Microsoft has begun rolling out a new experimental tab in the Xbox app for Windows 11 that lets users install and launch third-party applications—including rival game storefronts—directly from the Xbox interface. Called “My apps,” the feature is available now to Xbox Insiders enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview, and it represents a strategic shift: the app is no longer just a Game Pass storefront, but an aggregator for all your PC gaming tools and launchers.

The move targets a long-standing friction point for PC gamers, especially those on handheld Windows devices. Navigating the desktop to launch Steam, Battle.net, or GOG Galaxy with a controller is clumsy. With My apps, Microsoft wants to reduce those context switches, making the Xbox app the first and last thing you open before playing.

What My apps actually does

My apps adds a new tab to the Xbox app’s Library section. When you click it, you see a curated list of third-party applications. In early Insider builds, the list includes Microsoft Edge, Blizzard’s Battle.net, and GOG Galaxy. Microsoft says more apps will be added over time.

The behavior is straightforward: if an app is already installed on your PC, the Xbox app acts as a launcher. Click the tile, and the application opens. If the app is missing, the Xbox app attempts to download and install it from within its own UI—no need to open a web browser or a separate store.

This isn’t an attempt to create a universal app store. You still need your own accounts for Battle.net or GOG. Purchases, updates, and account management remain outside the Xbox app. The goal is sheer convenience: find and launch your gaming tools without leaving the Xbox environment.

Built for handhelds and controller-first navigation

The full-screen mode of the Xbox app on Windows 11 is built for gamepads. Tiles are large, spacing is thumb-friendly, and navigation uses controller buttons. That makes sense on devices like the ASUS ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, and other upcoming Windows handhelds. On these devices, the desktop is an afterthought—something you’d rather not touch.

With My apps, Microsoft is solving a real pain point: when you’re on a couch or commuting with a handheld, the last thing you want is to minimize the Xbox shell, use a tiny cursor to double-click a desktop icon, and then wrestle with a windowed launcher. Now, you can stay within the controller-friendly Xbox UI, open Battle.net or GOG, and jump into a game.

Early testers confirm that launching already-installed apps through My apps works quickly and reliably. The real question is whether the installation flow can overcome Windows’ notorious complexity.

What early testers are seeing

Since the feature rolled out to Insiders in recent days, reports have been mixed but encouraging. For applications you already have, the launch experience is seamless. The Xbox app detects the installed app and opens it directly. One tester noted, “I tapped Battle.net in the My apps tab, and it popped up just like I’d launched it from the Start menu.”

When an app isn’t installed, the Xbox app presents a “Get” or “Install” button. Click it, and the download should begin. However, in these early preview builds, the installer isn’t always reliable. Some Insiders report that GOG Galaxy failed to install, either hanging mid-download or throwing an error. Others had no issues. This inconsistency is expected: Windows apps come in many packaging formats—MSI, EXE, MSIX, custom wrappers—and each behaves differently with user account control (UAC) prompts and permission requirements. Harmonizing those flows is a significant engineering challenge.

Microsoft describes the rollout as “curated and iterative.” Only a small set of apps is supported now, and the company will expand the catalogue and smooth out installation bugs over time. For now, it’s a preview that works well for launching but needs polish for installing.

The practical benefits for PC gamers

Why should anyone care about a new tab that launches launchers? Because it streamlines a fragmented PC gaming ecosystem. Here’s what it delivers:

  • Fewer context switches: Instead of closing the Xbox app, hunting for a desktop shortcut, loading a separate launcher, logging in, waiting for updates, and then playing, you open Xbox, pick the launcher, and you’re in. On a handheld or a living-room PC, that’s a tangible time saver.
  • Controller-first navigation: The full-screen Xbox shell is designed for gamepads. My apps keeps you in that environment, so you never need to emulate a mouse cursor to click tiny icons. Everything is tile-based and navigable with a D-pad.
  • Unified library experience: Microsoft recently added the ability to show games from Steam, Ubisoft Connect, and other platforms in the Xbox app’s library. Now, the launchers themselves are present too. It’s a single surface for your entire gaming life—both the games and the clients that run them.
  • Faster resume on handhelds: Handheld gaming PCs have limited battery life. Fewer context switches mean less time wasted and less background activity, which can save battery and reduce thermal load.

Taken together, these changes make the Xbox app feel more like a console dashboard, which is clearly Microsoft’s aim.

The technical and policy minefield

Despite the clear upside, My apps walks into a minefield of technical, security, and regulatory concerns.

Installation permissions. Downloading and running third-party installers from within a Microsoft app raises questions about UAC. Will the Xbox app need administrative privileges? How will it handle installers that require user interaction (e.g., choosing a directory)? Early inconsistencies suggest that the current flow still triggers standard Windows security prompts, but in some cases those prompts don’t appear correctly within the Xbox UI, leaving the install stuck. Microsoft will need to build robust error handling and fallback paths.

Anti-cheat and kernel drivers. Many competitive games rely on kernel-level anti-cheat software. Aggregating launchers inside the Xbox app doesn’t magically make them compatible with Windows on Arm or resolve driver signing issues. Titles that demand specific anti-cheat configurations may still fail or require publisher updates. If Microsoft positions the Xbox app as the central hub, gamers will expect everything to work, but that’s a tall order when the underlying games depend on third-party, low-level software.

Privacy and telemetry. The Xbox app already surfaces play history and syncs across devices. With My apps, it enumerates what’s installed on your PC and tracks which launchers you use. How long does Microsoft retain that data? Is there an opt-out? The original source and Insider notes stress that privacy-conscious users should demand clear documentation. Until Microsoft publishes a transparent privacy policy for these cross-app data flows, there’s a risk that some users will distrust the feature.

Vendor relationships and competitive dynamics. By curating which launchers appear, Microsoft gains an advantage in discoverability. The analysis points out that while My apps doesn’t supplant other stores’ purchase or update flows, it does make the Xbox app a gatekeeper of sorts. Regulators have already scrutinized Microsoft for bundling practices in Windows. If the company starts promoting its own services over rivals—or if the installation experience favors Microsoft apps—competitors and antitrust watchdogs will take notice. For now, Microsoft frames My apps as a convenience layer, not a marketplace power move, but the implementation must be scrupulously neutral.

The Windows installer mess. Windows has a bewildering array of packaging formats. Harmonizing installation flows for all of them is a monumental task. The early beta bugs are just the tip of the iceberg. Microsoft will need to invest heavily in backend logic to handle installation failures, rollbacks, and user education. Otherwise, My apps could turn into a support nightmare.

How to try My apps today

If you’re comfortable with beta software, you can enable the feature now. Here’s the short path:

  1. Download the Xbox Insider Hub from the Microsoft Store.
  2. Sign in and enroll in the PC Gaming Preview.
  3. Update the Xbox app to the Insider build (check for updates in the Store).
  4. Open the Xbox app, go to the Library, and look for the “My apps” tab. On handhelds, use the full-screen mode for the best experience.

If you don’t see the tab, try these common fixes: update the Microsoft Store and Gaming Services apps, confirm your Xbox app version matches the preview, and reboot your PC. Remember, previews are unstable. You may encounter failed installs, missing tiles, or UI glitches. Don’t rely on this for your primary gaming machine just yet.

What this means for the future of PC gaming on Windows

Microsoft’s push to make the Xbox app the heart of PC gaming has been gradual but deliberate. The company previously added the ability to show Steam, Ubisoft, and EA Play titles in the Xbox library. It also introduced a full-screen mode optimized for handhelds. My apps completes the picture: it brings the launchers themselves into the fold.

Strategically, this is about platform cohesion. If you own an Xbox console, a PC, and a cloud streaming subscription, the Xbox app tries to unify those experiences. My apps further blurs the line between console simplicity and PC openness. For multi-device players, that’s a powerful draw.

But Microsoft must tread carefully. The feature could attract the same antitrust scrutiny that led to EU regulations requiring Windows to offer browser choice screens. If My apps becomes the primary way handheld gamers launch their games, then the curation and neutrality of the app list will be everything. Any hint of favoritism—or hidden technical hurdles for competitors—would invite legal action.

For now, the feature is in its infancy. Watch for these signals that it’s moving toward a general release:

  • Expansion of the curated catalogue to include more launchers (Steam, Epic Games Store, etc.) and utilities (Discord, OBS).
  • Stabilization of the one-click install flow across all supported apps.
  • Microsoft’s publication of detailed privacy documentation and opt-out controls.
  • Developer guidance on how to package apps for smooth integration with the Xbox app.

If these pieces fall into place, My apps could be a genuine quality-of-life upgrade—especially for the growing handheld gaming PC market.

Conclusion

The Xbox app’s new My apps tab fixes a messy reality: PC gaming is spread across a dozen launchers, and moving between them on a handheld is a chore. By letting you launch and eventually install those launchers from a single, controller-friendly interface, Microsoft is making the Xbox app more essential.

The early Insider build already proves the concept. Launching Edge, Battle.net, or GOG Galaxy from the Xbox UI works. Installation still stumbles, but that’s what previews are for. The real test will be whether Microsoft can deliver a bulletproof installation experience, communicate transparently about data use, and maintain a genuinely neutral platform.

For now, Xbox Insiders with a Windows handheld have a new tool to play with—one that hints at a future where the Xbox app is the dashboard for all PC gaming.