Following the acquisition spree spearheaded by former head Phil Spencer , Xbox is going through a challenging phase which led to multiple waves of layoffs , studio closures , and a radical change of how the business will have to operate to survive in these difficult market conditions . Among the things the company is planning and evaluating is how it operates on PC , and the discussions around this could give it a window to walk away from Steam , according to Windows Central's Jez Corden .
"I do know like Microsoft has some plans with regards to how they show up on PC," Corden said during the latest episode of the Xbox Two Podcast . "And I don’t know what that pertains to with regards to Steam, but the plans that I know about, and I’m being very careful here, kind of suggest it gives them a window to potentially pull out of Steam. So, I would not be shocked if eventually we do see a universe where Microsoft quits Steam."
Considering how Xbox has always released their games on Steam as well as on its own Store such a change would be significant, especially as it would be difficult to get users to switch platforms . However, Jez Corden clarified on X that having the window to do it doesn't necessarily mean it will happen, as they would leave a lot of revenue on the table by walking away from Valve's storefront.
"I REALLY doubt they will, but they're doing something that could potentially give them a window to do so, but there's just too much money to be left on the table imo. It was part of a bigger discussion," Corden said.
As was discussed on the Xbox Two Podcast, Xbox's plans to change how they operate on PC are likely related to their next-generation hardware system , the Xbox Project Helix , which will bridge the gap between console and PC gaming . As the system will likely cost more than the PlayStation 6 , as its massive Magnus APU is more expensive to produce , having third-party storefronts like Steam , GOG , or the Epic Games Store available on the system would significantly eat into the 30% platform cut Xbox gets from every sold game on the system, making it harder to subsidize the hardware and release it at a lower price point.
While this was likely discussed in the past, the prices of components , RAM , and NAND storage especially, are continuing to increase, and with the situation predicted to get even worse in the coming months , it's easy to understand why Xbox could be considering pulling out of Steam , however unlikely it may be at this time.
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