In a move that seems to be the prelude to a revolution in gaming, Microsoft is beginning to test the integration of external game libraries in its beta version of the Xbox app for Windows.

The release, available to Xbox Insider Program members in the PC gaming preview, allows Steam and Battle.net games to appear directly in the Xbox app's library. This means you no longer have to open Steam or Battle.net to view and launch your games; the Xbox app becomes a convenient universal launcher.

The interface has been designed so that any game installed from one of these platforms automatically appears in the My Library tab and the Most Recent section, facilitating seamless access between stores. Additionally, in the beta version, users can now choose which stores they want to see or hide from the Library and Extensions options.

Good news for Xbox users?

This move by Microsoft is no coincidence and opens the door to something much bigger: the arrival of Steam games on the Xbox console. ROG Xbox Ally was recently introduced, a portable version of Xbox developed jointly with ASUS, which has already been confirmed as compatible with this type of integrated library. If the app is preparing to display Steam titles on Windows, the next logical step is for the same to happen directly on the console, and especially on Xbox Ally.

Second, this experiment serves as a test: if users adapt well, Microsoft already has the system ready to bring to the console the games that until now were exclusive to platforms like PlayStation. We're not just talking about Steam, but also other PC launchers. Very soon, Sony exclusives, which you could only play with a PlayStation or with emulation, could be available for those who prefer the Xbox ecosystem.

What's interesting here is Microsoft's perspective: they want their app to be the center of gaming on PC and now also on consoles, even competing with Steam OS and other integrations, but with its seal of convenience and unification.

A nearly infinite game library

The ROG Xbox Ally is a portable console designed to run both Game Pass and Windows games, including those on Steam. In this sense, Microsoft is one step closer to creating an all-inclusive hybrid platform, something that until recently seemed like pure fantasy.

One of the big questions is: what will happen to PlayStation exclusives, like The Last of Us or God of War? With Steam integration, and if those games come to PC via Steam and then to the Xbox ecosystem, everything could come together. Those who have Xbox on console or on Ally portable could access games they never dreamed of seeing before.

Of course, there's still more to come: first, for the beta to leave the Insider phase and reach the public this year; and second, for Microsoft to officially confirm that the Ally console will be able to launch Steam games directly. But the path is already paved: an Xbox with real, native access to your PC library, including games that until now were exclusive to other ecosystems.

If you're an Xbox Insider, you can join this test now. Just download the Xbox Insider Hub on Windows and join the PC gaming preview. In your Xbox app, go to Library and Extensions and you can enable or disable compatible stores as you prefer.

Finally, we can't lose sight of the fact that this step is the prelude to something much bigger: a portable Xbox like the Ally capable of running games from all over the gaming world. If this beta goes through, we could be facing the largest cross-platform integration in Xbox history, and a serious blow to Sony's traditional exclusivity.