoles

On Xbox consoles, players can now pre-download game updates and start playing as soon as the update is live. This can be done by heading to My Games & Apps on an Xbox console, then selecting Manage, and then Updates. Here, users will be able to see all available pre-downloads for their games. This feature is currently supported by select games and will be available for more titles later.

Finally, Xbox users will now get notified when a wish listed game is released, joins Game Pass, or becomes available as part of a Free Play Day promotion.