With Sony bowing out of E3 and Nintendo sticking to its digital approach, Microsoft will have the spotlight at E3 next month. But the company isn't waiting for the industry's biggest event for all of its biggest announcements. Addressing Xbox's approach to PC gaming, Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, made three big announcements on Xbox Wire today.
Most notable was that Xbox Game Pass is coming to PC. Like the service that launch on Xbox One two years ago, Xbox Game Pass for PC will provide subscribers with unlimited access to a curated library of over 100 games to play on Windows 10. It will also include new games from Xbox Game Studios, available the same day as their global release. In total, Microsoft is working with more than 75 developers and publishers to bring PC content to Xbox Game Pass on PC.
More details — presumably pricing and launch date — will be shared at E3 next month. Microsoft is holding its E3 2019 press conference on Sunday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. PDT.
Microsoft also promised PC gamers more choice when it comes to purchasing Xbox Game Studios PC games. While they'll be available via multiple storefronts (Microsoft Store, Steam, etc.), the company is working with others to provide even more choice.
We know millions of PC gamers trust Steam as a great source to buy PC games and we’ve heard the feedback that PC gamers would like choice. We also know that there are other stores on PC, and we are working to enable more choice in which store you can find our Xbox Game Studios titles in the future.
Lastly, Microsoft will be enabling full support for native Win32 games to the Microsoft Store on Windows, unlocking more options to allow for customization and control for both developers and gamers.