The Xbox has been the most talked about player in gaming this year, as rumors of Starfield being released on the PS5 caught everyone's attention.

Rumors of Microsoft becoming a full third-party publisher were eventually put to bed, followed by the underwhelming announcement that only four Xbox games would be multiplatform, and then a short "good night." Woo.

In an interview with Polyon at the recent GDC 2024 (Games Developers Conference), Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, had an interesting chat about other digital storefronts on the Xbox console revealed plans for the possible arrival of.

A big takeaway: when Polygon asked him directly if a PC gaming platform like the Epic Games Store could potentially appear on the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, he certainly seemed open to the idea. Yes," was Phil's simple and direct answer.

"No one would blink if I said, 'When you use a PC, you get to decide what kind of experience you want to have by choosing where you buy your games. There is real value in that."

That said, in the case of Epic's storefront, while I appreciate the great library of games Epic has assembled and the free monthly titles, Epic's launcher crashes far too often. Even with the best gaming PCs, trying to download a game on Epic often feels like a challenge, like wearing a bright red tracksuit and facing a raging bull armed only with a small dessert spoon.

But Phil certainly seems open to "opening up" the industry. At the latest GDC, Spencer revealed, "[Subsidies for hardware] are more difficult in today's world." And while this may seem too altruistic, "I don't think it's making the industry grow. What are the barriers? What is creating friction in the world today for creators and players? And how can we play a part in opening up that model?

Using "Sea of Thieves" as an example, this social pirate sim on the high seas is one of four titles that have popped up on rival consoles, as previously mentioned, and Spencer is genuinely interested in removing as many as possible so that gamers, regardless of platform, can play together doubling down on the idea that he wants to remove as many barriers as possible.

"If you want to play on a gaming PC, we feel like it's an ongoing part of the overall gaming ecosystem," Spencer said. As opposed to playing on a console, where my game, in gaming terms, is played in a different, closed ecosystem."

Not that the Xbox big cheese hasn't been actively trying to break down the wall between Xbox and PC gaming for a long time: the best games in the Xbox Series X are available through Xbox Game Pass via the (unstable) Xbox app, Microsoft on Windows 11 Store, and have been available to play on PCs and the best gaming laptops for years now; playing "Halo Infinite" in 4K at 120 fps is a Master Chief's delight.

The PS5 and PS5 Slim currently dominate Xbox Series X sales, and the possibility of a hybrid console/PC with access to even the mighty Steam would feel like an absolute game changer for the two series. However, there is currently no easy way to get Xbox Game Pass titles to work on the Steam deck, so it will take a significant sales pitch from Phil to get Gabe Newell to admit that Valve's iconic platform is coming to the Xbox console It might.

Editor's note: Since this article was first published, somewhat prominent X user Kariam Jovian has posted the following regarding the new Microsoft/Valve partnership:

The Xbox is clearly a game changer in terms of changing the course of the current console war with the PlayStation something drastic in terms of turning the tide of the console war. Perhaps leaning on Microsoft's enduring software heritage and opening the Xbox's doors to other distribution platforms could give Phil and his team the swing in momentum that they seem to desperately need.