Microsoft is Bringing Game Pass Features to its Main Xbox Mobile App

Microsoft is streamlining its Xbox mobile apps and integrating features from its standalone Xbox Game Pass app into the main Xbox app for iOS and Android. Game Pass features will be coming first to the beta version of the Xbox mobile app, and Microsoft is planning to remove its Xbox Game Pass app from mobile app stores in November.

It didn’t really make sense for Microsoft to have two separate Xbox apps on mobile while there’s just one Xbox app on PC that includes Game Pass features and Xbox Cloud Gaming. On mobile, the Xbox app will let Game Pass members manage their membership, browse the library of games, and claim Ultimate perks. However, Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile will remain exclusively available via the web.

One of the most useful features of the main Xbox mobile app is the ability to remotely install any game on Xbox consoles, even those gamers haven’t purchased yet. The Xbox app also supports social features like Xbox Party Chat, but it lacks the Friends & Community updates feed that lets users see all of their friends’ activities on Xbox consoles.

These updates to Microsoft’s Xbox mobile apps are part of the “Xbox September Update,” which also includes improvements to the Xbox Game Bar, the Xbox app on PC, and an update for Xbox consoles coming later today. For PC gamers, the Game Bar Compact Mode that the company has been testing since August is now available for all users. It’s optimized for gaming handhelds and simplifies access to widgets, recently played games, third-party game launchers, and other gaming utilities.

The September update for the Xbox app on PC also improves the new game management options that Microsoft introduced last month on PC and Xbox. Users of the Xbox app on PC can now view and install all add-ons upon game installation, and they can also manage additional content for games via a new “Add-ons” view on the pop-up window that shows up when they right-click on an installed game.

For console gamers, the Xbox September update that’s coming later today will introduce the ability to pre-download game updates in select games such as Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, and Cassette Beasts. Just like Xbox gamers can already pre-download games before they’re officially released, Microsoft will encourage game developers to make their game patches available for pre-download to help gamers save time.