Xbox App for PC Gets Faster Launch Times and HowLongToBeat Integration
- Laurent Giret
- Sep 14, 2022
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Microsoft has released a new update for its Xbox app for PC. The app currently serves as a gateway to PC Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it’s still pretty barebones compared to Steam and other game launchers.
Well, Microsoft wants to change that, and the company has teamed up with the website HowLongToBeat.com to make its Xbox app more useful. The integration will let gamers see estimates about how long it takes to finish games depending on their play style.
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Because HowLongToBeat is a community-driven website, the integration will also let PC gamers submit their own times to help other gamers. “You’ll also find additional insights on how people play including community reviews, playthrough notes, and data breakdowns by platform and playstyle,” the Xbox team explained.
The September updates for the Xbox app for PC also bring some UI and performance improvements. The Game Details page now displays trailers, screenshots, and the game description right at the top of the page.
Last but not least, Microsoft says that the Xbox app now launches 15% faster and is more reliable than before. “We’ve seen crash-free sessions improve to 99.9%, and player reports of games that didn’t download or didn’t install successfully reduced by nearly half,” the company said today.