In a strange turn of events for a console producer, it seems like Phil Spencer is keen to bring PC storefronts to Xbox. While the news around the Head of Xbox wanting more storefronts on consoles, as a way to circumvent a typical console's closed ecosystem, it seems like a Steam and Xbox partnership could be in the works.
In an image shared by Karim Jovian on Twitter, there was an alleged Zoom meeting between Phil Spencer and Gabe Newell. Funnily enough, it wasn't on Microsoft Teams, but considering how bad that app is, I'm not surprised. Alongside the capture of the meeting, Jovian shared a screenshot of a message that simply reads "Steam games will run on Series X", hinting at a potential for PC games to arrive on Xbox consoles.
According to Jovian, Microsoft has been working with Valve for a while now, with Phil Spencer and Valve CEO, Gabe Newell, attempting to bring the Steam storefront to Xbox consoles. In the tweet, Jovian also shared that Xbox and Valve are working on "synchronization with the Xbox application for handheld and other devices", potentially pointing to the Xbox app working on the best gaming handheld, the Steam Deck. This would also make sense, considering that an Xbox handheld is rumoured to be in development.
Most gamers with different gaming platforms usually fall into having a PC and PS5, or Xbox and PS5, so this business decision would make sense. This would put Valve and Xbox into unique partners, rather than directly competing with each other.
It makes me wonder as to whether PlayStation's various console exclusives available on Steam, such as Helldivers 2, God of War, and more, could be playable on Xbox. Can PlayStation force Valve to not allow those games to be played on an Xbox? We'll have to see if the rumours come true.
Another question is: will you be able to use the best VR headsets on an Xbox with Steam? Some of the best PCVR games can use the Steam Link app via the Meta store, so could we remotely play VR games from Valve's storefront through an Xbox?
Obviously, while this news is pretty exciting, we'd take it with a pinch of salt until anything is announced. However, we're looking forward to a reveal if it's true, as it would open more players up the brilliant world of PC gaming.